Wednesday

Stupid-Syndrome Syndrome


My latest Slate piece is up. It's about the Orwellian world of Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome.

4 comments:

Indefensible said...

Hmmm,
Bad language, good rhetoric?
I think I can live with that.
Thanks--glad you liked that last bit--I very nearly cut it.

Anonymous said...

I quite enjoyed your piece as well, and agree with much of it. My position as a clinical social worker is that I see the symptoms...which are REAL in the case of things like PTSD...but my job, as I see it, is to help them gain control of themselves or, in some cases, (not PTSD) help them to just vent, get-over/get-on.
I do remember the McMartin travesty and would recommend the PBS documentary on it (one of the best documentaries I've ever seen). I forget the name but it's on their site. Again excellent article! Perry in Taiwan

Indefensible said...

Thanks Perry.
(And let me admit, I think it's awfully cool that I can write something here in my tiny apartment and have it read by someone in Taiwan--I know it's very uncool to find that cool--but there you have it)

The feedback on this one has been very intense and very varied. From:

"I'm so revolted at your disdain for something that may not be perfect...Fuck You!"

"What a useless piece of junk you wrote about Michael Blackson"

and

"I read this article by D. Feige and have to tell you, that this is obviosuly why he is a public defender( the line of attorney's that can't do better) "

To: "Finally a voice of reason in the wilderness."

and "hey that was the best darned article I've seen in a long time. keep it coming..."

It seems that the 'victims' folks get so furious at what they percive as a swipe at their rights/credibility that they hardly deal with the argument at all. The MD/MSW/CSW's have generally been really thoughtful and have seemed to agree with the idea that something can have clinical value far in excess of its legal value.

And then there are the current and former prosecutors--well you can imagine what they've said.

As yet, no one has offered any scientific rebuttal or empirical evidence to support CSAAS

All in all, I think it's important to raise these issues--especially now when this syndrome evidence is doing so much damage.

Thanks for taking the time to comment.

gitana said...

Bit late, but I read your article. However I think child molestation is a terrible crime and I belive, such syndromes do exists, but they shouldnt be excuses for everything and everytime. Junk siences and fraud scientists helped to convict so many innocent people. Especialy dangerous is, that expert witnesses dont commit perjury, they "just were wrong". Cases, laws and opinions like this makes european people think, everyone oversee are insane.