Hoffman torture scandal research: Psychologists for human rights need to revolt

A powerful group of dissenting psychologists defending human rights issued a statement Monday, calling on more psychologists, those remaining silent on torture, to act now against their professional organization’s alleged “collusion” in the abuse. The former call to action is in response to the July 11th relase of the damning Hoffman Report, an American Psychological Association (APA) appointed attorney’s independent research report. The lengthy document details APA’s top psychologists’ leadership of and ongoing denials about the organization’s post-9/11 torture involvement.

For ten years, the now victorious PsySR dissenters spear-headed a campaign against the nation’s largest professional organization, the APA, due to its scandalous partnership with the United States Department of Defense and the CIA torture chiefs and ongoing denials. PsySR says now is the time for genuine transformation within the profession. It needs, however, many more voices of psychologists to join it and asserts the duty of psychologists is to engage now.

Silence, a political choice as much so as raising voice and taking action

“The transformation we seek depends upon a much higher level of engagement from many more members of our profession. It requires participation from those who have stood on the sidelines, those who have closed their eyes to disturbing reports, and those who have considered it unseemly to discuss ‘politics’ among colleagues,” the psychologists on PsySR Steering Committee, found on the group’s website. “As should now be clear to everyone, silence is also a political choice.”

Sighned by its president Dr. Yosef Brody, PsySR’s statement says, “In light of the evidence compiled by the Hoffman investigative team, psychologists have a duty to recognize and examine how decades of dependency on the military and intelligence agencies for employment, funding, and stature have influenced our entire profession, in ways that have never been adequately examined.”

Finally, after years of allegations regarding leading American psychologists’ involvement in torture, in November, the American Psychological Association Board hired David Hoffman of Didley Austin law firm to investigate allegations against the APA. The APA ordered the independent review to verify earlier allegations the US Senate’s intelligence committee made in a landmark report.

“The largest association of psychologists in the United States is on the brink of a crisis,” the Guardian reported after Hoffman’s independent review revealed medical professionals lied and covered up their extensive involvement in post-9/11 torture. “Key psychologists’ heads are already rolling and charges against some psychologists are anticipated. According to two landmark Senate reports, one by the armed services committee in 2009 and the other by the intelligence committee in 2014, psychologists James Mitchell and Bruce Jessen helped persuade the CIA to adopt stress positions, temperature and dietary manipulation, sleep deprivation and waterboarding in interrogations. While these men are not APA members, top APA leadership steered these and other psychologists’ participation.”

Also see: Torture CoverUp Continues: Gov’t Conceals Names Of Top Two Alleged War Criminals Paid $81M To Torture

“The revelation, puncturing years of denials, has already led to at least one leadership firing and creates the potential for loss of licenses and even prosecutions,” says the Guardian. Stephen Behnke’s has been first. Behnke, APA’s ethics chief has been a leading figure in changing ethics guidelines so they were conducive to “interrogations” that, from the onset, relied heavily on psychologists to design and implement torturous techniques like waterboarding.

PsySR’s statement begins:

In unmistakable terms, the long-awaited Hoffman Report has confirmed longstanding allegations that the American Psychological Association (APA) curried favor with the US Department of Defense (DoD) by colluding to preserve unethical detention and interrogation practices – practices that involved psychologists in torture and abuse. The lengthy and detailed report delineates how APA staff and prominent Association leaders deceived and subverted the will of the membership to adopt and maintain ethics rules for psychologists ‘that were as closely aligned as possible with DoD policies, guidelines, practices, or preferences, as articulated to APA by these DoD officials.’

PsySR says psychologists face repercussions from the worst scandal in the profession’s history. The hoffman report implicates many APA leaders and members, not only a few bad apples. It also comments that the APA “compromised fundamentals such as human rights and the core principle of ‘do no harm.’

Clearly, individual psychologists whose documented actions have violated APA’s Ethics Code should face loss of license and other professional sanctions. Even more crucially, our profession faces existential and systemic concerns that need to be dealt with in an active manner. With controversy over crucial facts finally behind us, Psychologists for Social Responsibility (PsySR) hopes that the large and diverse community of psychologists can now begin to move forward together on the difficult journey of repairing and rebuilding.”

PsySR says, “The APA’s loss of legitimacy and credibility will remain a disturbing reality as long as the Association fails to fully confront and address the betrayal by its leadership and the harm it has caused. Valuable guideposts for action to address this betrayal include: criminal prosecutions or restorative justice processes to hold accountable the perpetrators most responsible; material and symbolic reparations; changes to ethical and other policies so as to meet standards appropriate for a profession of scientists, health professionals, and educators rather than the priorities of the Department of Defense or CIA; institutional reform to dismantle the structures that facilitated misconduct, including an organizational analysis explicating networks of influence; and truth commissions to illuminate the causes and consequences of the grave ethical lapses. We draw many of these recommendations from the field of transitional justice.”

PsySR recognizes that psychologists depending on the APA to resolve the torture atrocity and its collusion will not restore credibility of a profession that “prizes human rights and dignity.”

The groups says psychologists should not wait for the APA to decide its next steps before embracing and mobilizing around a profound course correction to help “reclaim and reinvigorate our profession.”

“Reflecting on the damage that has been done, especially to the victims of torture and abuse, PsySR rejects the status quo as untenable and continues its commitment to a progressive vision for psychology, one that prizes human rights and human dignity. We believe Mr. Hoffman is absolutely correct in his conclusion that “The profession of psychology must also define for itself whether it is ethical and legitimate for psychologists to use their special skill to intentionally inflict psychological or physical harm on individuals.”

The transformation we seek depends upon a much higher level of engagement from many more members of our profession. It requires participation from those who have been standing on the sidelines, closing their eyes to disturbing reports, and those who have considered it unseemly to discuss “politics” among colleagues.

“As should now be clear to everyone, silence is also a political choice. In light of the evidence compiled by the Hoffman investigative team, psychologists have a duty to recognize and examine how decades of dependency on the military and intelligence agencies for employment, funding, and stature have influenced our entire profession, in ways that have never been adequately examined.”

PsySR says it will be offering detailed recommendations, commentary, and action strategies related to the APA’s future. “But at this moment when the world is watching and wondering, we implore all of our members and colleagues to stand up and speak out for what our profession’s fundamental principles should be.”