You will have heard the term eyewitness testimony before, but have you heard of weapon focus? An eyewitness is considered to be someone who has seen or hear a crime being committed. When the police are investigating a criminal act, they interview everyone who was in the area at the time to determine whether they saw or heard anything which may be of use in securing a prosecution.
Witnessing a crime can be a distressing event for some people, especially if it is violent or involves a weapon. Plus, psychological studies into memory show that we recall different types of information in different ways and this can cause inaccuracies and biases. People can make mistakes when trying to remember specific pieces of information. It is possible to remember whole events that did not happen.
Weapon focus is the concentration on a weapon by a witness of a crime and the subsequent inability to accurately remember other details of the crime. The presence of an unexpected weapon such as a gun or knife can impair the eyewitness’s memory for the perpetrator as well as other details of a criminal event. In other words, the eyewitness focuses so heavily on the weapon that they are not able to remember other details about the crime.
For example, you could be shown two pictures of a tennis court with a man holding one of two items. In the first picture, the man is holding a tennis racket. In the second picture, he is holding a gun. You would be able to tell me much more details about the scene when the man is holding a racket. That is because you would not expect to see a man holding a gun at a tennis match, but you would expect him to be holding the bat.
In normal day to day interactions, there is a lot of information available to us. It would be impossible to give our attention to every single bit of it. A simple 1 to 1 conversation produces a lot of information. We simply cannot process all of that information as fast as the person is talking to us.
Therefore, we have developed ways of attending to some types of information and not others. We use subconscious shortcuts to process the huge amount of information we receive. We use schemas to create shortcuts so that we don’t have to pay attention to every single piece of information. A schema is a cognitive framework or concept that helps organize and interpret information.
Schemas can be useful because they allow us to take shortcuts in interpreting the vast amount of information that is available in our environment. As experiences happen and new information is presented, new schemas are developed and old schemas are changed or modified. Schemas allow us to know what certain things are or how to act in various environments. For example, if we walked into a library we know that we are expected to be quiet. If a person comes in and is not quiet then we are more likely to pay attention to it because it is different.
We are also biased to some information and can take in some bits of information and ignore others. We might actively look or listen for certain pieces of information. We may not think some information will tell us anything and so ignore it. We create a simple set of rules of the types of things we should and shouldn’t look out for to tell when someone is lying. We then use these rules as mental shortcuts without even thinking about it.
These mental shortcuts are the processes that force our attention onto an unexpected weapon and remember fewer details about other aspects of the event.
There are many studies that have proven that the presence of an unexpected weapon reduces how accurately someone identifies the suspect or other details of the event. How much of a distraction the presence of a weapon causes has been found to vary according to the characteristics of the eyewitness, the scenario in which the weapon is encountered in and the procedure through which memory is tested. As a result, each of these factors (witness, scenario, testing procedure) must be considered prior to evaluating the risk of weapon focus for any given situation.
Large scale studies have proven that there is a greater focus on the weapon in situations judged to be threatening or arousing or involving criminal compared to non-criminal events. However, researchers have been unable to quantify the magnitude of these effects.
The term Gaslighting has become more and more common. Most people tend to recognise gaslighting as being manipulated. However, this can be a little misleading. Gaslighting is actually the effect that the manipulation has on the person that has been subjected to emotional and psychological manipulation tactics.
Some people manipulate others and can convince them that they are in the wrong and makes the victim doubt and doesn’t trust their own judgement any more. This doubt leads the victim to believe what the manipulator says is right.
These manipulators use various tactics in a covert way, so much so that their aggressive intentions are well hidden. Those who are being manipulated may feel like something is not right, but with continued manipulation come to believe that this doubt should be directed at their own judgements rather than towards the manipulator.
This type of manipulation makes people believe that the manipulator is right and any doubt should be focused on the victim’s inner thoughts or beliefs. A manipulator may say things such as ‘it’s all in your head’ or ‘you’re imagining it’. These kinds of statements lead to the gaslighting effect.
The manipulator denies and invalidates the victim’s reality. It undermines the victim’s view of the world and reality. In extreme cases, this manipulation can lead to a person questioning their own sanity. This manipulation is used to make a person think or act in ways they wouldn’t have otherwise done. The thoughts and acts of the victim are always in the interest of the manipulator and for their benefit.
This manipulation of changes is done slowly over time. The victim will be led down the path of doubting themselves and believing what they are told by the abuser. Of course, the victim will have no idea that this is happening to them. Manipulation of another person is always about power and control.
Manipulators will instil shame on their victims. They will use words that create doubt and evoke fear. When this is done day after day, victims will easily back down from their beliefs. Along the way, the victim may feel like something isn’t right, they may even voice this. However, the manipulators will usually say things like ‘you are not making any sense’ or ‘I know what I said and it wasn’t that’. The more manipulators can get their victims to doubt themselves, the more likely they are to adopt the thoughts and behaviours of the manipulator.
Those who have been victims of this kind of abuse and gaslighting effect for prolonged periods can suffer lasting negative effects. The manipulators have worked tirelessly to bring about this self-doubt and will struggle to trust themselves once again. However, it is possible to recover by engaging with trained professionals in counselling.
We are all guilty of trying to manipulate other people from time to time. However, the older we get the more skilled we are and the more emotionally mature we become. Narcissists have no emotional maturity and are manipulating 100% of the time. Manipulation is always found where there is emotional immaturity and/or power imbalances.
All tactics of manipulation, even lying, contribute to the gaslighting effect. There can be several different types of manipulation used. For example, stonewalling. Stonewalling is when the manipulator/abuser pretends they don’t understand what you are telling them.
Another tactic is to counter what the victim is saying and questions the memory of them with phrases such as ‘you never remember things correctly’ or ‘get your facts straight’. The manipulator/abuser may block or divert questions or answers. They may simply refuse to answer, change the subject, or blame the victim. They may say things such as ‘why do you always have to blame me’ or ‘you are always picking fights. The manipulator may even deny reality or intentionally forget things. Phrases such as ‘you never told me that’ or ‘I know what I said and it wasn’t that’ may be used.
The most important thing to do if you think you may be being manipulated and experiencing the gaslighting effect, the first step is to try and think about the situation from both points of view. Talking to trusted friends or family about it may help. It can help to talk with a few people to get different points of view.
Ask yourself the question ‘are they doing this out of a desire to control me, or are they struggling with the idea of not being in control themselves?’ If you are able to think about the situation or behaviour, it can be helpful to try and think logically rather than emotionally. When we are emotional, we tend to react, it is always better to respond after some thought.
The person may not even realise that they are being manipulative, it may not be coming from a will to control and dominate. They may be experiencing feelings of insecurity in other areas of their lives. Sometimes, it can be more to do with feelings of them having little or no power in the relationship.
Try to find a mutual time to talk it over if you feel this would help. Sometimes, bringing things up during an argument can be seen as an attack rather than a desire to understand. Therefore, plan ahead of time to talk.
Sometimes though, this manipulation is used as a deliberate tactic to cause someone to feel more insecure, less confident, and change their reality and thinking. In this case, it is a totally unacceptable thing to do and a highly abusive pattern of behaviour. Seek help and advice from support websites and phone lines.
During the month of October, Crimepsych is focusing on building awareness of domestic abuse. Domestic abuse can come in many forms including verbal, physical, and emotional forms. Both men and women can inflict the abuse or be the victim. Domestic abuse is not limited to age either.
However, one aspect that is not always widely discussed is how abusive relationships can affect children. There are many aspects to consider when answering this question. Firstly, the age of the child or children should be considered. A toddler will be affected differently than a teenager. Secondly, every child is different and will react differently or face various challenges. The third thing to consider is how you should approach talking to your child or getting the help and support they need. Of course, there is the question of how to keep children safe if they are living in a home with an abusive parent.
Children may see violence directly or see the bruises or cuts after. They may hear constant arguments. They may see one parent being fearful or anxious all the time. This can be very conflicting for a child. They may love each parent deeply and not want to take sides. They may even try to retaliate to protect the abused parent.
We know from many studies within psychology that children learn behaviours and acceptable behaviour that they observe. Living in a home with an abusive parent may lead a child to think that is a normal dynamic in a relationship and an acceptable way to behave. Many children who live with an abused parent are often victims of physical violence too. This can cause many negative effects on their physical or mental health. Children who witness violence between parents may also be at greater risk of being violent in their future relationships. If you are a parent who is experiencing abuse, it can be difficult to know how to protect your child.
Young preschool-aged children who witness physical violence at home may revert to acting in ways they did when they were younger. Younger children may start bedwetting again, they may have disturbed sleep patterns and be on a constant state of alert. They may develop anxiety and become very cling to their parent.
Because older school-aged children have a better understanding of the world, they may display different behaviours. Very often, they will feel guilty about the abuse and blame themselves. They may become more isolated and withdraw from social activities both inside and outside of school. They may act out and get into more trouble.
Teens who witness abuse may act out in negative ways, such as fighting with family members or skipping school. They may also engage in risky behaviours, such as having unprotected sex and using alcohol or drugs. They may have low self-esteem and have trouble making friends. They may start fights or bully others and are more likely to get in trouble with the law. This type of behaviour is more common in teen boys who are abused in childhood than in teen girls. Girls are more likely than boys to be withdrawn and to experience depression.
Each child responds differently to abuse and trauma. Some children are more resilient, and some are more sensitive. Children who witness or are victims of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse are at higher risk for health problems as adults. These can include mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. They may also include diabetes, obesity, heart disease, poor self-esteem, and other problems.
Women’s aid website neatly summarizes some of the effects of domestic abuse on children. They state:
Children are individuals and may respond to witnessing abuse in different ways. These are some of the effects described in a briefing by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2004):
They may become anxious or depressed
They may have difficulty sleeping
They have nightmares or flashbacks
They can be easily startled
They may complain of physical symptoms such as tummy aches and may start to wet their bed
They may have temper tantrums and problems with school
They may behave as though they are much younger than they are
They may become aggressive or they may internalise their distress and withdraw from other people
They may have a lowered sense of self-worth
Older children may begin to play truant, start to use alcohol or drugs, begin to self-harm by taking overdoses or cutting themselves or have an eating disorder
It may not be possible or even safe to leave an abusive relationship. It is important that if you do decide to leave you take steps to ensure you and your children are safe. The first step is to make sure your child knows the abuse isn’t their fault and violence is never ok, even when someone they love is being abusive.
You could contact the police to help you to leave safely. Talk about a safety plan with your children before you leave. Arrange for a safe place for the children to be. You may wish to inform their school to ensure the abusive parent doesn’t remove them. If you do leave your children with someone, discuss a safe word that they can use to let you know they need help. It’s also important to tell them that their job is to stay safe, not protect you.
You could pack a small bag before you leave with all your important documents in. You may be able to leave this at friends, family members, or locker away from your home. Finally, memorize any important numbers in case you have to leave without your phone.
There are many websites that offer advice and support to abused parents and their children. I have included a few here. If you know someone who is being abused, you can help by offering support and advice. However, they may not be safe to stay with you if the abusive partner suspects they may go there.
Although children will probably never forget what they saw or experienced during the abuse, they can learn healthy ways to deal with their emotions and memories as they mature. The sooner a child gets help, the better his or her chances for becoming a mentally and physically healthy adult.
You can help your children by helping them to feel safe. Children who witness or experience domestic violence need to feel safe. Consider whether leaving the abusive relationship might help your child feel safer. Talk to your child about the importance of healthy relationships. Talking to them about their fears. Let them know that it’s not their fault or your fault.
