Mentions the 100+ year history of denial of child abuse started by Freud.
"Freud, however, was a smart cookie. His knack for inquiry may have only been surpassed by his ability to climb social hierarchies and impress elites with his ideas. Freud quickly realized that his thesis on trauma was incompatible with the social and political forces of the times. You see, Freud’s research on hysteria was conducted with many well-to-do women. If his thesis were correct, sexual abuse was prevalent in the homes of many bourgeois families. Recognizing that such claims would surely prompt his demise, Freud quickly disavowed The Aetiology of Hysteria and stated that the traumatic events described by his female patients had never actually happened and were in fact their own lucid fantasies. Freud became famous; Janet, who stood by the notion that childhood trauma had adverse consequences for health and well-being, slipped into obscurity. So, now it’s the year 2012 and the science is stronger than ever. The Adverse Childhood Experience Study, research from the Harvard Center on the Developing Child, and an ever growing mound of evidence tell us that toxic childhood stress—be it in the form of abuse, persistent poverty, or other means—is both prevalent and is the root cause of much sickness, social dysfunction, and death in our society. Are we ready to accept this? And thus do something about it?"
This is an informative, historical piece originally published Jan. 16, 2012.
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