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1st September 2003
Challenging Lynley Hood's book
By Kim McGregor [email protected]
Kim McGregor
Research Fellow
Injury Prevention Research Centre
School of Population Health
Private Bag 92019
University of Auckland
76 Symond St
Auckland
Phone (09) 3737-599 xtn 86351
Fax (09) 3737057
Hi friends and
colleagues,
I don't know about you but after reading Emma Davies and Jeffrey Masson's
article in the Herald on Monday my thought was FINALLY someone has found the
time to challenge Hood's book. I know many of us have wanted to do it for
some time but for me...... pressure of work.... same old, same old backlash
etc..... Yet, I have felt guilty for not doing more public challenging of
inaccuracies I see printed in the paper. This guilt is often stirred when
clients ask me "Why don't other experts challenge those who attack
(often through the media) survivors of child sexual abuse and those who work
in the field". My answer is often - we are all too exhausted working in
the field, doing the work, as well as dealing with agency and institutional
challenges.
My hope this week however is that Emma and Jeff's article will have made it
possible for many of us to 'chip in' with small challenges. It would be nice,
for example, to see a wide range of colleagues and experts such as child
development experts, and legal experts (not just the usual experts who work
in this field) join in at this point to challenge just a few of the
inaccuracies and misconceptions that continually flow from the 'backlash
industry' (often through the media).
I liked the way Emma and Jeff only challenged the research in the first three
chapters of Hood's book. I think their approach has provided a model that
each of us can work with. None of us
individually can challenge this current backlash wave alone but if we all
stick to our area of knowledge and expertise and pose just one question each
then we will be supporting each other, and will be harder to ignore or
attempt to discredit.
This email is not an attempt to guilt trip anyone into print who doesn't feel
comfortable - and I do know that most of you on this email have fought the
good fight many times before - I just wondered if each of us did something
small and manageable - all at the same time - what could we achieve
together??
If you think this email is useful feel free to pass it on to your trusted
colleagues.
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COSA
Vol 2 Number 1
Jan-Feb 1995
Book Review
"Warriors of Truth"
Kim McGregor (1993),
University of Otago Press,
Dunedin.
Warriors
of Truth is a
self-help book for "sexual abuse survivors" written by an Auckland sexual abuse counsellor, herself a
"survivor" of childhood abuse. She was assisted in writing it by
grants from the McKenzie Foundation and Ministry of Women's Affairs. The book
is of very similar ilk to Courage to Heal (which McGregor highly recommends),
and other books of this type from the United States.
McGregor believes that memories of childhood sexual trauma may be totally
blocked and later retrieved in therapy, including hypnosis, and through
dreams and "flashbacks". She advocates always believing the victim,
claiming that expressing any doubt is denial and may retraumatise
the victim. Women can go for therapy whether they have any memories or not,
they may accumulate a "knowing" they have been sexually abused but
may never find out who the perpetrator was or what he did.
Until they retrieve their memories, many women may have been pretending to
themselves that they had a wonderful family who loved them. She warns these
women that their alleged offenders and other family members may turn against
them and deny the events if confronted. When confronting an "offender",
she recommends controlling the situation so that he is given no opportunity
to respond. She emphasises that victims have a right to their anger, which
she describes as a "positive energy", and does not advocate
forgiveness. Many women may find it necessary to break all contact with their
"family of origin" and form a "chosen family" of
supportive friends. She also suggests telling (even anonymously) the alleged
offender's family, friends, employer and colleagues about the abuse.
Whilst some of McGregor's advice may be helpful to genuine incest victims,
she does not appear to consider the possibility that some women's memories
may not represent actual events, and that unchallenging belief and
encouragement may contribute to the generation of false memories. This is
particularly likely given her endorsement of "memory retrieval"
therapists and her literal interpretation of dreams and
"flashbacks". None of the substantial literature and research on
memory recall and hypnosis is discussed or
referenced.
Much of McGregor's information and
advice is likely to contribute to the generation of false memories by
vulnerable women who may read this book.
It
is not recommended.
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