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When Man Harms Man: The Interpersonal Ramifications of War Captivity

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Traumatic Stress and Long-Term Recovery

Abstract

As most research devoted to the aftermath of war captivity discusses physical and intrapersonal ramifications, the interpersonal domain is left largely underrepresented in research. Our aim in this chapter is to shed light on this realm of psychosocial deficit after captivity. Indeed, throughout this chapter, we highlight the manner in which various dimensions of interpersonal pernicious and malicious conduct during captivity are weaved into a tapestry of dysfunctional interpersonal relationships in the life that comes after repatriation. In order to accomplish this, we first elaborate in some detail the ingenuity of torture and misconduct of war captivity. Next, we address many dimensions of interpersonal disruption that prisoners of war (POWs) may experience after repatriation. Throughout the chapter, we provide findings from a longitudinal study that has examined these dimensions of disruption in a prospective cohort of Israeli ex-POWs who fell captive in 1973 in Egypt and Syria. Concomitantly, we survey various interpersonal dimensions that include attachment injury, marital and familial adjustment, loneliness, and betrayal following captivity. Once these dimensions of post-repatriation become evident, it is then simple to see the devastation that war captivity instills in concentric circles of interpersonal relationships: family, friend, society, and state. Based on these realizations, we suggest directions for researchers, clinicians, and policy makers to work towards the mending of interpersonal bonds, the communalization of trauma, and reinstatement of trust. Hopefully with such efforts where detachment was, there attachment will once again be, and where loneliness reigned there connection will once again rule.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Unless otherwise specified, all references to accounts by veterans have been made in testimonies given at the testimonial project at the Israel Center for Victims of Terror and War (NATAL) and have been part of a previous project of the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mass Trauma Research Lab, Bob Shapell School of Social Work, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel

    Jacob Y. Stein, Avigal Snir PhD & Zahava Solomon PhD

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  1. Jacob Y. Stein
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  2. Avigal Snir PhD
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  3. Zahava Solomon PhD
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Correspondence to Jacob Y. Stein .

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  1. Louisiana State University Dept. Psychology, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA

    Katie E. Cherry

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Stein, J., Snir, A., Solomon, Z. (2015). When Man Harms Man: The Interpersonal Ramifications of War Captivity. In: Cherry, K. (eds) Traumatic Stress and Long-Term Recovery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-18866-9_7

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