Re: New Book Challenges Misinformation About Child Sexual Abuse

["Stephanie Dallam" <sjd.scout@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The information posted by Dr. Greenberg about the Leadership Council is
incorrect. She is referring to the fact that the website contained a link to
a public record written by a government official that incidently contained a
child's name. The document was never posted to our site, and contains
important documentation of the problem of using pseudoscientific threories
to base child custody decisions in Los Angeles.

Her other concern was with the fact that we linked to a newspaper article
that contained some information that Dr. Greenberg disagreed with. The
article contained interviews with mothers who had lost custody of their
children after being labeled "alienators." It was posted as an illustration
of the types of problems that some parents are reporting in the family
courts. Dr. Greenberg contacted us, and at her request the link was removed.
I later got the court documents and found that the information she had
assured me was incorrect, was in fact correctly stated in the article.
However, in deference to her strong feelings about the article, the link was
not reinstated. These are these are  "practices" to which Dr. Greenberg
refers.

Anyone who would like to check out our site and form their own opinion about
our organization's mission and the quality of our website is welcome to do
so:

www.leadershipcouncil.org

Stephanie Dallam MS
Secretary, Leadership Council


> I haven't seen this book, but I would be careful here.  Historically, this
> organization has posted  unverified case information, including children's
> names, and equally unverified and inaccurate tabloid news articles on
their
> site.  I don't know if they have improved their practices since then, but
> I'd be careful here.
>
> Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D.
>
> Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D.
>
>
> Lyn R. Greenberg, Ph.D.
> 12401 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 303
> Los Angeles, CA  90025
>
> (310) 399-3684
>
> (310) 399-7154 fax
>
> lrgreenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> 9:04 PM 6/28/2002 -0400, you wrote:
> >It has been my experience that abusers are receiving custody of the very
> >children they are found to be abusing.
> >I have high regard for the work of the Leadership Council.
> >Renee Beeker
> >NAFCJ.org
> >Unitedforjustice.org
> >
> >New Book Challenges Misinformation About Child Sexual Abuse
> >
> >Bala Cynwyd, PA - National surveys show that the majority of rape
> >victims in the U.S. are children or adolescents. Yet, sexual abuse
> >remains the most under-reported form of childhood maltreatment, most
> >child molesters are never prosecuted, and few children receive
> >treatment for either their physical or psychological injuries.
> >
> >A new book, Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult
> >Survivors, is an invaluable resource for professionals and laypeople
> >who want to understand how manipulation and misinformation can impede
> >recognition and protection of current victims and place additional
> >children at risk for abuse.
> >
> >Misinformation Concerning Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Survivors
> >examines:
> >
> >* Manipulation of the public media by those who seek to deny and
> >distort the extent and harm of child abuse.
> >
> >* Academic strategies of those seeking to alter how professionals
> >view sex between adults and children, including three separate expert
> >examinations of Rind, Tromovitch, and Bauserman's controversial 1998
> >study. The study's conclusion that child sex abuse "does not cause
> >intense harm on a pervasive basis" was the highest-level endorsement
> >yet of the no-harm rationalization for child sexual abuse. As such,
> >the study has been used in defense of pedophiles -- including a
> >priest who molested young boys.
> >
> >* A cautionary case study which reveals how public and academic
> >resources were misused to convince the public that a convicted child
> >molester was an innocent man.
> >
> >* Aggressive litigation strategies such as blaming the victim, the
> >"false memory" defense, and misrepresenting scientific knowledge
> >about the long-term impact of childhood sexual abuse.
> >
> >* Practice guidelines for addressing memories of trauma in clinical
> >practice
> >
> >Co-editor Dr. Paul Fink, a past president of the American Psychiatric
> >Association and current president of the Leadership Council, notes
> >that the book can help people understand the dynamics underlying the
> >current priest abuse scandal. Dr. Fink notes: "The victims of
> >pedophilic priests number in the thousands, yet most have suffered in
> >silence until now. Why? Because those in positions of authority have
> >tended to protect the abuser and have blamed and bullied victims when
> >they come forward to report abuse."
> >
> >David Clohessy, director of the Survivor Network of those Abused by
> >Priests (SNAP) agrees. "This much needed book taps the core of the
> >real problem in the Church and ultimately society as a whole. The
> >story is less about pedophiles and more about the hierarchy that
> >covers up and denies the truth thus enabling the crime to go on."
> >
> >The Leadership Council for Mental Health, Justice, and the Media, is
> >a nonprofit multidisciplinary organization whose membership includes
> >many of the nation's most prominent mental health leaders. The
> >Council is headed by Paul Fink, MD, a past president of the American
> >Psychiatric Association. Members of the Council are dedicated to the
> >health, safety and well-being of children and other vulnerable
> >populations. More information can be found on their website at:
> >www.leadershipcouncil.org
> >
> >The book is available from Haworth Press
> >http://www.haworthpressinc.com/store/product.asp?sku=4685
>