Bad Theories Can Harm Victims

3 Pages Posted: 23 Mar 2010 Last revised: 5 Jun 2012

See all articles by Elizabeth F. Loftus

Elizabeth F. Loftus

University of California, Irvine - Department of Psychological Science; University of California, Irvine School of Law

Date Written: March 12, 2010

Abstract

The conventional trauma model posits that sexual abuse of children is inevitably frightening, always carried out against the child’s will, and necessarily damaging to the child. In The Trauma Myth, psychologist Susan Clancy argues that this model is not only wrong but damaging to a large class of genuine victims. She and others have uncovered innumerable victims who did experienced abuse, but did not experience it as traumatic or and did not fully understand what was being done. These victims are unwittingly made to feel guilty since their cases do not fit with the popular theory. In the interests of minimizing harm to them, and in the name of good science, the conventional one-size-fits-all trauma model ought to be discarded.

Suggested Citation

Loftus, Elizabeth F., Bad Theories Can Harm Victims (March 12, 2010). UC Irvine School of Law Research Paper No. 2010-10, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1574399 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1574399

Elizabeth F. Loftus (Contact Author)

University of California, Irvine - Department of Psychological Science ( email )

4201 Social & Behavioral Sciences Gateway
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-7085
United States

University of California, Irvine School of Law

401 E. Peltason Dr.
Ste. 1000
Irvine, CA 92697-1000
United States

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