Ethics in the Age of Looking Away

Human rights are under attack. They’re being dismissed and violated both within the United States and across the globe. Yet the structures and forces that sustain these violations often go underexamined, particularly in today’s climate of hyperpolarization, self-censorship, and educational gag orders. As psychologists, our ethical values of justice, dignity, and respect call on us not to be bystanders. These values are at the core of our commitment to help without harming those we serve and looking away betrays that commitment. This session makes the case for active, daily recommitment to human rights as the foundation of ethical psychological practice and offers strategies for naming, facing, and addressing harm in our work.