Mental Consequences Resulting from Torture

Abstract

Torture is considered as physical or mental harassment, torment, causing pain, injuries and humiliation of an innocent person occurring during the shorter or longer period of time.

Is human emotional behavior based on primary biological mechanism that human inherited not only from close animal predecessors, but also significantly more distant kinds on evolutionary ladder?

Results of researches indicate that aggressiveness is stable pattern of behavior in children and young people. Aggressive behavior of humans decreases over the years, although certain types of personalities preserve stability of aggressive behavior.

Psychological profile of torturer includes diagnostical category of antisocial personality disorder.

Mental consequences resulting from torture are depression, psychosomatic reactions, aggression, state of anxiety. The contribution of victimology is significant, particularly from aspect of “selecting” psychopathological reaction. It is also important whether the torturer is known to be victims or it is a stranger. It is understandable that consequences are much more severe with people who had unfortunate to be tortured by known person.

The most common psychopathological reactions are:

1. 1. Fear lived during the torture.

2. 2. Depressive reaction.

3. 3. Aggression - which may not be demonstrated in adequate manner, may be shifted to other people, which may create interpersonal disputes, before all for the victim and represents one of physical consequences resulting from torture.

Torture prevention is problem of individuals, community and society as whole.

Degradation of authorities in one society leads to moral erosion, and on its part, to torture on all functioning levels.