Survival would be impossible without our ability to remember things. But memories act as platforms of debate on credibility, and thus, character.
The United States was recently reminded once again of the prominent divide that exists among its people in the form of the Ford-Kavanaugh hearing. And here, Christine Blasey Ford’s credibility was in question consistently throughout, as those present tried to establish to what extent a person would clearly and truthfully be able to recall events which took place 35 years ago.
If anyone has seen or listened to the hearing, they’ll know of the clarity with which Ford spoke. She recalled her experience from over three decades ago with painful conviction. And despite being the victim of a harrowing episode, her testimony stood firm, delivered with clinical accuracy of what her memory has gripped too tightly since.
For Kavanaugh, the angry and vehement denial of the events was a chaotic and messy packaging of emotions, trying desperately to reveal not the event per se, but the consequence of the allegations on his life and family.
In the backdrop of this hearing, a research made its way out earlier this week revealing some outstanding links between sexual harassment and health risks in victims. The study shows positive correlation between those who have experienced sexual harassment and high blood pressure, poor sleep, clinically significant anxiety, and more. These are lasting effects which victims grapple with throughout their lives, regardless of how long ago the events took place.
Traumatic events, such as experiences of sexual harassment or abuse, are critical in shaping the trajectories that victims’ lives take. The hippocampus in our brains processes memories by engaging only some of the events -- the ones we pay most attention to -- which happen to us on a day to day basis.
Trauma demands a strong emotional response, and when emotions wrap around such events, we are more likely to have those experiences encoded in our brains for the long haul.
And as per the recent study, these experiences, the memories of which are etched deep into the folds of our brains, result in very real and incredibly disrupting manners in our lives.
But our brains do not encode every detail of the event, and that’s when the question of credibility steps in. If a victim does not remember certain components of what had happened to them, while the one alleged to have perpetrated the action denies the event from ever taking place, how do we decide what the truth is?
And in a time when the meaning of harassment is expanding, and the notion of consent seems, to some, a complete blur, how can we make clear the ways in which many of us overstep boundaries?
For starters, one could firmly express their dissatisfaction in the advances being made to them.
It is when one is crippled by their subservient position in relation to that individual that it makes it difficult, and sometimes impossible, to speak up.
On the other hand, “misreading signs” of consent are often used as the defense of unwanted sexual advances, where one is unaware that their behaviour makes the recipient uncomfortable, let alone that it could have lasting implications for the rest of their lives.
We feel happy for the company at hand, and even hopeful for our advances to have successful outcomes, unaware of the negative emotions our actions or words have on the person in front of us. In such cases, it is likely that our brains won’t register such events as traumatic -- for it was not such for us -- making it easy to forget the event altogether.
On many occasions, people in positions of power don’t necessarily understand that their advances to their subordinates are harmful. But with such authority comes the responsibility of having that awareness.
Being more conscious about our actions towards those around us is one way in which we can make boundaries more clear to see, especially so in the cases of attraction, which so often and so easily can be interpreted as harassment.
Similarly, we must realize when we could potentially be victims of harassment, and that speaking up could help us in events of traumatic experiences, regardless of how difficult it is to have that conversation.
Oftentimes, those of us who don’t have the upper hand in situations such as these, tend to bear the brunt of trauma in one way or the other, and end up carrying harmful memories with us for long periods of time.
Willing ourselves out of painful memories is not an easy task. Making sure that we don’t inflict trauma on those around us, and being aware of our actions and words can save us and others from dealing with difficult consequences. λ
Luba Khalili is Deputy Manager, Communications, BRAC.
