Betrayal Trauma: How do We Hear it, How do We Heal it?

Survivors of child sexual abuse worldwide are finding their voice on an unprecedented scale, prompting inquiries into individuals and institutions involved or implicated in their betrayal. The core of betrayal trauma is relational: it disrupts the dynamics of attachment and its legacy is a fragmented self. Freyd concludes that the physical and psychological impact of trauma corresponds to the degree of betrayal (Freyd, 1996; Freyd et al., 2001). Societal and political betrayal has compounded the anguish of survivors and their struggle to be heard. Disbelief, a hostile climate, and an impetus to cover up betrayal also isolates and rejects the messenger. The backlash against professional endeavour in this area of work is a given. It is influenced not only by societal responses to trauma but also by vested interests which seek to induce fear amongst professionals and prevent the exposure of networks of exploitation, power and control. Solinski (2017) describes the dynamics of an “atrocity triangle” of perpetrator, victim, and bystander at individual and societal levels, which facilitates knowing and not knowing about trauma. Therapists may find themselves in an unsupportive environment with a high reliance on peer networks. In this fraught context, maintaining agency is a challenge (Richardson, 2011). I have found that working to create a more supportive environment via activities like networking, writing, and conference presentations is essential. But although it can bear fruit it adds to the professional task and can be exhausting. Such efforts need to be supported by effective professional caregiving in peer groups, therapy, and supervision. The most difficult situation is where colleagues themselves are beleaguered or fearful. In the 1987 Cleveland child abuse crisis, where the medical diagnosis of sexual abuse in 127 children led to a public and political outcry of disbelief, professional networks fragmented and there was no caregiving available for the profession