TITLE: Recovered
Memories: Context and Controversy.
AUTHOR: Lein,
J.; Aukamp, A. W.; Fournier, R. R.; Weeks, B. L. et al.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Social
Work
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: North
Central Human Service Center, Minot, ND.
SOURCE: 44(5):
pp. 481-490; National Association of
Social Workers, Inc., Washington, DC., September 1999
ABSTRACT: Written
in response to the article, Recovered Memory Therapy: A Dubious Practice
Technique, by J.T. Stocks in a previous issue of the journal, these articles
and letters outline research and experience that supports the use of therapy
intended to help patients remember incidents of childhood sexual abuse. Stocks'
positions criticizing recovered memory techniques are compared to those of the
False Memory Syndrome Foundation that helps accused parents defend themselves
against allegations made on the basis of recovered memories. The group accuses
therapists of implanting false memories in their patients.
Repressed memories have also been questioned on the basis of neurological
distortions. However, research in this area focuses on brain functions
regarding traumatic memory as it operates in the amygdala in the brain, rather
than where normal memories are processed in the hippocampus. The articles
assert that the original article did not provide adequate evidence in support
of its positions and that recovered memory therapy is an appropriate
intervention with patients suspected of a history of child sexual abuse. More
discussion is needed by professionals to resolve the controversy about
recovered memories. 6 references.
KEY TERMS: memory; repression;
therapeutic effectiveness; false
memory syndrome; sexual abuse; adults abused as children; sequelae;
social work
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.naswpress.org
TITLE: Enactment
and the Treatment of Abuse Survivors.
AUTHOR: Plakun,
E. M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: Harvard
Review of Psychiatry
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Erik
H. Erikson Institute for Education, Stockbridge, MA.
SOURCE: 5(6):
pp. 318-325; Mosby Inc., St. Louis,
MO., March-April 1998; p. 577
ABSTRACT: Regardless
of the approach employed, treatment of patients with histories of sexual or
other abuse is a challenge. One reason for this is the vulnerability to
enactment inherent in therapeutic work with such patients. Enactment is a +;
recently elaborated psychoanalytic notion, defined as a pattern of nonverbal
interactional behavior between the two parties in a therapeutic situation,
having unconscious meaning for both. It involves mutual projective
identification between therapist +; and patient. This paper clarifies the
nature of enactment (conceptualized here as involving either refusal or
actualization of the transference by the therapist) and its treatment implications.
Transference-countertransference enactment paradigms +; encountered in work
with survivors of abuse are presented. The therapeutic consequences of failing
to recognize and respond to such enactments in work with these patients are
explored. Unrecognized enactments may lead therapists unwittingly to abdicate
+; the therapeutic role by becoming abusive, abused or vicariously traumatized,
excessively guilty, seductive, overinvolved, and/or exhortatory or to implant false memories. Ways of utilizing enactment to advance
treatment are also described and +; illustrated. 28 references. (Author
abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: adults
abused as children; individual
therapy; clinical intervention; physician patient relationships; interpersonal relationships; therapists responsibility; therapists role; therapeutic effectiveness
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: The
Nature of Memory: Controversies About Retrieved Memories and the Law of
Evidence.
AUTHOR: Woodall,
J.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1998
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Psychiatry and the Law
SOURCE: 26(2):
pp. 151-218; New York, NY, Federal
Legal Publications, Inc., Summer 1998
ABSTRACT: The
psychological debate about the nature of memory has taken center stage in
Canadian courtrooms. Retrieved-memory cases have sparked a controversy within
the mental health and legal disciplines. Some experts argue that early memories
of abuse that have been repressed cannot be fully retrieved in adulthood
without major distortion. Others say that such memories could not be repressed
at all, while still others contend that false memories may easily be implanted by therapists. While the very nature of memory is
intangible, Canadian courts must find ways, by altering evidentiary procedures,
to come closer to probabilities of truth. Questions of the nature of memory
lead into theories of consciousness. Thus courts face the difficult task of
seeking the truth about the past when the past itself is filtered through
memory. Since memory necessarily involves the rewriting of personal identity
through the subjective reinterpretation of the past, traditional procedures in
the law of evidence must be reexamined and ultimately relaxed in the context of
retrieved-memory cases. The article reviews recent decisions in criminal and
civil court. 55 references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: memory; repression;
canada; false memory
syndrome; rules of evidence; legal processes; courts responsibility;
evidence presentation
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Hypnosis
and False Memories: A Contemporary Myth.
AUTHOR: Hammond,
D. C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
JOURNAL TITLE: Paradigm
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Utah
Univ., Salt Lake City. Sex and Marital Therapy Clinic.
SOURCE: 1(2):
pp. 8-9, 17; Three Springs, Inc.,
Huntsville, AL, Summer 1997
ABSTRACT: This
article reviews research about the effects of hypnosis on memory to highlight
the inaccuracies of the false memory myth. Proponents of the false memory
movement allege that hypnosis can be used to implant
false memories and confabulate real memories. However, research cited by the
movement is inaccurate because it usually involves experiments with college
students and memories that have no emotional connection. Procedures used in
this research also do not mirror the real-life clinical environment. However,
well designed research has found that hypnosis can increase accuracy and
confidence in memory. The research indicates that the risk for suggestibility
is no greater with hypnosis than with other interview techniques. Therapists
are advised to use hypnosis with caution and to avoid suggestive questioning
during any type of therapy. Recommendations for careful use of hypnotherapy are
provided in the article. 3 references.
KEY TERMS: hypnotherapy; memory;
false memory syndrome; research
reviews; sexual abuse; suggestibility
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.threesprings.com/
TITLE: How
Suggestible Are Preschool Children? Cognitive and Social Factors.
AUTHOR: Ceci, S.
J.; Huffman, M. C.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Cornell
Univ., Ithaca, NY. Dept. of Human Development and Family Studies.
SOURCE: 36(7):
pp. 948-958; Baltimore, MD, Lippincott
Williams and Wilkins, July 1997
ABSTRACT: This
article summarizes findings from a series of studies about the cognitive and
social boundary conditions that can undermine the accuracy of young children's
reporting. Care was taken to include events and interviewing variables that
more accurately reflect the experiences of children in real-world
investigations of alleged sexual abuse. Videotaped interviews with preschool
children were presented to experts to determine how adept they are at
distinguishing between true and false accounts. All of the studies were
designed to investigate the susceptibility to suggestion in young preschool
children. The difference between studies was the form of that suggestion and the
nature of these outcomes over time and-or successive interviews. Very young
preschool children (aged 3 and 4 years) were significantly more vulnerable to
suggestions than were older preschool children (aged 5 and 6 years). The number
of interviews and the length of the interval over which they were presented
resulted in the greatest level of suggestibility. While some types of events
(negative, genital, salient) were more difficult to implant in children's statements, some children appeared to
internalize the false suggestions and resisted debriefing. These children's
false statements were quite convincing to professionals, who were unable to
distinguish between true and false accounts. 33 references and 8 figures.
(Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: preschool
children; suggestibility; credibility; evidence collection;
cognitive interviews; individual
characteristics
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wwilkins.com
TITLE: Memory
and Abuse: Remembering and Healing the Effects of Trauma.
AUTHOR: Whitfield,
C. L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1995
SOURCE: Deerfield
Beach, FL, Health Communications, Inc., 1995;
393 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
book explores the topic of traumatic memory. Chapters consider the false memory
debate, including factors that influence memory, negative impact of
maltreatment on memory, differences between ordinary and traumatic memory, and
recovery of memory. Chapters present information on false memories of abuse and
the characteristics of abusers; guidelines for distinguishing between
retractors who were actually abused and those who have actual untrue memories;
the defense mechanisms of repression, dissociation, and denial; and methods of
verifying and corroborating memories of abuse. Chapters also describe clinical
findings that corroborate traumatic memory, present proposed explanations for
delayed memory of abuse supported by false memory syndrome (FMS) advocates,
discuss problems related to troubled helping professionals, offer clinical
guidelines for assisting with memories of trauma, and present the legal case
histories of several traumatic forgetting-based lawsuits. Remaining chapters
examine the claim by FMS advocates that false memories are easily implanted in vulnerable individuals, identify the risk factors and
diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, describe somatic or body
memories of traumatic stress, explain the process of recovery, suggest ways of
beginning to remember childhood abuse, offer guidelines for survivors who are
trying to validate their childhood experiences, and address some aspects of the
relationship between spirituality and memory. A list of resources is also
included. Appendixes provide information on memory and sexual abuse-related
issues. 761 references, 30 figures, and 38 tables.
KEY TERMS: memory; false memory syndrome; repression;
dissociation; corroboration; lawsuits;
posttraumatic stress disorder;
adults abused as children
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
TITLE: The
False Memory Debate: Social Science or Social Backlash?
AUTHOR: Herman,
J. L.; Harvey, M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1995
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Harvard
Medical School, Cambridge, MA. Dept. of Psychiatry.
SOURCE: In:
Falconer, R., et al. (Editors). Trauma, Amnesia, and the Denial of Abuse.
Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute, Tyler, TX, 1995; pp. 137-139
ABSTRACT: In
this chapter on false memories of childhood sexual abuse, documented evidence
of the nature and prevalence of sexual assault in the United States, complete
amnesia for childhood trauma, and delayed recall of traumatic events following
a period of amnesia is presented. The causes of delayed recall are identified.
The circumstances under which memories may surface are discussed. The author
refutes the argument that overly eager therapists are capable of implanting memories of abuse in a nonabused individual. Concerns
about the risk of suggestion when hypnotherapy is used are addressed. The
author also presents assumptions about false memories that would be needed to
generalize findings about false memories to adult survivors.
KEY TERMS: trauma; memory;
amnesia; sexual abuse; adults abused as children; repression;
false memory syndrome
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
TITLE: A
Critical Examination of the False Memory Syndrome.
AUTHOR: Barstow,
D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1995
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Renewed
Hope Counseling Center, Oklahoma City, OK.
SOURCE: In:
Falconer, R., et al. (Editors). Trauma, Amnesia, and the Denial of Abuse.
Family Violence and Sexual Assault Institute, Tyler, TX, 1995; pp. 141-143
ABSTRACT: This
article examines false memory syndrome by identifying the concepts that the
term denotes, providing definitions of the terms memory and syndrome, and
explaining the steps that must occur for an individual to have a memory. The
concept of confabulation is explained. The importance of distinguishing between
what false memory denotes and what some individuals desire it to connote is
discussed. Examples that proponents of false memory syndrome have used to
support their position are presented, and situations that can be used to
demonstrate that false memories cannot be induced or implanted are provided. In addition, the author considers the
potential harm that proponents of false memory syndrome can cause to sexual
abuse survivors. 4 references.
KEY TERMS: memory; syndromes;
sexual abuse; repression; adults abused as children; false memory syndrome
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
TITLE: Truth
in Memory.
AUTHOR: Olio, K.
A.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1994
JOURNAL TITLE: American
Psychologist
SOURCE: pp.
442-443; American Psychological
Association, Washington, DC, May 1994
ABSTRACT: This
commentary responds to an article about false memories of sexual abuse victims
published in May 1993. The commentary questions the research and scientific
evidence used in the article to support conclusions that memories of sexual
abuse and other symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder can be suggested and implanted in the memory of a person. Some research has indicated
that peripheral details of memories may be distorted or wrong, but significant
events can not be implanted. In addition, other research in the
Loftus article is based on highly suggestible subjects or a single subject, and
so can not be generalized to the population. 8 references.
KEY TERMS: memory; false allegations; research reviews; adults
abused as children
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.apa.org
TITLE: The
Repressed Memory Controversy.
AUTHOR: Loftus,
E. F.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1994
JOURNAL TITLE: American
Psychologist
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Washington
Univ.
SOURCE: pp.
443-445; American Psychological
Association, Washington, DC, May 1994
ABSTRACT: This
article defends previously published statements that expressed concerns that
recovered memories of sexual abuse may actually be false memories, influenced
by the suggestion of the therapist. Techniques used to recover repressed
memories are reviewed and cases of false memories implanted by therapists are described. To avoid influencing the
memory of patients, therapists are urged to focus on increasing functioning,
rather than memories of the past, and remain unbiased and objective during
therapy. Hypnosis should be used with caution, and the patient should not
participate in group therapy or bibliotherapy until certain that abuse
occurred. 23 references.
KEY TERMS: memory; false allegations; research reviews; adults
abused as children; therapists role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.apa.org
TITLE: Birth
Control for Child Abusers: Statutory Concerns and Privacy Issues in
Court-Enforced Contraception.
AUTHOR: Wylie,
E.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1993
JOURNAL TITLE: Review
of Litigation
SOURCE: 12(2):
pp. 489-512, Spring 1993
ABSTRACT: This
article examines legal and constitutional issues associated with a court
decision that involved the sentencing of a woman convicted of child abuse to 3
years' probation contingent upon her being implanted
with Norplant, a birth control device. Background on the origins, development,
and medical aspects of Norplant is reviewed. The article considers the legal
validity of imposing this type of sentence on a criminal defendant. Also
examined is the role of the judge in ordering the use of Norplant, whether
ordering Norplant falls within the purposes and desired outcomes of probation,
and the impact that this decision can have on the behavior of the woman
involved. Finally, the author explores public policy questions of whether the
imposition of Norplant violates the constitutional right of a woman to
procreate. 113 references.
KEY TERMS: court
case dispositions; dispositional
alternatives; probation; judicial sentencing discretion; birth control; contraception;
contraceptives
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: A
Critical Examination of the False Memory Syndrome.
AUTHOR: Barstow,
D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1993
JOURNAL TITLE: Family
Violence and Sexual Assault Bulletin
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Renewed
Hope Counseling Service, Oklahoma City, OK.
SOURCE: 9(4):
pp. 21-23; Family Violence and Sexual
Assualt Institute, Euless, TX, 1993
ABSTRACT: This
article examines false memory syndrome by identifying the concepts that the
term denotes, providing definitions of the terms memory and syndrome, and
explaining the steps that must occur for an individual to have a memory. The
importance of distinguishing between what false memory actually denotes and
what it is sometimes said to connote is discussed. Examples that proponents of
false memory syndrome have used to support their position are presented, and
situations that can be used to demonstrate that false memories cannot be
induced or implanted are provided. In addition, the potential
harm that proponents of false memory syndrome can cause to sexual abuse
survivors is considered. 4 references.
KEY TERMS: false
allegations; syndromes; sexual abuse; adults abused as children
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Needle
Implantation Ascribed to Tikoloshe.
AUTHOR: Hadley,
G. P.; Bosenberg, A. T.; Wiersma, R.; Grant, H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1993
JOURNAL TITLE: Lancet
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Natal
Univ., Durban (South Africa). Dept. of Paediatric Surgery.
SOURCE: 342(8882):
p. 1304; New York, NY, The Lancet,
Ltd., November 20, 1993
ABSTRACT: This
article describes the cases of 6 Zulu children into whom sewing needles were
inserted, allegedly by the tikoloshe, an elf-like nocturnal creature that
causes mischief through an ill-defined relationship with the witch doctor. The
detection of the needles and the children's subsequent treatment are briefly
explained. In addition, the pattern of the abuse with the tikoloshe
substituting for an unknown abuser is discussed, and the need for a full
investigation in such cases is stressed. It is suggested that blaming these
events on the tikoloshe may allow mothers to accept the events without
alienating the children's caregivers, who are usually grandmothers or
neighbors. 1 reference and 1 figure.
KEY TERMS: south
africa; medical aspects of child
abuse; medical treatment; injury patterns; abdominal injuries; soft
tissue injuries; culture; radiologic examinations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Norplant:
The New Scarlet Letter?
AUTHOR: Flannery,
M. T.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1992
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Contemporary Health Law and Policy
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Philadelphia
Law Dept., PA.
SOURCE: 8: pp.
201-226; Catholic Univ. of America,
Washington, DC. Columbus School of Law., Spring 1992
ABSTRACT: This
article explores the use of Norplant, a female contraceptive, as a punitive
tool in sentencing convicted child abusers. Norplant's mode of operation and
side effects are discussed, and the social controversies surrounding its use
are considered in both a factual and legal context. These controversies are the
coercive use of Norplant as a means of controlling minority populations, the
court-ordered implantation of Norplant in drug-addicted women, and
the mandatory use of Norplant for convicted child abusers. The standards that
need to be used if courts are to implement the mandatory use of Norplant in
cases of convicted child abusers are analyzed. Such standards must include
clear and convincing proof of prospective abuse or neglect, and the only possible
standards are those used by courts to terminate parental rights to existing
children. The present status of the law concerning the use of sterilization as
a condition for sentence reduction is reviewed, focusing on both mandatory and
voluntary sterilization. The conclusion is reached that implantation of Norplant is a violation of the
fundamental right to procreate but that if it is offered within the scope of a
plea bargain or as a probation condition and collateral rights concerning its
effect have been voluntarily waived, then it is a valid means of solving
problems related to a defendant's ability to raise children. Numerous
references.
KEY TERMS: contraceptives; civil liberties; birth control;
dispositional alternatives;
judicial decisions; violation of
personal rights; maternal rights; mandatory sentencing
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wshein.com
TITLE: Bone
Scintigraphy in the Diagnosis and Management of Traumatic Injury.
AUTHOR: Matin,
P.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1983
JOURNAL TITLE: Seminars
in Nuclear Medicine
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Roseville
Community Hospital, Calif. Dept. of Nuclear Medicine.
SOURCE: 13(2):
pp. 104-122; Philadelphia, PA, W. B.
Saunders Co., April 1983
ABSTRACT: The
use of imaging with bone-seeking nuclear medicine radiopharmaceuticals to
identify fractures and other injuries to bones is discussed in this literature
review. The technique is a very sensitive, noninvasive means of detecting a
wide spectrum of skeletal disorders. It has become 1 of the most useful
procedures in medical practice and is now 1 of the most often requested nuclear
medicine studies. Scintigraphs can detect occult skeletal injuries in cases in
which x-rays have initially failed to diagnose an injury. Bone imaging is also
useful in differentiating between delayed healing and nonunion of a fracture
site, evaluating new bone growth following surgical implantation of bone grafts, and providing a
diagnostic clue to possible joint and soft tissue abnormalities. It is also
useful for detecting a wide variety of childhood injuries, including the
battered child syndrome. Infants and young children can be imaged without the
administration of sedatives or tranquilizers if the child is kept awake and
without feedings until immediately prior to imaging. The lights in the camera
room are turned out, the doors closed, and all unnecessary personnel asked to
leave the room. Whenever possible, the mother holds the child during imaging.
The child usually falls asleep long enough for good quality images to be
obtained. In a number of organ abnormalities and other situations, bone-seeking
radiopharmaceuticals may accumulate in soft tissues or specific organs other
than the bone. 103 references.
KEY TERMS: diagnostic
tests; radiologic examinations; fractures;
skeletal injuries; physical
abuse
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wbsaunders.com
TITLE: Loss
of Columella and Septum From an Unusual Form of Child Abuse.
AUTHOR: Orton, C.
I.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1975
JOURNAL TITLE: Plastic
and Reconstructive Surgery.
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: London
Hospital, (England).
SOURCE: 56(3):
pp. 345-346; Lippincott Williams and
Wilkins, Hagerstown, MD., September 1975
ABSTRACT: Trauma
associated with child abuse is determined to be one of the leading causes of
loss of the columella. At examination, 1 child presented with loss of the lower
two-thirds of the columella along with gross destruction of the nasal septum
and superficial scarring of the upper lip. The patient's older brother had an
identical septal lesion; however, the columella was intact and recessed.
Clinical, radiological, and serological examinations revealed no other
abnormalities. Upon further questioning, the mother admitted to scouring the
children's noses with a hair pin; her psychotic preoccupation with nasal
hygiene began when her children were infants and lasted until they were 6 and 8
years of age, when the mother underwent intensive psychotherapy. Plastic surgery
using bilateral flaps of the upper lip was performed in both cases. A silicone
rubber strut reaching from the nasal bridge to the tip was implanted in the younger patient in an attempt to coax growth of the
soft nasal tissue. It was noted that attention should be paid to maxillary
development, since nasal hypoplasia due to septal cartilage damage may result
in maxillary hypoplasia. 6 references.
KEY TERMS: facial
injuries; soft tissue injuries; case reports
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://services.lww.com/services