At first, it may be necessary to define security – especially in our important discussion of mental security – so that we can understand its connection to life. Security is a state of individual needs and desires that is a fundamental and prerequisite psychological need for our personal and social growth. As a result of this state, we have formed a belief that our needs and desires are guaranteed.

When our psychological dimension is supported, independence and self-worth are formed within us and our relationship with the outside world (relationships with parents, friends, acquaintances, peers, and others) is properly established. As a result of these relationships, the individual dimensions become a bridge for forming collective relationships and the collective psyche blossoms in security.

From a psychological perspective, for our efficient and effective growth from the moment of birth, we need support and a sense of security. These two options are initially provided by the family structure (parents and relatives) and secure individuals. Just as the family must be able to guide growth in a completely safe and supportive environment, this perspective then turns towards society and the government.

Individual identity within a family is formed by supportive factors and a sense of security, but we also need a connection to the outside world. Therefore, this individuality must understand the feeling of security in the social structure in order to bridge their personal identity to a social identity. This connection is achieved when the individual feels secure and supported in order to fulfill their social responsibilities towards personal and collective goals. The above points highlight the importance of psychological security for an individual.

Personal and social security can be considered a complex phenomenon; because not only are humans unique, but also political, social, cultural, psychological, economic, and other factors can cause security to undergo changes and become complicated. For example, when economic instabilities occur in a society, individuals do not feel secure and are not supported, and their relationships face many challenges. In the process of personal and social growth, individuals must be able to understand structures and create an effective connection between them. For instance, the structure of family and society should have effective coordination and alignment, not contradictions or parallelism.

It can be problematic when there are factors in the structure of a family that society either prohibits or encourages, as it can disrupt the psychological and mental connection necessary for the formation of identities. This example is clearly evident in the family and societal structure of Iran. Due to societal pressures and lack of individual and social freedoms, families become aware of their rights and try to maintain them within the framework of the family, sometimes even covertly or semi-covertly. This contradiction can create difficulties in group relationships and lead to a lack of sense of security, causing a disconnect in the process of forming a social identity.

Therefore, one of the necessary factors for promoting mental security in society is the government and officials who can provide a framework for security so that individuals can have healthy relationships within that structure. Individuals feel secure when there is a healthy structure in place, which is the responsibility of the government to create. However, if for any reason this structure becomes unhealthy, individuals in society feel insecure and as a result, the relationship between the people and the government becomes challenged.

Police, law enforcement, force

Naja (Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran) or recently Faraja (Command of Law Enforcement of the Islamic Republic of Iran) is an institution that carries protective and security concepts within our society and has been defined for us as the protector of our physical and mental well-being. But have we accepted this concept in the same meaning and extent of security today? With the mentioned concepts, the government and officials have not only failed to create a healthy structure and suitable platform for the social growth of individuals, but unfortunately, due to social pressures, restrictions on personal and collective freedoms, economic instability, and failure to recognize individuals based on their identity, nationality, religion, etc., have caused widespread disruptions for individuals.

From a social psychology perspective, our personal relationship with an institution such as the police cannot be formed properly; because the protective system is only seeking to legitimize a set of values and beliefs for a specific power, disregarding individual needs and values. This lack of agreement between individual and social values creates a deep divide and can be a major reason why individuals are unable to establish effective relationships. One of the observed factors in recent years has been physical reactions and violent behaviors, which are usually seen from such institutions and have caused complex and widespread fear for individuals. Due to lack of individual and social support, this communication process has been fragmented, but recent events have revealed the true face of a violent and domineering system through suppression and violent behaviors towards members of society, causing further disconnection in this relationship. Therefore, with such unpleasant and unsupportive feelings, and even violence, not only is a relationship not established, but individuals also experience widespread anxiety and fear towards such institutions.

How can we have a widespread fear and anxiety of an institution, but still be able to establish an effective relationship with it? Surely this does not happen. As we discussed about social security and its formation patterns, this institution should have been able to establish its own social framework, but due to government dependencies and prioritizing collective values for a particular belief, they have been pushed to the corner and all of these factors lead to social consequences and social damages.

From the perspective of political and social psychoanalysis, which attempts to bridge the gap between the psyche and political and social structures, considering these connections and the lack of connection between the people and the supra-institution, today the police not only failed to prevent disorder, but has become a repressive institution and is responsible for suppressing the people, whom it should protect both physically and mentally.

Perhaps with the help of political and social psychology, we can provide a clearer answer to why the people of Iran have such widespread fear and anxiety towards the police. In the following, we will discuss the social and psychological consequences and traumas that individuals experience when encountering the police in Iran.

We became familiar with the concept of social security and examined the police, who have been conceptualized as one of the institutions responsible for establishing this important aspect in society. It is important to establish coordination between conceptualization and security, but we also see that there is a lack of coordination and alignment between the concept of police and their duties, which causes severe conflicts in our minds and psyche, and we try to protect ourselves. If we give examples of a large number of police reactions and behaviors, we can identify the traumas that follow.

• Viewing categories of criminal investigations in which the police have full participation;

• “Watching scenes of executions and parades full of violent behaviors that the police are responsible for managing;”

• Viewing scenes of suppression and violent behaviors carried out by police officers; and

• Observing and preventing personal and private freedoms and individual choices.

Today, we have a new understanding of the police and their social roles through shared and observable experiences. Therefore, with these experiences, not only do our relationships not connect, but they also create social harms such as psychological and behavioral disorders. A clearer example of this can be seen in an ordinary day and an ordinary person in today’s conditions in Iran.

You come out of your house to go shopping or go to work. Your wallet gets stolen due to lack of security. A little further, you see clashes between the police and some citizens, or even more clearly, women, and witness violent behaviors. On your smartphone and in the virtual space, you see more clashes with the police or disturbing videos. These can have a psychological impact on the mind, creating a wide range of anxiety and stress just for one day, as it is shaped by observing mental patterns. This day creates a framework and concepts for the mind, filled with feelings of insecurity, danger, and unpleasant emotions, and these frameworks control our psychological reactions and behaviors.

Facing the sense of security, which from a psychological aspect, reveals the inner and outer values of an individual, causes a feeling of insecurity that leads to inadequacy and worthlessness, and strips them of their agency and personal identity. In a society where they should be recognized and acknowledged, they are not only ignored, but also made to believe that even if they go against collective values to protect their individuality, they will be suppressed and subjected to violence by the very institution that should protect them. This is where unjust norms are created, which entangle the individual in numerous social complexities. In such a framework, individuals experience behavioral contradictions and various behavioral and anxiety disorders. Now imagine if these tense and anxious situations were replaced with a structure that is essential for our personal and social growth, and has a relatively stable course.

With such definitions, nowadays we experience attacks of fear and psychological pressure and widespread stress throughout the day by observing the police. Few are those who do not become involved in mental and emotional challenges by seeing the police and even beyond, mentioning the police. Surely, the community’s mental and social health experiences significant negative changes as a result of such behaviors. Unhealthy individual psychology leads to unhealthy collective psychology in society, and this ineffective view of the police results in social mistrust, which in turn can cause significant damage.

The collective psyche of today’s society is plagued by such contradictions, resulting in traumas such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and anxiety and depression disorders. Individuals with these disorders not only struggle to trust support institutions such as the police, but their personal trust may also be affected, leading to isolation and individualism.