The Little Children
Then They Started Shooting breaks stereotypes about “traumatized war children” by talking about children’s resilience in dealing with war hardship. In the aftermath of the Bosnian conflict, very few children showed lasting signs of trauma; instead, thoughts of their personal futures filled their minds. In her analyses of individual psychological health, Jones points out that children who avoided searching for explanations for past events have better psychological health than those who did not. Truly, distancing oneself from the past can be protective, but it can also cost the community as a whole. In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, it seems that ignoring the past and lacking the will to deal with it can reopen the wounds that never properly healed.
How the nonhuman made us human
Animals, plants, and the wider natural world are often reduced to mere “environment”, a backdrop for human affairs over which we assume absolute superiority and dominion. In this thought provoking essay, Febna Reheem Caven argues that our physiology, psychology, identity, cultural expressions, and ultimately, our existence depend on the active collaboration of the natural world. To find peace and fulfilment, then, we will have to re-identify with the ultimate “Other” — the nonhuman.
Fight or Flight: A Picture Worth 500 Words
Pepperdine University graduate student Dusty Bates Farned has an uncomfortable experience with a homeless man in Los Angeles and reflects on his own fight or flight response.
Exploring the Minds of Young Killers: Psychology, Gun Control, and the Colorado Theater Shooting
Researcher Mathew G Ituma discusses US gun culture and the recent shooting in a Colorado movie theater in light of Dr Peter Langman’s research into the psychology of young killers. The three aspects highlighted by the author are trauma, psychosis, and psychopathy, as well as general social dynamics, gender, and the ready availability of weapons in the United States.