NCJ Number
201288
Editor(s)
Jon R. Conte
Date Published
2002
Length
230 pages
Annotation
This book contains a collection of chapters about the problem of child sexual abuse from historical, psychological, and legal perspectives.
Abstract
The first chapter presents an interview with physician Roland Summit, a pioneer in the rediscovery of child sexual abuse as a major public health problem in the 1970’s. The work of Dr. Summit figures prominently in many of the chapters in this edited volume. In the interview, Dr. Summit discusses his background and how he came to focus on child sexual abuse, including how he came to understand the phenomenon of accommodation syndrome. The second chapter provides an overview of child sexual abuse prosecution in the United States from before the 20th century to the current era. The authors trace changes in the criminal justice system approach and ideology concerning cases in which child sexual abuse is alleged. The third chapter explores the rediscovery of child sexual abuse in the 1970’s through an examination of the career of psychiatrist Roland Summit. The author traces the historical context in which a backlash occurred against pioneers in the fight against child sexual abuse. Summit and other professionals challenged the beliefs of their day concerning child sexual abuse and declared it a major public health problem. The fourth chapter argues that there is scientific support for the use of child sexual abuse accommodation (CSAA), and that, therefore, it is both acceptable and crucial to introduce this type of expert testimony in the prosecution of sexual offenders. The author asserts that CSAA is a useful tool for educating jurors on the etiology of child sexual abuse and its effects on the child victims. The fifth chapter outlines the key components of betrayal trauma theory as it applies to child sexual abuse. The final chapter offers a critical analysis of the recent proliferation of literature cautioning mental health professionals to be careful of creating false memories of childhood abuse in their patients. The author offers his own observations about treating trauma patients in the face of such controversy.