Forensic Considerations in Ritual Trauma Cases (Part 3)

It is better practice to get a complete medical and psychological history on the child and independently assess and evaluate him/her based upon both past and current indicators for the trauma. The child’s medical history is essential to help determine whether or not the child’s aberrant behaviors are primarily due to use (or abuse) of a prescription drug, or drug combination, which is producing negative side affects (e.g., ritalin and/or anti-depressants). Parents, teachers, day care workers, social workers, foster parents, and Guardians ad Litem/CASAs should be consulted to obtain details of the child’s statements concerning the abuse, as well as descriptions of the child’s behaviors and problems. The child’s artwork and drawings should also be reviewed as they may contain subtle (and, sometimes, not-so-subtle) indicators for ritual trauma.

While virtually all victims of ritual child abuse suffer from PTSD and attachment disorders, older children and adolescents of this abuse may also exhibit eating disorders, addictions, depression and self-mutilation tendencies that are a direct result of their conditioning and/or programming during trauma. Particular attention should be paid to amnesic episodes, auditory and/or visual hallucinations, unexplained changes in handwriting, and other symptoms indicative of the presence of severe dissociation and/or multiple personalities. There are a number of questionnaires and assessment tools that have been developed to assist in the diagnosis of dissociation in children and adolescents.

Given the severity of trauma experienced by victims of ritual trauma, therapeutic intervention can be a costly and lengthy process. Whenever possible, it is valuable to establish a treatment team approach to therapy that provides the additional support necessary to advance healing. A physician should be consulted whenever possible to rule out any medical problems, and the assistance of a psychiatrist should be sought when drug intervention appears necessary or appropriate to stabilize the child. However, since the child’s abuse may have included the use of drugs, it is important to insist that the child be medically tested to rule out any blood chemistry imbalances and/or damage to their organs or adrenal system. Due to possible overexposure to drugs during cult victimization which can result in desensitization, drug intervention may be ineffective with ritually abused children. Furthermore, a child suffering from DID may simply “switch” into an alter personality which is unaffected by the drug prescribed.

Since ritually abused children usually dissociate their memories of trauma and are systematically conditioned not to verbally disclose, the use

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25