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Engaging a public audience: Social justice advocacy and dissemination of trauma science

Turn on any news channel or Twitter feed and you’ll witness the psychological impact of terrible events and complex social issues on individuals, families, and communities. In a few weeks in late summer, as I write this editorial, we’ve seen Hurricanes, Harvey, and Irma, a deadly car attack on anti-racist protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia, the largest mass shooting in the history of the United States, and threats to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). But even, if they are not making the major headlines, the list of major societal ills is long–racism, poverty, gender discrimination, homelessness, domestic violence, sexual assault, hate crimes, human rights violations, and homophobia, to name a few. As trauma specialists, we know that profound oppression, marginalization, discrimination and disenfranchisement underlie, contribute to and complicate a person’s recovery from trauma, violence and abuse. Many trauma survivors experience a multitude of intersecting forms of oppression. They often have inequitable opportunities for housing, education and work, and lack access to mental and other health care services. Their voices are often silenced or suppressed. Or when they are heard, trauma survivors are often disbelieved or discredited. The most qualified and motivated group to educate the public and policy makers on trauma and social justice related issues are the trauma scientists, scholars, and practitioners themselves–that is us! Indeed, some might say it is our responsibility to disseminate trauma-related behavioral and social science with the goal of educating, consciousness raising, empowering, and influencing public policy (Friedman, 2013; Mallinckrodt, Miles, & Levy, 2014). Though social justice advocacy, we can promote awareness, provide information, show support, improve services or laws, change stigma, and empower those who have had their voices dampened or taken away (Cowley, 2015; Toporek, 2006). This is a broad generalization, of course, but those of us in the trauma field are deeply passionate and highly committed to making the world a better place for trauma survivors. That’s one of the things I appreciate most about our field. However, we come to the work, we are determined to help right some terrible wrongs. Whether through our research, teaching or clinical practice, we engage in advocacy, shedding light on and promoting the voice of trauma survivors. We try to present trauma survivors’ experiences and support their participation in healing