2001/03/11 by Charles L. Whitfield · 1 citation
Psychology · Social Sciences · Medicine · #Child Abuse and Trauma #Migration, Health and Trauma #Torture, Ethics, and Law #Disinformation #False accusation #Psychology #Criminology #False memory #Child abuse #Amnesia #Sexual abuse #Law #Poison control #Suicide prevention #Social psychology #Political science #Psychiatry #Medicine #Cognition #Medical emergency
paper · doi:10.1300/j070v09n03_04
openalex publication_date 2001/03/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
SUMMARY This article describes a seemingly sophisticated, but mostly contrived and often erroneous “false memory” defense, and compares it in a brief review to what the science says about the effect of trauma on memory. Child sexual abuse is widespread and dissociative/traumatic amnesia for it is common. Accused, convicted and self-confessed child molesters and their advocates have crafted a strategy that tries to negate their abusive, criminal behavior, which we can call a “false memory defense”. Each of 22 of the more commonly used components of this defense is described and discussed with respect to what the science says about them. Armed with this knowledge, survivors, their clinicians, and their attorneys will be better able to refute this defense of disinformation.