Within the last few decades there has been an increase in public awareness concerning child sexual abuse. Child abuse is defined as intentional acts that result in physical or emotional harming. However most people don’t understand that there are different forms a child abuse; they include physical, neglect, and sexual abuse. Child abuse is widespread, one that most topics people would rather not think about. For the longest time individuals have been in denial because it’s easier when everyone believes that they live in a perfect world. When in reality, two hundred and forty seven child are abused each day, and of those children five will die each die of the neglect they faced. This accounts for 3.6 million cases of child abuse that is reported each year, and the number of children involved in there reports is six million (Whittier). This number of children who are being abused each year is unbelievable, just imagine how many cases go unreported each year. Repressed memories is a condition where a memory has been unconsciously blocked by an individual. This is normally caused when a person had faced high level of stress, or trauma. According to the American Psychological Association, it is not currently possible to distinguish a true repressed memory from a false one without corroborating evidence (PsycINFO). This is one reason why many psychologists who specialize in mental processes would result in being skeptical. This is because they specialize in the notion of repression included amnesia, which is established to be hard to prove (Immelman). While psychologist who specialized in counseling and psychotherapy are generally more convinced, because of the evidence to back up the data of repressed memories (Im... ... middle of paper ... ...ks help from a psychiatrist has true or false memories of past sexual abuse, they are entitled to sympathetic and competent care. Good, standard psychiatric practice offers the best prospect of helping a patient to identify and come to terms with past traumatic events. Works Cited Brandon, S., J. Glasser, and R. Green. "Recovered Memories of Child Sexual Abuse." British Journal of Psychiatry. Implications for Clinical Practice, 12 Dec. 1997. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. "Can a Memory Be Forgotten and Then Remembered?" PsycINFO. EBSCO, 2013. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Immelman, Aubrey. "Recovered Memory of Childhood Sexual Abuse." Unit for the Study of Personality in Politics. Saint John’s University, Minn., 26 Mar. 2001. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Whittier, Mary. "Child Sexual Abuse: The Epidemic No One Talks about." Daily Messenger. Gatehouse Media, Inc., 6 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Since the case of Mary Ellen Wilson in 1874, child abuse has seen it’s share of light in published news. It is disheartening to read countless stories of future generations being harmed to the extent of psychological damage or even death. Child abuse as a whole has been addressed multiple times in various news blogs, however, nothing has been done to work towards abolishing it at a larger level. The future of America is in jeopardy based on the level of abuse that children endure. Childhelp states that approximately 5 children die every day at the hands of child abuse. America struggles to find equality, and by bystanding the stripping of its youth, continual prolonging is inevitable. Raising this nation’s children in means of nurturing and care is the first step to uplifting America as a whole. In 2012 alone, 1593 of America’s children died at the hands of child abuse, 70.3% of which were younger than the age of three (Safe Horizon). In order to prevent further child abuse, the American government should address stricter child protection laws, psychological stability, and an increase the recognition of those that have released their stories.
In addition, some argue that the recovery of repressed memories during psychotherapy might be a result of suggestive practices employed by the therapist (Madill & Holch, 2004). This has raised questions among scholars who have suggested that the creation of false memories is plausible, especially if repressed memories have been recovered in therapy where suggestive techniques, such as hypnosis, have been used by the therapist in treatment. Ms. Jaynor stated that after experiencing symptoms of depression and low self-esteem, she decided to seek help and started therapy to treat her symptoms. Ms. Jaynor mentioned to therapist Janet Balderston that she did not recall any traumatic experiences as a child. Memories of her childhood were not clear but she remembered it as being average, neither terrible nor extremely happy. Ms. Jaynor’s therapist suggested hypnosis and dream interpretation as part of treatment since Cindy’s description of her childhood was typical of a person who suffered from
The effects of childhood sexual abuse carry on with the children forever. To what extent and to what effect does abuse have on children during adulthood? What are the main issues that adults have been abused suffer from in adulthood? Do they have more of a physical issue with preforming with their partner in the bedroom or do they have more of a mental block due to their trauma? The world had been asking these questions for far too long and we need answers on how helping the children of our world. The questions that have been stated have been answered through the two articles that will be summarized below.
False memories being created is obvious through many different ways, such as eye-witness testimonies and past experiments that were conducted, however repression is an issue that has many baffled. There seems to be little evidence on the factual basis of repressed memories, and many argue that it does not exist. The evidence for repression in laboratories is slowly emerging, but not as rapidly as the evidence for false memories. It has been hard to clinically experiment with repressed memories because most memories are unable to be examined during the actual event to corroborate stories. Experimenters are discovering new ways to eliminate this barrier by creating memories within the experiment’s initial phase. This is important for examining the creation of false memories during the study phase. This research study will explore the differences between recovered memories and false memories through research and experiments. Other terms and closely related terms will be discussed, while examining any differences, in relation to repressed memories. The possibility of decoding an actual difference between recovered memories and false memories, through biological techniques. Because false memories can be created, examining these creations in a laboratory setting can shed light on facts overlooked. Exploring these issues will also help with the development of better therapeutic techniques for therapists in dealing with memories. This can lead to an easier process for patients and therapists if they must go through the legal system in relation to an uncovered memory.
This paper outlines the consequences of child sexual abuse (CSA) based on the examination of results from multiple researches previously fulfilled concerning the psychological and physical impact of this crime, information of statistics, warning signs detected, victims’ performances, and emotional state. Sexual abuse causes severe trauma on child victims that will last for the course of their lives, therefore it is critical to identify and improve the therapeutic methods utilized to treat CSA survivors.
An alternative view to this debate, are from practicing therapist who argue that most recovered memories are true, and that there is still some evidence to support the concept of repressed memories (Briere & Conte, 1993). They claim that traumatic memories such as sexual abuse tend to be different from ordinary memories because they are encoded in a way that prevents them from being accessible in everyday life. In addition, they argue that certain procedures during therapy are necessary in order to bring the repressed memories back into conscious awareness, and this is deemed necessary in order to help the patient recover. Despite these claims, there is little evidence to support the validity of reported cases of recovered memories, and most of the theories are mainly based on speculation rather than scientific evidence. However, there have been some cases in which a recovered memory did corresponded to an actual event that occurred. For example, an article by Freyd (1999), reported a case in which a man called Frank Fitzpatrick recovered memories of sexual abuse from childhood. Although this
Every year an approximate 139,000 cases of child abuse and neglect are reported in Ohio, and 72,000 are thoroughly investigated (Ohio's Children 2012). Although some might think this number is high, it is believed that the number of actual child abuse cases would be three times higher if all cases were reported (Public Awareness & Advocacy). They strongly believe that the reason so many cases go unreported is due to lack of education. With only one seminar available it is impossible to say that all 17,000 residents of Defiance County are adequately educated on the types and signs of child abuse. The best, and only accurate, remedy to this problem is to offer more educational resources and make them more widely available.
Child Protective Services For 30 years, advocates, program administrators, and politicians have joined forces to encourage even more reports of suspected child abuse and neglect. Their efforts have been successful, with about three million cases of suspected child abuse having been reported in 1993. Large numbers of endangered children still go unreported, but a serious problem has developed: Upon investigation, as many as 65 percent of the reports now being made are determined to be "unsubstantiated", raising serious civil liberties concerns and placing a huge burden on investigative staff. Unreported Cases Most experts agree that reports have increased over the past 30 years because professionals have become more likely to report apparently abusive and neglectful situations. But the question remains: How many more cases still go unreported?
In recent years there has been a hot debate between "repressed" vs. "false" memories. Neurobiological studies show that both suppression and recall and the creation of false memories are possible. This paper evaluates the evidence but forth by both sides of the controversy and concludes that both are feasible and separate phenomenon, which occur at significant rates in our society.
Zlotnick, Mattia, Zimmerman (2001) found that patients with a history of childhood sexual abuses are at higher risk for psychiatric morbidity and prolonged depression. The study was conducted using 235 patients at a psychiatric outpatient facility with an range of 18-65 with a mean age of 47.4 years.
Introduction: According to the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation. “Repressed memories are memories that have been blocked from conscious perception as a result of significant stress or trauma.” (2011). When we experience a significant degree of stress or trauma, our sympathetic nervous system becomes hyperactivated and overwhelms our brain.
Hence, they are not always a valid testimony. This fact might also mean that a crime faces no conviction. Repressed memories have been helpful to condemn crimes that were committed decades ago, but also have brought deep discrepancy to the table, as they have presented cases where parents are accused of unimaginable situations by their children, 20 or 30 year after. And many of these allegedly criminal parents were innocent. These can happen not because the person lies about the memory but because they honestly believe it happened.
For example, an individual may not remember enough information about the event in order to form a basis of criminal charges. In addition, the process of reconstruction may also affect the reliability of such memories. Where the accusing witness has been assisted in dealing with the traumatic memory by therapeutic process, there is a possibility that the therapist may have affected the content of their memory in some way (Davies & Dalgleish, 2001). The research on the validity of recovered memories has enormous relevance in everyday life. For instance, the growing number of wrongful convictions, eventually proven wrong by DNA evidence, further supports the view that faulty memory is a major cause (Loftus, 2003).
Could you imagine how children must feel when they are abused by someone that is supposed to love and protect them, and nothing is done to help them? For this reason, it is important to realize there are legislative laws protecting child abusers from hate crimes, and excuses certain people from mandated reporting abuse. In fact, almost five children die every day as a result of abuse. Also, money is spent to convict and imprison child abusers which could be put towards programs that help people to recognize and prevent abuse. Children are the future; therefore, it is important for them to grow up in an environment they can thrive, feel safe and free from harm. After all, as the old saying “It takes a village to raise a child” stands true to this day. Now is the time for everyone to put forth the extra effort to create ways to bring child abuse, a growing epidemic to an end. As responsible citizens it is the duty to report when child abuse is suspected, create laws that
More importantly, “60 percent of children who are sexually abused do not disclose and most are acquaintances but as many as 47 percent are family or extended family” (The Scope of, 2016). The prevalence of child sexual abuse is difficult to determine because it is often not reported; experts agree that the incidence is far greater than what is reported to authorities (Child Sexual Abuse, 2012). Startling statistics represent the depth of the issue. Globally, prevalence rates show that a range of 7-36% of women and 3-29% of men experience sexual abuse in childhood (The Scope of, 2016). “The U.S Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau report child maltreatment 2010 found that 9.2% of victimized children were sexually assaulted” (Child Sexual Abuse,