Survivorship September/October Notes are available for free online at https://survivorship.org/notes-and-journal/
The 2020 Online Annual Ritual Abuse, Secretive Organizations and Mind Control Conference was on August 8 – 9, 2020. Speakers included Survivorship board members Dr, Randy Noblitt and Neil Brick. Pamela Perskin Noblitt presented with Randy. They had several speakers from Scotland, including representatives of Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS), Izzy’s Promise and Eighteen and Under. Speakers included Dr. Laurie Matthew, Dr. Sarah Nelson, Kieran Watson and Clare Barrie.
Internet conference information: http://ritualabuse.us/smart-conference/
2020 Conference Video Presentations and PowerPoints
Presentation on Izzy’s Promise
Izzy’s Promise offers training and consultancy services; Conducts research into causes of ritual abuse and any ways of preventing or relieving the suffering caused by abuse. https://www.izzyspromise.org.uk/
Presentation on Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS)
RANS provides information and a safe place to talk for survivors of ritual abuse. https://www.izzyspromise.org.uk/rans-online-support.html
Research Review Statistics – Dr. Laurie Matthew
In the UK: 1 in 6 children suffer child sexual abuse. 21% of children in local authority care are exposed to suspected or confirmed sexual exploitation every year. RA Research conclusions: Survivors still suffer the backlash of 1980-90’s and the continued discourse around belief, memory and mental illness. The only witnesses to ritual and organized abuse are the abusers and the survivors. Only the survivors will try to tell so the public can learn about it so society needs to listen to them.
Dr Laurie Matthew OBE is founder and Manager of Eighteen And Under an award winning charity providing confidential support services to young people who have been abused. She is also a founder member and advisor to Izzy’s Promise the UK’s leading charity for survivors of organised and ritual abuse and of the Ritual Abuse Network Forum (RANS). She is the author of several books about ritual abuse and the Violence Is Preventable abuse prevention programmes for children and young people. She has over 40 years experience of directly supporting abuse survivors. Her recently published research has included participatory research with adult ritual abuse survivors and participatory research with young survivors of sexual abuse who were unknown to authorities
Journal Articles on Child and Ritual Abuse – Laurie Matthew https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/studies/journal-articles-on-child-and-ritual-abuse-laurie-matthew/
Dr Sarah Nelson, Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee
In this presentation Sarah makes reflections on belief and disbelief in ritual abuse, and on why backlash theories such as satanic panic and false memory syndrome were so readily believed and are still potent, despite their numerous flaws. She interconnects the disbelief by outsiders including professionals, many media and public with the disbelief and doubts of survivors themselves, and think about the interplay and mutual strengthening which has long taken place. She explains how this a neglected aspect of the discourse of disbelief yet she believes it important and relevant. She discusses the example of interplay of disbelief between survivors themselves and these outsiders in dissociative identify disorder, formerly multiple personality disorder, a condition strongly linked to the experience of the profound trauma of ritual abuse in childhood. She asks whether and how far this circle can be broken in working against ritual abuse in future.
Dr Sarah Nelson (Universities of Edinburgh and Dundee) has written and presented widely for decades on sexual abuse issues. Her research and publications include the voices of young survivors, critiques of current child protection systems, community prevention, ritual and organised abuse, media representations of abuse cases, and adult survivors’ experiences of mental and physical health services. She has also been a professional adviser to the Scottish Government and Scottish Parliament. Her book Tackling Child Sexual Abuse: Radical approaches to prevention, protection and support (Policy Press, UK and University of Chicago press, USA)) was published in 2016.
Misinformation Campaigns Against Survivors – Neil Brick
Child and ritual abuse survivors and their advocates have been attacked by misinformation campaigns the last several years. These campaigns use various harassment and propaganda techniques to distort the research and silence the efforts of those who are working to help trauma survivors and rape victims. These techniques will be compared to past and present public campaigns that have distorted information and used unethical tactics to manipulate public opinion. Propaganda and suggestion techniques used will be discussed and analyzed. https://ritualabuse.us/ritualabuse/articles/misinformation-campaigns-against-survivors-neil-brick/
Neil Brick is a survivor of ritual abuse and mind control. His work continues to educate the public about child abuse, trauma and ritual abuse crimes. His child abuse and ritual abuse newsletter S.M.A.R.T. https://ritualabuse.us has been published for over 25 years. http://neilbrick.com
Presentation on Izzy’s Promise – Kieran Watson
Kieran Watson is a manager with Izzy’s Promise – Dundee, Scotland.
Izzy’s Promise and the importance of a physical non denominational and regulated service for RA survivors.
Izzy’s Promise offers training and consultancy services; Conducts research into causes of ritual abuse and any ways of preventing or relieving the suffering caused by abuse; recruits and trains volunteers to work towards supporting survivors of ritual/organised abuse and those who support them; and networks with other agencies. https://www.izzyspromise.org.uk/
Presentation on Ritual Abuse Network Scotland (RANS) – Clare Barrie
RANS provides information and a safe place to talk for survivors of ritual abuse. https://www.izzyspromise.org.uk/rans-online-support.html
Extreme Abuse Survivors, Social Security Benefits, and Ethical Practice – Dr. Randy Noblitt and Pamela Perskin Noblitt
Many trauma survivors have debilitating psychological and physical symptoms that prevent them from maintaining gainful employment. For these individuals the Social Security Administration has programs that can play a critical role in providing for clients’ basic survival needs and autonomy. Unfortunately, the rules that govern this process are complex and confusing. Further, an important contributing factor in SSA denials is that survivors’ health care providers are often unfamiliar with SSA’s requirements which include documentation of symptoms and the limitations they impose along with professional opinions that correspond to Social Security’s definition of disability. This workshop is intended to provide an introduction to SSA requirements for healthcare providers.
Randy Noblitt is a clinical psychologist and professor of clinical psychology at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant International University, Los Angeles. He is the principle author of Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020) as well as Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narratives, Evidence and Healing Approaches, 3rd Edition (2014). He is the co-editor and a contributor to Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations (2008).
Information on Randy Noblitt and His Research
Pamela Perskin Noblitt is a non-attorney claimants representative for individuals applying for SSDI and SSI benefits. She is in independent private practice in Los Angeles County, California. She is co-author of Navigating Social Security Disability Programs: A Handbook for Clinicians and Advocates (2020) as well as Cult and Ritual Abuse: Narratives, Evidence and Healing Approaches, 3rd Edition (2014). She is the co-editor of Ritual Abuse in the Twenty-first Century: Psychological, Forensic, Social and Political Considerations (2008).
