Ringer, Thomas Martin <br/><br/>
The Somali Pirate Attack and Its Toxic Aftermath 

 -  2017.<br/>							 
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<br/><br/> In April 2009, Somali pirates attacked the cruise ship MSC Melody just north east of the Seychelles Islands. The author and his wife were passengers on the ship and directly witnessed a part of the ensuing gun battle. The paper describes how the attack changed the social and emotional dynamics on the ship, leading to the development of a toxic atmosphere for the remaining two weeks of the cruise. The author gathered the data that form the basis for this paper through first-hand experience, by interviewing other passengers during the remainder of the cruise and through interaction with other passengers and the ship’s staff. The cycle of events and consequences are examined through a systems-psychoanalytic perspective to shed light on how a crisis in a temporary community such as a cruise ship can trigger toxic dynamics and how the leadership of the community plays a vital role in either exacerbating or diminishing toxicity.