Mental health articles

Agenda for Theoretical Development While the theoretical knowledge base of child sexual abuse has advanced considerably in the last 100 years, important problems remain, one of which is that the theoretical literature base relates primarily to incest. Seduction by the daughter, collusion by the mother, the influence of the dysfunctional family—all suggest a primary orientation […]

Freud’s unresolved issues of his seduction theoryFreud’s renunciation of his seduction theory was forwarded by Westerlund (1986). After analyzing Freud’s letters and other historical writings, she suggested that Freud, after recognizing the existence of certain hysterical features in his brother and several sisters, was on the verge of discovering that his father might have sexually […]

Rejection of the Theory of Seduction Freud’s colleagues, including Charcot, who “found it preposterous that parents would molest their own children” (Joyce, 1995, p. 200), frankly rejected his theory, a rejection that continued as long as Freud embraced his seduction theory (Masson, 1984). As Masson states, “In accepting the reality of seduction, in believing his […]

THE EARLY PERIOD: FREUD’S THEORY OF SEDUCTION It was into this sociocultural environment that Freud moved. In 1885, while finishing his medical studies, he made a several-month study trip to Paris where he worked under Charcot (Masson, 1984), whom he admired. Masson, an expert on Freud, shows that during Freud’s stay in Paris, he was […]

THE PERIOD PRIOR TO FREUD During the last 100 years, Freud has probably had a greater impact than any other person upon the professional knowledge base of child sexual abuse. While his influence fundamentally framed the profession’s conceptualization of child sexual abuse prior to the 1960s, it continues to be felt even today. For this […]