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  / tonyridley  
Social sciences and psychology are significant factors for the application of security sciences and that of security risk management professionals.
They influence both our benefactors (the people we protect from harm) and our adversary (those that seek to gain or cause harm).
We are not neutral in this equation either.
Learned helplessness is one of many factors to consider and integrate into security risk evaluations and strategy.
Consider this; a child may hunt for 30 minutes to find the remote control to the television.
This is in part because in their lifetime; they have never had to walk over to a television screen and adjust the volume, channel or even turn the device on or off, using buttons affixed to the television.
Many still don’t know this is an option.
Conversely, they many never have ever seen anyone use anything other than the remote control to manipulate the television.
This is just one of the many ways, learned behaviour renders people and groups “helpless”, which is then amplified in times of emergency or crisis.
Research and studies into this area have also found that people and animals can be manipulated, conditioned and even punished into developing similar “learned helplessness”.
How many of you have been repeatedly prevented, obstructed or even disciplined from doing something you saw as necessary, only to be discouraged or also sanctioned for even attempting the task?
Consider how that takes place every day in our communities and work environments.
People, employees and even management have developed a whole host of “learned helplessness” traits which become amplified in times of emergency or disaster.
Making the job of security risk management, crisis management and business continuity all the more difficult.
Many of you know this as I do because it is you and your department that is then overwhelmed with “routine” requests and demands that more resourceful and resilient individuals or businesses, that would have in the past, self-managed or had the skills and patience to help themselves.
Annual “nuisance” calls to 911, 000 or the respective emergency services number in your country reveals this to be a growing concern.
Emergency services are our forward radar for the public’s learned helplessness which then becomes a corporate burden.
Emergency services are continually overburdened with non-emergency requests thanks in part to learned helplessness.
Medical emergency departments are equally overburdened with non-emergency treatment requests and demands.
Poor problem-solving skills and ability is just part of the cognitive restructuring requirements.
For example, learning that when your phone runs out of charge, it is not the end of the world.
Even in challenging or threatening conditions.
It is a thankless task and often a cause of resistance or conflict, but increasingly, security risk management professionals must address and assist in capacity building within our communities and organisations.
Look around you.
Take note.
How many behaviours or actions do you see daily that are the result of “learned helplessness”?
How can you make your business and your people more resilient and resourceful?
Don’t forget though; you may have your learned helplessness traits too.
Paradoxically, many individuals and departments within the security and risk management sector are hyper resilient and resourceful, due to past vocations, conditioning or being the first and last resort call for the growing number of “helpless” individuals and organisations.
I’m Tony Ridley.
International security risk management professional.
Thank you for watching.

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