HUMANISING THE SUBJECT OF VIOLENCE IN WHISTLEBLOWING: RECOGNISING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL TOLL
Drawing on the findings of the 2025 Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation (CSVR) report, this research brief interrogates the deeper psychic and existential consequences of whistleblowing. It contends that these consequences are not accidental but systemic, rooted in the power dynamics of institutions and individuals and the abuse of the entrusted power infused with bureaucratic authoritarianism. This brief reorients our understanding of whistleblowing through a trauma-informed, human-centred lens. It calls for a shift from solely legalistic protections to comprehensive support mechanisms that recognize whistleblowing as a psychologically hazardous but socially vital civic act.