This article provides a historical overview of sexual abuse theory (all in the mind?) within the development of psychoanalytic theory. It aims, from an attachment perspective, to increase awareness of the problem in psychotherapy and other institutions with a view to maximizing prevention and support for the survivors. The article challenges societal and institutional attitudes of secrecy, collusive silence, denial and lies, which perpetuate this relational crime.
BellisMAHughesKLeckenbyNPerkinsCLoweyH (2014) National household survey of adverse childhood experiences and their relationship with resilience to health-harming behaviours in England. BMC Medicine12: 72. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1186/1741–7015–12–72.
2.
BettelheimB (1984) Freud and Man’s Soul: An Important Re-interpretation of Freudian Theory. New York, USA: Vintage Books.
BowlbyJ (1979) The Making and Breaking of Affectional Bonds. London, UK: Routledge.
5.
BowlbyJ (1988) A Secure Base: Clinical Applications of Attachment Theory. London, UK: Routledge.
6.
EzquerroA (2015) John Bowlby: The timeless supervisor. Attachment:New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis9(2): 165–175.
7.
EzquerroA (2017) Encounters with John Bowlby: Tales of Attachment. London, UK: Routledge.
8.
FerencziS (1932) Confusion of the tongues between the adults and the child: The language of tenderness and passion. In: BalintM (ed.) Final Contributions to the Problems and Methods of Psychoanalysis (1960 edition). London, UK: Karnac, pp. 156–167.
9.
FerencziS (1949) Confusion of the tongues between the adults and the child: The language of tenderness and passion. International Journal of Psycho-Analysis30: 225–230.
10.
FreudS (1896) The Aetiology of Hysteria. In: Standard Edition: Vol. 3. The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud (1953 edition). London, UK: Hogarth Press.
11.
FreudS (1905) Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality. In: Standard Edition: Vol. 7. The Complete Works of Sigmund Freud (1953edition). London, UK: Hogarth Press.
12.
FreudSBreuerJ (1895) Studien über Hysterie [Studies in Hysteria]. Franz Deuticke, Leipzig and Wien. Neudruck: 6. Auflage. Fischer, Frankfurt, 1991.
13.
GabbardGO (1995) The early history of boundary violations in psychoanalysis. Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association43: 1115–1136.
14.
GabbardGO (1996) Lessons to be learned from the study of boundary violations. American Journal of Psychotherapy50: 311–321.
15.
GabbardGOLesterE (1996) Boundaries and Boundary Violations in Psychoanalysis. New York, USA: Basic Books.
16.
HunterV (2015) John Bowlby: An Interview by Virginia Hunter. Attachment: New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis9(2): 138–157.
17.
KleinM (1952) The origins of transference. International Journal of Psychoanalysis33(4): 433–438.
18.
McGuireW (ed.) (1974) The Freud/Jung letters: The correspondence between Sigmund Freud and C.G. Jung. Princeton, USA: Princeton University Press.
19.
NietzscheF (2000) Basic Writings of Nietzsche. New York, USA: Random House Inc.
20.
PartridgeS (2014) The Hidden Neglect and Sexual Abuse of Infant Sigmund Freud. Attachment: New Directions in Psychotherapy and Relational Psychoanalysis8(2): 139–150.
21.
SinasonV (2011) Introduction. In: SinasonV (ed.) Attachment, Trauma and Multiplicity: Working with Dissociative Identity Disorder (second edition). London, UK, and New York, USA: Routledge, pp. 3–20.
22.
TschanW (2014) Professional Sexual Misconduct in Institutions: Causes, Consequences, Prevention and Intervention. Gottingen, Germany, and Boston, USA: Hogrefe.
23.
WelldonE (2011) Playing with Dynamite: A Personal Approach to the Psychoanalytic Understanding of Perversions, Violence, and Criminality. London, UK: Karnac.
24.
World Psychiatric Association (1996) Madrid Declaration on Ethical Standards of Psychiatric Practice. Approved by the WPA General Assembly in Madrid Spain on 25th August. Available at: http://www.wpanet.org/detail.php?section_id=5&content_id=48.
25.
ZuluetaFde (1993) From Pain to Violence: The traumatic roots of destructiveness. London, UK: Whurr Publishers.