Dr Elly Hanson
Understanding organised ritual abuse
When to watch:
13th May | 15:30 - 16:30
Keynote Abstract
There is a striking contrast between the testimonies of many ritual abuse survivors speaking out to therapists and researchers, and the near silence societally on this most extreme form of child (and adult) abuse. In this talk, Dr Hanson shares the key insights of her recently published report ‘Organised ritual abuse and its wider context: degradation, deception and disavowal’ (published by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and NAPAC). She unpacks the dynamics, perpetrator psychology and impact of this abuse, and explores the culture of disbelief that has largely hidden it from view. Finally she considers the implications of this understanding for us as a society generally, as well as for those working with offender populations more specifically.
Biography
Dr Elly Hanson is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked with the issues of sexual abuse and trauma for over twenty years. She works across criminal justice, education, child protection and voluntary sectors, as well as with national organisations. For ten years she worked with CEOP (now embedded with the National Crime Agency; NCA) and acts as an Expert Witness. She regularly publishes papers and reports on the topic of abuse, including those on societal contributors, dynamics and impact. Elly has recently taken on the role of Strategy Director (part-time) of CEASE, a charity aiming to tackle the cultural and commercial drivers of abuse and exploitation. She is also an experienced therapist.