Lenore C. Terr (born New York City, 1936) is a psychiatrist and author known for her research into childhood trauma.[1] Terr graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School with an MD.[1] She is the winner of the Blanche Ittleson Award for her research on childhood trauma.[2] Terr is noted for her work studying the after-effects of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping on the 26 children who were buried alive for 16 hours after being kidnapped from a bus.[3]
Terr's book Too Scared to Cry (Basic Books, 1990) is divided into four parts focusing on childhood psychic trauma: emotions, mental work, behavior and treatment and contagion. The book describes several cases that illustrate the problem of children's statements and behaviors that are based in factitious traumatic events. Terr concludes children who suffered trauma before the age of three years are rarely able fully describe it verbally, instead reenacting events behaviorally. Terr draws on her interviews and follow-up with the victims of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping and with a number of similar children from surrounding towns, used as a control group. Lastly, Terr notes the distinction between a single, sudden traumatic event which is accessible to verbal remembering, versus repetitive or prolonged trauma that severely compromises accurate verbal recall.
Repressed memory theory
Terr has been actively involved in advocating the psychological theory of repressed memory, a controversial proposition which asserts people can recall memories which have been repressed, frequently because of trauma. According to the theory, the memory can be suddenly recalled through visual or auditory stimuli and psychological therapeutic treatment. Terr was the primary expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal case of People v. Franklin (1990)—wherein George Thomas Franklin was convicted by a jury in 1990 for the homicide of nine-year-old Susan Nason, a murder that took place more than 20 years previously near Foster City, Calif. The prosecution and ultimate conviction was based solely upon the supposed recovered memory of Franklin's daughter, Eileen, who alleged she witnessed the murder and then for some reason repressed the memory for 21 years before suddenly recovering the memory of the murder and then reporting her recollection of the incident to the San Mateo County, Calif., sheriff's department. Terr was the prosecution's expert witness to support the theory of repressed memory and its corresponding recovery, which was instrumental in the conviction of Franklin.[4] The conviction was later reversed by a federal appeals court, partially because so-called repressed memory is not acceptable as a contributing factor to conviction in a criminal proceeding.[5][6][7][8][9] George Franklin was later exonerated by DNA evidence collected at the crime scene, casting further doubt on the use of repressed memories in criminal trials.[10]
Terr was also the chief witness of the defense in the Gary Ramona trial.[11]
Terr, LC (August 1980). "Medical lessons from the schoolchildren of Chowchilla". The Journal of Pediatrics. 97 (2): 251–2. doi:10.1016/s0022-3476(80)80484-7. PMID 7400891.
Terr, LC (January 1981). "Psychic trauma in children: observations following the Chowchilla school-bus kidnapping". The American Journal of Psychiatry. 138 (1): 14–9. doi:10.1176/ajp.138.1.14. PMID 7446775.
Terr, Lenore C. (April 1983). "Time sense following psychic trauma: A clinical study of ten adults and twenty children". American Journal of Orthopsychiatry. 53 (2): 244–261. doi:10.1111/j.1939-0025.1983.tb03369.x.
Terr, Lenore (January 1988). "What happens to early memories of trauma? A study of twenty children under age five at the time of documented traumatic events". Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 27 (1): 96–104. doi:10.1097/00004583-198801000-00015. PMID 3343214.
Terr, Lenore C. (January 1989). "Treating psychic trauma in children: A preliminary discussion". Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2 (1): 3–20. doi:10.1007/BF00975763. S2CID 144217910.
Terr, Lenore C.; Bloch, Daniel A.; Michel, Beat A.; Shi, Hong; Reinhardt, John A.; Metayer, SuzAnne (October 1999). "Children's symptoms in the wake of Challenger: a field study of distant-traumatic effects and an outline of related conditions". American Journal of Psychiatry. 156 (10): 1536–1544. doi:10.1176/ajp.156.10.1536. PMID 10518163.
Terr, LC (2013). "What becomes of infantile traumatic memories? An adult "wild child" is asked to remember". The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child. 67: 197–214. doi:10.1080/00797308.2014.11785495. PMID 26072564. S2CID 42468640.</ref>
Books
Too Scared to Cry: Psychic Trauma in Childhood. Basic Books. 1992. ISBN9780465086443.
Unchained Memories: True Stories of Traumatic Memories Lost and Found. Basic Books. 1995. ISBN9780465088232. OCLC 819605666.
Figley, Charles R., ed. (2006). "13. Memoirs of a childhood trauma hunter". Mapping Trauma and its Wake: Autobiographic Essays by Pioneer Trauma Scholars. Routledge. ISBN978-0-415-95140-1.
Magical Moments of Change: How Psychotherapy Turns Kids Around. New York: WW Norton & Company. 2008. ISBN9780393705300. OCLC 476908893.
References
^ abcVer Berkmoes, Ryan (June 4, 1991). "Can you outgrow childhood trauma?". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
^Timnick, Lois (October 21, 1990). "Coping With Trauma's Fallout : TOO SCARED TO CRY: Psychic Trauma in Childhood By Lenore Terr (Harper & Row: $21.95; 372 pp.)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
^"George Franklin - National Registry of Exonerations". www.law.umich.edu. Retrieved 2021-06-28.
^Smolowe, Jill (23 May 1994). "Dubious Memories". Time. from the original on 21 April 2008. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
^Liu, Howard Y.; Hilty, Donald (2019). Professional Development for Psychiatrists, An Issue of Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Ebook. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 365. ISBN9780323661072.
^"APA Council Reports". American Journal of Psychiatry. 169 (2): 229–236. February 2012. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.169.2.229.
March 04, 2023
lenore, terr, lenore, terr, born, york, city, 1936, psychiatrist, author, known, research, into, childhood, trauma, terr, graduated, from, university, michigan, medical, school, with, winner, blanche, ittleson, award, research, childhood, trauma, terr, noted, . Lenore C Terr born New York City 1936 is a psychiatrist and author known for her research into childhood trauma 1 Terr graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School with an MD 1 She is the winner of the Blanche Ittleson Award for her research on childhood trauma 2 Terr is noted for her work studying the after effects of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping on the 26 children who were buried alive for 16 hours after being kidnapped from a bus 3 Lenore C TerrBorn1936 age 86 87 New York City 1 NationalityAmericanAlma materUniversity of MichiganAwardsBlanche F Ittleson Award Agnes Purcell McGavin AwardScientific careerFieldsPsychiatry Contents 1 Too Scared To Cry 2 Repressed memory theory 3 Awards 4 Works 4 1 Scientific publications 4 2 Books 5 ReferencesToo Scared To Cry EditTerr s book Too Scared to Cry Basic Books 1990 is divided into four parts focusing on childhood psychic trauma emotions mental work behavior and treatment and contagion The book describes several cases that illustrate the problem of children s statements and behaviors that are based in factitious traumatic events Terr concludes children who suffered trauma before the age of three years are rarely able fully describe it verbally instead reenacting events behaviorally Terr draws on her interviews and follow up with the victims of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping and with a number of similar children from surrounding towns used as a control group Lastly Terr notes the distinction between a single sudden traumatic event which is accessible to verbal remembering versus repetitive or prolonged trauma that severely compromises accurate verbal recall Repressed memory theory EditTerr has been actively involved in advocating the psychological theory of repressed memory a controversial proposition which asserts people can recall memories which have been repressed frequently because of trauma According to the theory the memory can be suddenly recalled through visual or auditory stimuli and psychological therapeutic treatment Terr was the primary expert witness for the prosecution in the criminal case of People v Franklin 1990 wherein George Thomas Franklin was convicted by a jury in 1990 for the homicide of nine year old Susan Nason a murder that took place more than 20 years previously near Foster City Calif The prosecution and ultimate conviction was based solely upon the supposed recovered memory of Franklin s daughter Eileen who alleged she witnessed the murder and then for some reason repressed the memory for 21 years before suddenly recovering the memory of the murder and then reporting her recollection of the incident to the San Mateo County Calif sheriff s department Terr was the prosecution s expert witness to support the theory of repressed memory and its corresponding recovery which was instrumental in the conviction of Franklin 4 The conviction was later reversed by a federal appeals court partially because so called repressed memory is not acceptable as a contributing factor to conviction in a criminal proceeding 5 6 7 8 9 George Franklin was later exonerated by DNA evidence collected at the crime scene casting further doubt on the use of repressed memories in criminal trials 10 Terr was also the chief witness of the defense in the Gary Ramona trial 11 Awards Edit1967 Career teacher award from the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH 12 Blanche F Ittleson Award from the American Psychiatric Association 2011 Agnes Purcell McGavin Award for a Distinguished Career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association 13 Works EditScientific publications Edit Terr LC 1979 Children of Chowchilla a study of psychic trauma The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 34 547 623 doi 10 1080 00797308 1979 11823018 PMID 504534 Terr LC August 1980 Medical lessons from the schoolchildren of Chowchilla The Journal of Pediatrics 97 2 251 2 doi 10 1016 s0022 3476 80 80484 7 PMID 7400891 Terr LC January 1981 Psychic trauma in children observations following the Chowchilla school bus kidnapping The American Journal of Psychiatry 138 1 14 9 doi 10 1176 ajp 138 1 14 PMID 7446775 Terr Lenore C April 1983 Time sense following psychic trauma A clinical study of ten adults and twenty children American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 53 2 244 261 doi 10 1111 j 1939 0025 1983 tb03369 x Terr Lenore January 1988 What happens to early memories of trauma A study of twenty children under age five at the time of documented traumatic events Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 27 1 96 104 doi 10 1097 00004583 198801000 00015 PMID 3343214 Terr Lenore C January 1989 Treating psychic trauma in children A preliminary discussion Journal of Traumatic Stress 2 1 3 20 doi 10 1007 BF00975763 S2CID 144217910 Terr Lenore C Bloch Daniel A Michel Beat A Shi Hong Reinhardt John A Metayer SuzAnne October 1999 Children s symptoms in the wake of Challenger a field study of distant traumatic effects and an outline of related conditions American Journal of Psychiatry 156 10 1536 1544 doi 10 1176 ajp 156 10 1536 PMID 10518163 Terr LC 2013 What becomes of infantile traumatic memories An adult wild child is asked to remember The Psychoanalytic Study of the Child 67 197 214 doi 10 1080 00797308 2014 11785495 PMID 26072564 S2CID 42468640 lt ref gt Books Edit Too Scared to Cry Psychic Trauma in Childhood Basic Books 1992 ISBN 9780465086443 Unchained Memories True Stories of Traumatic Memories Lost and Found Basic Books 1995 ISBN 9780465088232 OCLC 819605666 Beyond Love and Work New York Scribner 1999 ISBN 9780684822396 OCLC 924270945 Figley Charles R ed 2006 13 Memoirs of a childhood trauma hunter Mapping Trauma and its Wake Autobiographic Essays by Pioneer Trauma Scholars Routledge ISBN 978 0 415 95140 1 Magical Moments of Change How Psychotherapy Turns Kids Around New York WW Norton amp Company 2008 ISBN 9780393705300 OCLC 476908893 References Edit a b c Ver Berkmoes Ryan June 4 1991 Can you outgrow childhood trauma Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2019 10 12 About Lenore Terr M D Adult and Child Psychiatry Archived from the original on 2009 04 19 Timnick Lois October 21 1990 Coping With Trauma s Fallout TOO SCARED TO CRY Psychic Trauma in Childhood By Lenore Terr Harper amp Row 21 95 372 pp Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2019 10 12 McLean Harry H 1993 Once Upon a Time A True Story of Memory Murder and the Law New York Harper Collins ISBN 9780060165437 OCLC 27265335 Los Angeles Times http articles latimes com keyword george thomas sr franklin Franklin v Duncan Court Order https scholar google com scholar case case 3066228776991890480 Repressed Memory versus False Memory Going to Court Library Index http www libraryindex com pages 1437 Repressed Memory Versus False Memory GOING COURT html Victims of the State George Franklin http www victimsofthestate org CA Franklin htm Franklin v Fox Murray et al 312 F2d 423 Justia U S Law http law justia com cases federal appellate courts F3 312 423 608793 George Franklin National Registry of Exonerations www law umich edu Retrieved 2021 06 28 Smolowe Jill 23 May 1994 Dubious Memories Time Archived from the original on 21 April 2008 Retrieved 2019 10 12 Liu Howard Y Hilty Donald 2019 Professional Development for Psychiatrists An Issue of Psychiatric Clinics of North America Ebook Elsevier Health Sciences p 365 ISBN 9780323661072 APA Council Reports American Journal of Psychiatry 169 2 229 236 February 2012 doi 10 1176 appi ajp 2012 169 2 229 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lenore Terr amp oldid 1112363466, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
