By David M. Allen, M.D.
One of the things that child abuse deniers like the False Memory Syndrome Foundation focus on, besides child abuse apologist Elizabeth Loftus’s irrelevant arguments about the unreliability of memory (more on that at the end of the post), is the fact that many adults who claim to have been victims of incest as children did not tell any other adults about it at the time the alleged incidents took place.
Some children do tell. So why wouldn’t the others?
May logical-sounding explanations have been advanced to explain why not. In an article in the December 2010 issue of Psychiatric Times, Richard Kluft lists several of them: incomprehension, shame, fear of retaliation, and the misperception that the child is to blame. He also mentions loyalty conflicts, but more on that shortly.
Share This Post!
Healing from Childhood Trauma
By: E.B. Johnson When you experience childhood trauma, your life and your soul are altered forever. Those who suffer loss, abuse or neglect early-on in life can often suffer from serious psychological and [...]
The Effects of Childhood Trauma
By Amy Morin, LCSW Although adults often say things like, “He was so young when that happened. He won’t even remember it as an adult,” childhood trauma can have a lifelong [...]
Oprah Reports on Childhood Trauma with Dr. Bruce Perry
By Amanda Merck Oprah Winfrey is raising awareness about childhood trauma and the need for trauma-informed care. Childhood trauma—like abuse, neglect, and poverty—changes a child’s brain, body and behavior. Behavior is often [...]
Healing Invisible Wounds: Art Therapy and PTSD
By Renée Fabian When I color during therapy, it creates a safe space for me to express painful feelings from my past. Coloring engages a different part of my brain that allows [...]
Integrating Mindfulness in Your Classroom Curriculum
By Giselle Shardlow Now more than ever, teaching mindfulness in the classroom is a necessity. Our children are stressed and anxious. Teachers and parents are stressed and anxious, too. Our lives are busy, [...]
The Long Shadow: Bruce Perry on the Lingering Effects of Childhood Trauma
By Jeanne Supin The “fight or flight” instinct has served the human species well, helping us respond quickly to threats, but according to child and adolescent psychiatrist and neuroscientist Bruce Perry it can [...]