Citation

Tabachnick BG, Pope KS. Violence Against Women 1997; 3(4): 348-360.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

12349143

Abstract

The credibility of recovered memories of child sexual abuse following a long period of repression remains controversial in the mental health field. Some have argued that recovered memories are the work of overzealous therapists who implant such material. To learn more about the steps clinicians follow when they encounter such reports, a questionnaire was mailed to 300 female and 300 male licensed psychologists randomly selected from the 1994 American Psychological Association Membership Register. The survey included 1 of 4 versions of a vignette in which a 14-year-old girl suddenly remembers (or always remembered and just decided to disclose) sexual abuse that occurred at age 2 or 8 years. Survey forms were returned by 49% (144 females and 140 males). Only 1 therapist reached a firm conclusion about the validity of the abuse report based on the vignette alone; the rest indicated a need for further information, disputing claims that therapists respond to allegations of abuse with reflexive certainty. Reports were more likely to be believed when the age at abuse was 8 years rather than 2 years, by younger therapists (45 years and under), and by women who were nonpsychoanalytically oriented. Whether the abuse memory had been repressed did not significantly affect beliefs about its likely occurrence. Respondents also were given a list of 12 possible responses to an abuse disclosure and asked to check those they were most likely to follow. The most commonly cited responses were: discuss the allegations further in the next session (80%), consult with other clinicians (52%), file a child abuse report (40%), consult with an attorney about legal responsibilities (36%), schedule a session with all family members (30%), and schedule psychological testing (28%). The finding that less than 50% of therapists would file a mandated report of suspected child abuse indicates a need for states to more clearly define the criteria for filing such reports.

Language: en