Trauma and Human Rights

“This volume is a sorely needed corrective, examining trauma through the lens of power and oppression.”

-Steven N Gold, PhD, Director of Trauma Resolution & Integration Program and Professor at Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University, USA


“As a whole, the book is an impressive addition to the literature and will encourage more effective practice across the micro-macro spectrum.”


-Lynne M. Healy, PhD, Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of Connecticut, USA


“(A) seminal work that…should be essential reading for anyone interested in better understanding human rights and trauma.”


-Zachary Steel, PhD, St John of God Chair in Trauma and Mental Health, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia
Human rights violations and traumatic events often comingle in victims’ experiences; however, the human rights framework and trauma theory are rarely deployed together to illuminate such experiences. This edited volume explores the intersection of trauma and human rights by presenting the development and current status of each of these frameworks, examining traumatic experiences and human rights violations across a range of populations and describing efforts to remediate them. Individual chapters address these topics among Native Americans, African Americans, children, women, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender individuals, those with mental disabilities, refugees and asylees, and older adults, and also in the context of social policy and truth and reconciliation commissions. The authors demonstrate that the trauma and human rights frameworks each contribute invaluable and complementary insights, and that their integration can help us fully appreciate and address human suffering at both individual and collective levels.