Shame - a motivator or destructor of people?

Correctional Officers – Is Shame a Positive Motivator?

Reading about human nature and behaviors, one has to reflect a moment and see if the tool of “Shame” is one of the means you use to motivate your inmate population. Analytically speaking, to shame a person can be detrimental to his or her regaining whatever deficiency or imperfection they may have suffered during a setback, whether it was in the performance a personality disorder, an act of criminality or even an addiction. It may also create conflict or friction which may perpetuate an undesirable act.

To define shame – a condition of humiliating, disgrace or disrepute a person or behavior - is putting someone on “front street” to teach them the error of their ways. This could be pure subjective and counterproductive of the goal intended, which is usually to redirect them towards the positive goals of better human behaviors or relations. Undisputedly, perhaps in some circumstances, shaming a person can be helpful since it is a genuine emotion that we all carry with us and can stop us from further self-inflicted harm or continued behaviors.

Therefore, the use of embarrassment is to police others is used to reduce damage or defuse targeted action and encourage them not to repeat them. However, for those who use this tool too much, it has been found to be unhealthy if used as a weapon to crush spirits when used too often.  It may cause anger and depressions. By means of technique create a state of humiliation, is a delicate tool that should be used sparingly as a deterrent to avoid repeat mistakes or behaviors.

Personally, I discourage the use of shame. It has been my experience; in the spirit it may be used can be detrimental if abused or misused in specific situations. Keep in mind that whenever you use shame as a means to address a situation, it could backfire due to the anger and emotions involved in such a discussion. It could put you or others at risk of a verbal or physical attack in a very spontaneous manner.

Attempting to shame someone to “come clean” of a drug addiction could create the exact opposite effect; it could send the person into a deeper pit of addiction or anger. For many, it creates a “no way out” to come clean. Keep in mind the audience present when you lash out shame.

Prisons or jails are already volatile places to work and adding any negative fuel to the fire is strongly discouraged by anyone who has experience in sound supervisory principles. Remember, shaming someone in front of others can created an emotion of revenge or retaliation that could come back to harm you or those you work with. Prisoners are not well known to exhibit self-control or positive impulse mechanisms. Hence the key is to avoid chronic shame – guilt can motivate but on the other hand, it does promote self-loathing and a sense of decreased value. It becomes a vicious tool to create further self-destruction and increase the cycle of self-abuse.

A recent by Jessica Tracy and Daniel Randles of the University of British Columbia conducted research using universal body language to measure shame as a recovery tool. Their findings, published in Clinical Psychological Science, showed a definite connection between shame and relapse. Those most ashamed were more likely to relapse, and have relapses that were more severe.

These results demonstrate that shame does not appear to promote sobriety but in fact promotes addiction. Shaming someone in such a vulnerable state is not helpful, but dangerous. Experiencing shame during recovery can have detrimental effects on multiple fronts and cause the following conditions:

·         Shame can cause an individual to avoid forming the supportive relationships needed for successful self-recovery and self-esteem.

·         Shame prevents enjoyment of success. Those in recovery need to be capable of celebrating their successes and a mental “beat down” can instill negative emotions.

·         Shame may cause an addict or offender to feel they don’t deserve a better life. Their shame will prevent them from making efforts towards bettering themselves while incarcerated.

·         Shame has been shown to increase the risk of other conditions that worsen addiction, such as depression, anger, and other volatile or intense negative behaviors.

·         Shame adds further discomfort to the difficult “life behind bars” process. A person experiencing shame in their life working to reform their own habits, will likely relapse.

·         Shame is self-destructive. Even if the addict gets self-restrained in manner, they may continue other self-destructive behaviors due to their shame that could be relative to their ability to return to prison and jeopardize reoffending opportunities.

Reference:

http://www.recovery.org/is-shame-a-good-motivator-in-recovery/