The specific psychological harm caused by direct involvement with the legal system as a victim, accused, or litigant. It stems from the system's inherent violence: the loss of autonomy, the adversarial dehumanization, the financial ruin, the interminable delays, and the profound powerlessness before bureaucratic machinery. Even "winning" a case can be traumatic due to the process itself. This includes survivors re-traumatized by courts, families bankrupted by custody battles, and the PTSD of wrongful incarceration. The law, in its operation, often inflicts wounds as severe as the original injury it purports to address.
Example: A sexual assault survivor undergoes a brutal cross-examination where their character and memory are shredded, only to see the case dismissed on a technicality. The legal trauma they endure—the public humiliation, the betrayal by a system they trusted for justice—can be more psychologically damaging than the initial assault. They are left with a profound conviction that the world is not just, that institutions are hostile, and that seeking help leads to further violation.
by Dumu The Void January 27, 2026
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