“For most social creatures, ostracism leads to death”
Ostracism: Consequences and Coping – Kipling D. Williams and Steve A. Nida
Suicide and Other Effects of Shunning
Suicide and Other Effects of Shunning
Around the civilized world, the primary consideration in family law matters is: “the best interest of the child.”
The United Nations treaty ratified by the greatest number of countries, including being ratified by Canada, is the Convention on the Rights of the Child. [1]
It goes against the grain of any normal person to inflict the pain of shunning upon another person – especially a family member, and even more so, upon one’s child.
The Watch Tower Society is well aware of the pain of shunning – “How can it be said that disfellowshipping a Christian is a loving provision if it causes so much pain?” – The Watchtower magazine, April 15, 2015, page 29
Source:https://www.jw.org/en/library/magazines/w20150415/disfellowshipping-a-loving-provision/
The Watch Tower Society is equally aware that shunning goes against basic human nature – “But human emotions and attachments can have a powerful effect, making it difficult for people to act in accord with the disfellowshipping decree if a relative is involved” – The Watchtower magazine, January 1, 1983, page 31
He thus is cut off from fellowship, including socializing, with loyal ones who respect and want to walk according to God’s law. Some of them might be relatives outside the immediate family, not a part of the same household. It may be hard for those relatives to apply this divine directive. The Watchtower magazine, April 15, 1991, page 15
In order to counter this natural feeling, the Watch Tower Society repeatedly tells its members that ‘shunning is a loving provision’ from God, even though they are aware that shunning causes tremendous pain and goes against basic humanity. https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/s/r1/lp-e?q=disfellowshipping+loving&p=sen&r=occ
2013 Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Kipling D. Williams, PhD, is described as being “undisputedly the world’s leading authority on ostracism. He has devoted much of his career to help further the understanding of ostracism and its connections between social pain and physical pain.”
Dr. Williams’ research has demonstrated that the pain of ostracism exceeds that of physical pain, creating consequences that can last a lifetime, if that lifetime is not shortened by suicide.
The abstract of Dr. Williams’ paper “Ostracism and Public Policy” (2014) [2] is: “Ostracism means being ignored and excluded. Like bullying, ostracism causes pain and distress. Its targets either attempt compensatory behavior, aimed at being likeable and included, or they retaliate, provoke, and aggress. Qualitative interviews suggest that frequent exposures to ostracism make targets become depressed, exhibit helplessness, and engage in suicidal ideation and/or attempts. Unlike bullying, ostracism need not be persistent or unwanted, is difficult to monitor and penalize, and negatively affects basic human needs for acknowledgment and meaning. Research on ostracism reveals its characteristics, compares its consequences with being bullied, and suggests implications for public policy.”
In another published paper, Ostracism: Consequences and Coping – Kipling D. Williams and Steve A. Nida, [3] Dr. Williams wrote: “Eisenberger, Lieberman, and Williams (2003) found that research participants who played Cyberball and experienced ostracism while in a magnetic resonance image scanner showed activation in the same area of the brain that is activated when people experience physical pain (the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex). In other words, ostracism—regardless of its source—triggers an immediate response that directs the person to stop and pay attention to what is going on. For most social creatures, ostracism leads to death (Gruter & Masters, 1986).”
In addition to the effects of shunning on the ordinary person, there is an even more pronounced effect upon persons that are socially maladaptive. As the Watch Tower Society has created a parallel society wherein its members are to be completely separate from mainstream society, any member that leaves automatically falls into this category. (See paper: How long does it last? The persistence of the effects of ostracism in the socially anxious – Lisa Zadro, Catherine Boland, Rick Richardson, 2005 )
The cold reality is that the Watch Tower Society’s policy is destroying emotional health, including to the point of suicide.
Should Canadian public policy makers ignore the dichotomy of Jehovah’s Witnesses being compelled to “lovingly” shun, against the deleterious effects of shunning, whether on adults, as well as upon children?
Should Canadian public policy makers be allowed to ignore their obligations, including their international obligations, to protect and enforce human rights and the rights of the child?