Teaching against torture : Evidence based abolitionist pedagogies in an era of intensified bordering

Canning, Victoria (2026) Teaching against torture : Evidence based abolitionist pedagogies in an era of intensified bordering. Social Science and Medicine, 397: 119132. ISSN 0277-9536

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Abstract

Violence and torture are inextricably linked to medical practice, health, psychological wellbeing and society more broadly. Impacts can be physical, psychological and social, with the potential for sustained implications on survivors and their families and communities (Canning, 2023). As such, understanding forms of violence and their multifarious impacts has clear benefits for both practitioners working in medical or psychological practice, and survivors. However, these issues are not centralized in many educational programmes or training. Drawing on almost two decades of research and critical pedagogy by the author, this article argues for a comprehensive, practical and implementable framework for teaching on violence and border harms. It situates key findings from three empirical research projects. These have focused on support for refugee survivors in the aftermath of conflict, torture and violence, and the entanglements these increasing have with harmful border practices that compound these impacts, as the basis for such interventions. Reflecting on the development and implementation of a Global Health module embedding research-led teaching, this article documents the strengths and challenges of engaging medical students in social science research and critical pedagogy. Using this as a springboard for practice-based interventions that can address border harms, it documents the development of the 'Supporting Survival' toolkit for practitioners working with refugee survivors of torture and torturous violence. This embeds reflexive learning on definitions of violence, mechanisms for survival as suggested by refugee survivors, barriers to support, and forms of positive practice. The latter of these have been developed by medical practitioners, psychologists, psychotraumatologists and physical therapists during the projects. In so doing, it calls for the expansion of interdisciplinary teaching as a means of engaging students who will go on to work at the interface of medical practice and trauma, but who are seldom offered the opportunity to access critical social science research.