The Pros And Cons Of Torture

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Torture has been a real hot button issue in the United States. Torture is illegal according to the Geneva Convention, however it is not always enforced. In January 2002, shortly after the destruction of the Twin Tower on September 11, 2001, the United
States Naval Base began holding prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. Since 2005, psychologists have been involved in the torture process. Their main objective is supposed to be caring for the well being of the victims and ensuring their mental well-being. However, there have been many controversies and negative aspects of psychologists involved in the torture process, including: Breach of trust and rule breaking, skewed perceptions of torture, unfair pressure placed on psychologists, and psychologists …show more content…

There are two levels of trust being broken in this scenario which are cause for concern: Psychologists who torture are not following their ethical guidelines, and they are abusing the trust of their patients.
Psychologists not following their ethical guidelines is concerning because the rules are there to keep both the doctor and the patient as safe as possible. Additionally, if the rules are not followed, it can lead to a snowball of broken rules and patients can be badly harmed. This has happened at Guantanamo Bay, where psychologists have taken part in the torture process. This is a direct violation of Section 3.04 b of the American Psychology Association's (APA) code of ethics.. “Psychologists do not participate in, facilitate, assist, or otherwise engage in torture, defined as any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person, or in any other cruel, inhuman, or degrading behavior that violates