The False Memory S(word)Foundation and The Sandusky Case

It's been quite a while since I blogged on Pamela Freyd and the FMS(word)F. I have been thinking a lot about what a difference 20 years makes. In 1992 Pamela Freyd and her husband Peter started the False Memory Syndrome (doesn't exist) Foundation. http://www.fmsfonline.org/ They started it in response to their daughter's coming forward to them and sharing her sexual abuse at the hand of her father. The daughter Jennifer never went public with her story until she had to defend herself after her mother anonymously wrote an article about it.

The FMS(word)F started as a way for parents of children who said they were abused by a parent to gain support from one another. It quickly became one of the fastest growing anti child sexual abuse machines. Their advisory board and other supporters had a lot of political power. They would help the plaintiffs in lawsuits to sell their bullshit, yes I said bullshit that child sexual abuse doesn't have any long term affects on children. They also claimed that there was no such thing as traumatic amnesia or dissociation. They also made claims that children found sexual relationships with their abuser pleasurable. That these type of sexual relationships were good for the child. I am not joking. I have written extensively about this on this blog. As a survivor of child sexual abuse and ritual abuse I started doing research after my memoir was written and I started this blog. I couldn't believe what I was finding and how connected the False Memory S(word) Foundation was with pedophiles.

I noticed that since 2009 Pamela Freyd has lost the clout she had since 1992. I hate to say this but if the Sandusky case happened back in 1990's or early 2000's I believe the outcome would be different. You just have to look through the cases they've been involved with. http://www.fmsfonline.org/lipton.html The False Memory S(word) Foundation would have been all over the press making their claims that repressed memories don't occur. That children don't forget traumatic events, actually that the brain doesn't allow them to forget traumatic events. And that child sexual abuse doesn't have long lasting effects on children. When I first started reading the propaganda they put out to say I was incensed was an understatement. For me if I didn't have traumatic amnesia and didn't dissociate I probably would be dead. The brain is an amazing gift and when a child is dealing with something so horrible that the child can't make sense of it. The brain goes into overdrive and helps the child "leave." This leaving is a coping skill that I am grateful as a survivor of child sexual abuse I had.

Can you imagine the damage that the eight victims who testified would have suffered if a propaganda machine like the False Memory S(word) Foundation was out selling the media their propaganda? Can you imagine the media buying their propaganda? Hundreds if not thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse were treated like this especially in the 1990's. The amount of clout that the False Memory S(word) Foundation had made it impossible for survivors to get their stories in the media. This propaganda machine was able to convince the media that the child sexual victims memories were implanted in them by there therapists. The FMS(word)F, their advisory board and supporters went after many therapists. There are stories after stories where survivors tried to get media coverage and weren't able to, but Pamela Freyd, her foundation, advisory board and supporters managed to get media coverage.

I am grateful that Pamela Freyd, her foundation, advisory board and supporters are victims of technology. If we had twitter, Facebook, blogging sites, and other social media in the 1990's I don't believe FMS(word)F would have ended up having the clout they did. Their are to many survivors using our voices across social media for us to be shut up. Or made to go away. These voices are now being listened to. I can't help and think of the damage that was caused to victims of child sexual abuse in the 1990's and early 2000's. I will always believe that Pamela Freyd, her foundation, her advisory board and supporters owe a huge apology to them. I also will always believe that a class action suit should have been filed on Pamela Freyd, her foundation, her advisory board and supporters for the damage they did to survivors. I remain grateful that the eight victims of Sandusky were listened to. That there is great support for all who survive child sexual abuse. And mostly for the global conversation that is now occurring about child sexual abuse. We need to never stop talking about this epidemic until it no longer exists. Rosie