Victim-centered investigations go by a variety of names, such as Start By Believing and "trauma-informed." A new report titled “Trauma-Informed Theories Disguised as Evidence” has just been issued by Families Advocating for Campus Equality (FACE), a campus due process organization.

The report documents five logical fallacies and scientific flaws in the use of trauma-informed concepts in the investigative context:

1. Is used to explain an ever-expanding range of symptoms and behaviors, some of which are not based on research.
2. Illogically applies concepts like “tonic immobility” to situations that are not life-threatening.
3. Presumes that failure to remember incidents is caused by trauma, not alcohol-induced black-outs or other factors.
4. Asserts that stressful events impair memory, when research shows such events actually enhance recall.
5. Ignores complainants’ vulnerability to post-event suggestions by friends and advocates.

A press release about the FACE report can be viewed here:  http://www.prosecutorintegrity.org/pr/new-report-reveals-junk-science-in-trauma-informed-investigations-recalls-earlier-exposes-of-flawed-forensics-wrongful-convictions/

The entire report can be seen here: https://www.facecampusequality.org/library

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