Can We Trust What They Say? Wounded Healers and Other Myths About Child Sexual Abuse Experts

Abstract

The accusation that leading experts on issues related to child sexual abuse have entered the field in order to pursue personal agendas is one of several personal attacks used to undermine the credibility of the field's experts. Using qualitative data from indepth interviews, this article examines how 37 well-known authorities on child sexual abuse explain their own motivations for entering the field. In almost all cases, professional rather than personal factors appear to be the primary motivators for the experts' involvement. The article concludes that efforts to discredit child sexual abuse experts may be related to issues of gender and professional status.