Here's what experts who study sexual violence say about the credibility of Christine Blasey Ford's testimony
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To some members of the committee, those missing memories cast doubt on all of Ford’s allegations. But should they?
In an effort to assess her credibility — and by implication, that of Kavanaugh — The Times asked experts in sexual trauma whether Ford’s testimony was consistent with the research findings and clinical observations they have made or encountered in their own work.
Here’s what they told us.
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The brain is always encoding memories, most of which we could not necessarily be able to recall years or decades later. Otherwise, we would remember every time and every place we ever parked our car.
But we do tend to remember stressful events. We do this because we need to use those memories to help us survive now and in the future. Memories are not there just for reminiscing — they are vital for our survival.
It is also important to realize that the people at the party who were not assaulted or stressed by the event are not as likely to remember it. For her, it was a memorable event; for them, it may have just been another time hanging out with few friends hanging at a house. This applies to the people downstairs but perhaps even for the two boys, especially if they were intoxicated.
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She gave one of the most credible accounts I have ever heard from a victim.
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Across several studies, I have found consistent evidence for a group of young men who perpetrate the type of sexual violence described in these allegations, but only at a relatively young age — about 14 to 20 years old. These men then stop perpetrating altogether either before or shortly after they begin college.
This is part of a more general trend researchers have identified regarding adolescent antisocial behavior that disappears once an individual reaches adulthood.
Based on my research, 70% to 75% of young men who perpetrated sexual violence only do so during a relatively limited time frame. Very few of the men who commit sexual violence are serial offenders, so I was not surprised by the idea that these behaviors were limited to adolescence.
Much more at link:
https://www.google.com/amp/www.latimes.com/science/sciencenow/la-sci-sn-ford-testimony-credibility-memory-20180928-story.html?outputType=amp
