Stuffopolis

Banished Knowledge: Facing Childhood Injuries

Reviewer: MatthewD

Rating: 7.5/10

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I enjoyed this one. It's a book from a child psychologist on how often people use the excuse of child abuse to justify their own acts of child abuse.

A provocative small book, she describes her own suspicions of Sigmund Freud's theory of drives, and believes that many confuse the auto-eroticism of children - their need to be touched for example - with adult feelings of sensuality. Children are often blamed - even by therapists - for somehow having contributed "subconsciously" to such oppression.

Traditionally children have been encouraged to be seen and not heard. Hopefully this book in challenging old myths of discipling children and childhood needs for affection will do positive things for people who have some experience of childhood trauma, and encourage a greater debate on the issue from those working with such children.

Date Reviewed: August 15, 2008