Trauma and Memory: Clinical and Legal Controversies

The authenticity of memories of childhood sexual abuse has become one of the major social controversies of the 1990's. As persons who report histories of abuse have sought remedies in civil and criminal proceedings in the courts,the accuracy of their memories--particularly when they have been recalled after a period of time--has been subject to intense scrutiny. This volume brings together many of the leading participants in the debate. Beginning by defining opposing positions, the contributors offer a variety of perspectives on the nature of the memory, including reviews of some of the most exciting recent developments in this fast-moving area of investigation. Next, consideration is given to the impact of trauma on memory, both in adults and in children. With this framework in place, the authors then turn to an examination of the variety of treatment approaches available to help patients who have been victims of trauma and who are struggling with memories of those events. Finally, they address the legal dilemmas for patients, mental health professionals, and society as a whole that have arisen from the trauma and memory controversy. As a whole, this book provides an unparalleled examination of this important and intriguing issue.

Table of Contents:
PART I. THE CONTROVERSY OVER THE DELAYED RECALL OF TRAUMATIC MEMORIES ; 1. Some People Recover Memories of Childhood Trauma That Never Really Happened ; 2. The Argument for the Reality of the Delayed Recall of Trauma ; PART II. CURRENT CONCEPTS OF MEMORY ; 3. Neuroanatomical Correlates of the Effects of Stress on Memory: Relevance to the Validity of Memories of Childhood Abuse ; 4. Inaccuracy and Inaccessibility Memory Retrieval: Contributions from Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology ; 5. Psychoanalysis, Memory, and Trauma ; 6. The Nature and Development of Children's Event Memory ; 7. An Integrative Developmental Model for Trauma and Memory ; PART III. THE MEMORY OF TRAUMA ; 8. Memory and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ; 9. Traumatic Memories ; 10. Continuous Memory, Amnesia, and Delayed Recall of Childhood Trauma: A Clinical Typology ; 11. Traumatic Experiences: The Early Organization of Memory in Children and Adolescents ; PART IV. TRAUMA AND MEMORY: EVALUATION AND TREATMENT ; 12. Psychoanalysis, Reconstruction, and the Recovery of Memory ; 13. Psychodynamic Therapy for Patients with Early Childhood Trauma ; 14. Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy ; 15. Cognitive Therapy of Dissociative Identity Disorder ; 16. Memories of Trauma in the Treatment of Children ; 17. Diagnosis, Pathogenesis, and Memories of Childhood Abuse ; PART V. THE TRAUMA DEBATE AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM ; 18. Legal Rights of Trauma Victims ; 19. For Whom Does the Bell Toll? Repressed Memory and Challenges for the Law: Getting Beyond the Statute of Limitations ; 20. Ethical and Clinical Risk Management Principles in Recovered Memory Cases: Maintaining Therapist Neutrality ; 21. Child Victims in the Legal System ; PART VI. REFLECTIONS ON TRAUMA AND MEMORY ; 22. Reflections on Trauma and Memory