EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
On August 19, 20 and 21, 2004, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, therapists, and academic experts on fear, terror and therapy from around the world came together in Austin, Texas for the first "International Assembly on Managing the Psychology of Fear and Terror". The Assembly was convened by Issues Deliberation America / Australia. The aim of the International Assembly on Managing the Psychology of Fear and Terror was to initiate international dialogue among experts on the topic from around the world in order to develop strategies for combating international, national and local fear and terror. The Assembly involved almost 2 days of collective and collaborative problem solving in small group and large plenary discussion sessions, with trained facilitators. Thus, the strategies generated are the result of individual written submissions, small group discussions and all of delegate plenary sessions. The Assembly was not intended to be a political event; rather an international collaborative problem-solving venture for the benefit of people everywhere, regardless of nationality or religion, who find themselves paralyzed by fear. An International Board of Patrons endorsed the Assembly, including former Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, Former British PM, John Major, Former Israeli Prime Minister, Shimon Peres, and Nobel Peace Prize Winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
MAJOR THEMES
1. Communities and individuals are in many ways resilient and adaptable.
2. Communities and individuals suffer immeasurably.
HOW BEST TO MANAGE THE PSYCHOLOGY OF FEAR AND TERROR: MAJOR LESSONS FROM THE FIRST
INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY
1. Facilitate understanding of terrorism and terrorists through informed public dialogue
about the nature of terrorism, terrorists goals and methods, as well as statistical probabilities of the likelihood of any one citizen being the victim of terror.
A. Break down the generalized fear of terror with public education about terrorist goals / method;
B. Equip institutional and political leaders to contribute to coping, adapting and resilience, rather than create or exacerbate fear and terror;
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW CONT.
C. Help the media understand their role in contributing to or mitigating fear;
D. Educate citizens about the real risks of terror, i.e. very low probability of being a direct victim of terror compared to other causes of death or injury;
E. Local and national governments should share their preparedness plans;
F. Inform citizens of best practice responses to terror attacks – from national to individual;
G. Facilitate informed public dialogue and practice on tolerance and cross-cultural understanding;
H. Facilitate informed public dialogue on alternatives to fear and terror i.e. PEACE.
2. Facilitate understanding of how to respond to fear and terror by building a systemic national, communal and collaborative approach to improve societal resilience
Prevention
Enhance societal resilience in anticipation of a terror attack:
A. Help local governments plan for disaster preparedness;
B. Equip schools for disaster preparedness;
C. Establish inter-religious, inter-agency, inter-government, cross-disciplinary connections prior to a disaster, teach positive coping;
D. Equip individuals and communities for disaster preparedness so they know what to do;
E. Encourage corporations and organizations to develop their own disaster preparedness plans.
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW CONT.
Curative Interventions
A. Allow for MULTIPLE treatment methods. Treatment methods should include and involve survivors and communities’ own natural support networks. Ensure methods are backed by research;
B. Develop a screening process for those presenting as helpers;
C. Build in programs and structures that facilitate bonding (avoid isolating victims);
D. Plan for different chronological timelines for coping and healing;
E. Triage: with a range of treatments according to need;
F. Screen for post traumatic distress utilizing a public health approach;
G. Encourage people to translate their experiences into words;
H. Help families maintain their routines;
I. Acknowledge that there will be a different and “New Normal”;
J. Ensure the caretakers are taken care of.
Community Interventions
A. Facilitate an immediate support network for the survivors;
B. Design an outreach program to conduct consistent in-community follow up;
C. Help citizens utilize their own resources in their own community;
D. Encourage support groups and other strategies for ACTIVE COPING rather than passive coping.
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW CONT.
3. Facilitate global, national, community, cultural and interdisciplinary collaboration on prevention, curative and community interventions
A. Collaborate across professions to ensure cross fertilization of research and best practice;
B. Ensure both evidence-generating and evidence-driven trauma interventions;
C. Collaborate across religions, across communities who have experienced terror;
D. Establish a clearing house website: www.managingfear&terror.org;
E. Consult and contribute to the website;
F. Establish an International Journal on Managing the Psychology of Fear and Terror;
G. Convene a Second International Assembly on Managing the Psychology of Fear and Terror.
4. Explore and model alternative means of conflict resolution
A. Teach and role model effective conflict resolution;
B. Teach and practice tolerance, compassion and empathic understanding;
C. Promote shared humanity;
D. Facilitate constructive, effective conflict resolution at top levels;
E. Develop education and therapy that recognize good and evil in all - facilitate alternatives to retaliation;
F. Identify and treat aggression (and reasons for it) in the young.
ROLE OF THE MEDIA
One of the Assembly delegates stated:
The media has an important role in conveying accurate information about the limits of a threat, educating the public regarding expected reactions and adaptive coping, and enhancing a sense of community. However, in the case of 9/11/01, the media was also the primary vector for transmission of the stressor, propagating aspects of the terror experience far beyond those directly exposed (Butler, Garlan, & Spiegel, in press). Because indirect exposure -- principally to graphic, repetitive images of destruction and death in the electronic media -- is the form of exposure that most individuals will face following a terror attack, the media should be a target as well as the source of preventative interventions. Research elucidating the specific pathogenic elements of media output and exposure is clearly needed, so that the media can fulfill its informational role, and citizens can become suitably informed, without needlessly perpetuating the trauma. Building on present knowledge with future research, guidelines, educational materials, and programs should be developed and directed at those responsible for making choices about what and how terrorist event-related information is aired. Additionally, the media should be cultivated as a partner in disseminating resilience-related information.
WHAT THE MEDIA CAN DO
1. Help media coverage to change from sensationalist to deliberative, from alarmist to informative.
2. Be an educator. Example: Help diffuse the confusion about the color-code alert system.
3. Collaborate with educators, researchers, clinicians and government agencies in a pro-active campaign of public health preparedness.
4. Collaborate with decision makers in a partnership on how best to report terror alerts and terror attacks.
5. Join a TASK Force with selected Assembly delegates to identify detailed strategies for (1),(2) and (3) above.
6. Be aware of the traumatizing personal impact of photographing/interviewing survivors and relatives. Example: Nerissa McCartney’s flight to Darwin to see Jason the first time after the Bali bombing.
ROLE OF THE MEDIA CONT.
7. Be aware of the potential for re-traumatizing other survivors and their relatives with the images / words / and frequency of reminders of an event.
8. Be aware of the impact upon children of those words and images.
9. Report the facts: ex. Salience and frequency of stories exaggerate the probability of citizens being affected by a terror attack. Reporting of terror related activities is way higher than the actual incidence or likelihood of a terror attack. If risks were covered according to statistical incidence, we’d need:
§ National cardio alert systems
§ National car accident alert systems
10. Be aware of damaging impact of particular words. Example: Use of the word “closure” suggests that the suffering is going to end.
11. Be aware of tendency to sensationalize events and terror alerts beyond the statistical probability of an attack.
12. Heighten public awareness of positive events, reasons to celebrate.