I was asked by @Woodguy55 to elaborate on what the potential psychological impact of something like this is and it’s such a long answer that I wasn’t sure how to piece it together. But I’ll try to mention a couple things. (Thread of indeterminate length warning) https://twitter.com/thnkencampbell/status/1273724316014858240

Firstly, while these are only allegations yet to be proven, basically everyone I’ve talked to with any connection to Junior has said something like “wow, that’s horrible... but also I’m not surprised”. I’ve heard rumours like this since I was in junior high in Fort McMurray.

So while whatever happens to this lawsuit and these specific allegations, I think we’re burying our head in the sand if we think stuff ‘like’ this hasn’t been happening in a pretty widespread manner for decades & is probably still happening now.

Second, I’m no world expert on trauma. I haven’t published anything on this or written a book chapter. I’m just a simple country child psychiatrist. So I’m just describing basic, fundamental stuff here.

Obviously the things described in the article can lead to PTSD. Nightmares, flashbacks, irritability, anger, depression, sleep disturbance, negative views of the world, of yourself. Maybe addiction as you try to cope. Maybe suicide if you can’t any more.

But that’s really just the surface stuff. That’s bad enough, but there’s something even more insidious going on even for those that may not meet the technical criteria for PTSD.

Trauma impacts people in different, fundamental ways. Especially trauma to kids who are developing.

Remember, these are teens. One of the main developmental goals for teenagers is Identity Formation. You start figuring out who you are, especially as it relates to others. You start to separate from your parents and your social circle takes on increasing importance.

So these kids are hockey players. That's their whole life. That's all they know. What they do day-in and day-out. Most of their friends? Hockey players. Their parents' friends? Other hockey parents. They train for hockey nonstop. It’s everything for them.

Hell, they often leave their families and have a billet in Junior. Any supports and connections they once had are now more distant. Their supports are the team. That’s their family. That’s where they shape their identity.

So as you're shaping your identity, now hockey (your entire world) also involves these forms of hazing and abuse. It involves physical abuse. It involves frank sexual assault. It involves humiliation. It involves doing extreme acts for basic acceptance.

That's all part of your identity now. That's part of 'who you are'. The impact of that is deeper than any one diagnosis. It shapes the way you view the world. Interact with others. View yourself. In exactly what way & what extent? That will be different for each individual kid.

Maybe they ‘identify with the aggressor’ (an old psychological term) and come out of it believing that the way to have any respect or control is to assert power. They learn that power is everything and the only way to protect themselves is to assert power over others.

Maybe they, as individuals, are crushed and the only way they get by is by unhealthily identifying with ‘the team’ which gets them by until the team is gone (they leave hockey or retire) at which point they collapse, unable to cope.

Maybe it changes how they view other people. Other relationships. How they interact with women. How they view power and control within relationships. (You have no idea the number of abusers who have been abused themselves.)

And some kids who do speak out? Who ask for help? The coaches and league apparently have done nothing. Or too little. The message: “no kid, it’s not that bad. YOU’RE the one that’s mistaken. Why can’t you take it?”

Every kid is going to come out differently depending a whole myriad of things. Some thankfully less affected. Some... some won’t make it at all.

And this stuff is widespread and ongoing for literal generations. Players becoming coaches and on it goes.