One rotten apple spoils the bunch
The “one rotten apple” argument has been really popular these days, especially with the right. It’s probably the number 1 argument I see against dismantling the police. Well, there are also calls to dismantle ABA, which means this same argument is also popular among the crowd arguing against that.
To those of you who use this argument: You do understand what this statement means, right?
One rotten apple spoils the bunch.
It spoils the bunch.
That means we’re all liable. The saying is not supporting the idea that there are just a few bad ones among a whole lot of good ones. It’s saying that if anything is bad, then everything is bad. It’s our job– the supposed “good apples”– to do something about it. We were supposed to expel the bad ones before they spoiled everything.
Bubble burst ahead…
Well, they already have. ABA wouldn’t have the reputation it does if they hadn’t. There’s no point in patting yourself on the back and saying “well I don’t practice like that” in the face of criticism of the field. Your progressiveness doesn’t make the problems disappear. When traumatized people are spending their precious few spoons to tell you there is a problem in your field, your job is to listen and make change. Your job is not to defend yourself and your personal style of practice.
The immediate assumption that you are free of blame is also a fallacy that just makes your brain feel better. It distances you from guilt and gives you the cushioned landing of “but I don’t do that.” Here’s the thing though: I have never met anyone who was trained with trauma-informed ABA. I have never met anyone who was not trained in problematic practices. You have participated, either directly or indirectly, in harmful practices. Maybe you’ve been more involved, maybe you’re new to the field and have been less involved. It doesn’t matter. Any is too much.
Sit with that for a minute. Take a deep breath. Make the angry tweet if you need to. Send me the defensive email if it makes you feel better (just a heads up though, I’m going to ignore it).
Any is too much
All marginalized groups in society have faced the #NotAll___/#NotMy___ response. Women see #NotAllMen, POC see #NotAllWhites, fuckin’ everyone sees #NotAllCops. It’s a completely pointless argument. It never furthers the conversation and it does nothing to promote change. What it does is makes the poster feel better about themselves, and it prevents them from having to engage in difficult conversations or introspection.
It doesn’t matter if it’s not everyone. One rotten apple spoils the bunch. One person harmed by a practice is too many. Enough people harmed to create an entire community? That’s a problem. Our job as BCBAs is not just to design programs and manage cases. We are advocates for our clients. It is our ethical duty to stand up against abusive practices and stop them not just within our own caseloads but across the entire field.
We are required to continue our education and remain up-to-date on the latest practices. #NotMyABA suggests that you understand that some practices are problematic. You understand that harmful things have happened or are happening in the field. Why does change stop with you? You’re not done. You owe it to your clients to educate others. This field is well known for massive turnover for a variety of reasons. Are you comfortable with being the only one who “gets it?” What happens if you have to leave? What happens when your clients have to leave?
No one gives a shit about how progressive you are. You can still do better. You need to keep learning. We, as a field, need to keep learning. The minute anyone in human services stops learning is the minute the quality of those services starts to drop. Low quality human services are a breeding ground for damage.