CHAPTER 1

Invisible Hostages

The kidnapping of the soul

"I do not feel free or able to pursue happiness in my country."-Ken, LAS Victim and American citizen

Invisible Crimes – The Dilemma

Victims are created in two ways: by violence or by deceit. Either type ofassault immediately renders the victim hostage to the perpetrator(s). Victimsfeel as helpless as small children. Personal control becomes the issue. Adultautonomy is formed by a perception of trust. Psychologist Erik H. Erikson(1963) calls this feeling "basic trust." The child must sense this degree ofinvulnerability in order to grow. The long, hard battle to adulthood isaccomplished when one has the ability to take charge of one's own life(Bard, 1986). The belief that the world is manageable allows a sense ofpsychological relationship. It is like a kidnapping of the soul. Equilibriumis lost. Regardless of the individual's ability to accommodate stress, allvictims must work out of a hostage relationship with the offender.

Violent crime dominates the headlines and consumes most of the moneysthat are allocated for victim assistance, yet white-collar crimes are risingfaster than violent crime (Kropatkin, 1986; Kusic, 1989). It is naïve tobelieve that victims emerge from these assaults unscathed.

All professionals who respond to the crimes-lawyers, judges, police officers,IRS agents (who always show up at the end of the ordeal), the media, andhealth professionals-bear responsibility for the protection of the victims'mental and emotional health in the aftermath of crime. (The worst serialkiller receives millions of dollars to protect his rights, his health, and hiswell-being. The victim is just beginning to gain recognition of his needs.Still, survivors and victims too often fade into a neglected judicial oblivion.Unlike violent crime, deceptive assaults quietly wound that very sacred,inner place which is the essence of self. (Shown in Figure 1 are examplesof invisible crimes and betrayals). Although the attack is invisible, it is asbrutal as violent assault. Profound changes take place in the victim's life,yet they can go completely unnoticed. The victim becomes isolated. He orshe may rise everyday, go to work, come home, appear at family functions,and look relatively normal; however, it is as if layers of cellophane wraphave enveloped him in a numb cocoon.

Symptoms of the Hostage Stage

• Intrusive thoughts and nightmares seep in through the numbness.

• There is difficulty concentrating.

• Memories are painful; flashbacks are unrelenting.

• The victims will route themselves around reminders, and cringefrom people, songs, news stories, or events that trigger memoriesand intense distress.

• Ordinary activities require tremendous energy; the victim ismentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted.

• The victim now trusts no one.

• Not trusting has reached the point that it has begun to erode thequality of the victim's life.

• He or she feels off-balance.

• Creativity is blunted.

• Intensity of interest in the world around the victim is dulled.

• Tension/ anxiety/ depression cycle sets in; the victim may self-medicate with alcohol or drugs.

• Fear is the main motivator of life's decisions. The victim becomeshyperreactive, hypervigilant, and obsessive.

• Physical changes take place as stressors continue to pound away atthose victims who try to stand up for themselves.

• Physical symptoms will manifest in 85% of the victims. There issignificant evidence that fat in the diet, cigarette smoking, salt andlack of exercise have much less to do with coronary heart diseaseand other stress-related illnesses than do rage, anger, and frustration(McQuade, 1990).

When a Hostage Seeks Justice

Jeopardy becomes the theme of the victim's lifestyle when he/she then actsas a witness or litigant. The assault may be only a traumatic first step in aprotracted legal process. Typically, the victim remains an emotional hostagefor many years. Not only does the justice system move slowly, delays areused as strategy by attorneys to weaken their opposition economically andemotionally. Delays will cause further losses in the victim's life as pressure issustained on family life, work life, physical health, and the bank account. Allfacets of the victim's life are at risk and under attack during litigation.

Helplessness in the face of jeopardy is the formula for Post Traumatic StressDisorder. The citizen is never more jeopardized or helpless than when hisentire protective system is clearly functioning as a selfish taker instead ofa protector. How did majority opinion and need become disarmed withinour justice system?

An Evolution of Institutionalized Abuse of Power

The moral core which forms the foundation of American values is thelifeblood that sustains the victim's hope. Decency, our most cherished anddelicate human resource, hangs in the balance of the scales of justice. If thesystem exists for protection of the citizen and is supported by tax dollars,it is assumed to represent common decency. Other than a few rascals, weexpect to encounter professionals who sanction goodness as we perseverethrough the courts.

It is against this backdrop that judges, attorneys, regulators, and others,who elect to be solely self-serving, find their prey. Attorneys are reported toknowingly exhaust their client's resources and leave their clients...