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Sexual Abuse by Therapists: Maintaining the Conspiracy of Silence

Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
April 1992

Abstract

The mental health professions are reluctant to admit, and quick to minimize or deny, therapist sexual abuse. Constructive action will be facilitated by understanding the ingredients of this “conspiracy of silence”: the belief that it only happened in the '60s and '70s, a we-they attitude to abusers, professional protectionism, denial of sexual attraction to clients, trivialisation, idealization of therapist-client sexual contact, victim-blaming, and the myriad fears and other feelings that hinder client disclosure.

Résumé

Les professionnels de la santé mentale admettent difficilement l'existence d'abus sexuels de la part des thérapeutes, ils minimisent rapidement le fait ou le nient. On pourra plus facilement penser à une action constructive si l'on comprend les paramètres de cette «conspiration du silence»: la croyance que cela n'arrivait que dans les années 60 et 70, une attitude de distanciation (nous) face aux personnes abusées (elles), le protectionnisme professionnel, le déni d'une attirance sexuelle pour les clients, la banalisation, l'idéalisation du contact sexuel entre client(e) et thérapeute, l'imposition du blâme sur la victime, une multitude de craintes et de sentiments mélangés qui empêchent la divulgation des faits par les client(e)s.

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cover image Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 11Number 1April 1992
Pages: 5 - 15

History

Version of record online: 1 May 2009

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P. Susan Penfold
University of British Columbia

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