NCJ Number
190703
Journal
Judicial Explorations (Justiteile verkenningen) Volume: 27 Issue: 3 Dated: 2001 Pages: 58-69
Date Published
2001
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This Dutch paper discusses possible predictors of the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in crime victims, as well as treatment procedures for PTSD.
Abstract
The author advises that police interrogators must be trained to deal sensitively and knowledgeably with victims of a traumatic crime. The author highlights the characteristics of traumatic memory. Compared with memories in general, traumatic memories are often a combination of isolated, intense, and intrusive flashbacks, on the one hand, and extensive amnesia, on the other hand. Police interrogators must understand these distinctive characteristics of PTSD in order to prevent their drawing mistaken conclusions about the victim, such as mistrusting victims who show memory loss or believing victims' accounts merely because of the perceived clarity and intensity of their memories. The author advises police interrogators to refrain from acting as "therapists" for crime victims with PTSD, because the therapeutic role is inherently in conflict with the role of the police as fact finders. Also, therapeutic intervention goes far beyond just talking about the traumatic event. 25 references