Nobody Should Believe Me

In 1996, Sarah DeJonghe was a 20-year-old Navy Seabee stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Two guys in uniform approached her on base and invited her to church. She said no.

They came back anyway.

Four months later, Sarah was out of the Navy and on her way to a Bible seminary in Washington State. She didn't see it coming. Neither did the dozens of other military members who found themselves drawn into the New Testament Christian Churches of America, a church that has spent decades planting itself outside US military bases around the world, marketing itself as a home away from home for single, lonely soldiers.

Former members say it's a cult.

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Listen to PRETEND now: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chain-of-command-part-1/id1245307962
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As the media weaves a narrative about evil doctors kidnapping children: the real harms caused by the child welfare system go unnoticed. Today we look at the case for strengthening children's rights as well as the case for replacing the child welfare system altogether.  

Featuring:


Roxanna Asgarian, Child Welfare Journalist


Elizabeth Bartholet, Professor of Law at Harvard Law School


Alan Dettlaff, Professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work

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Read Roxanna Asgarian’s We Were Once a Family: https://www.roxannaasgarianwrites.com/

Read Alan Dettlaff’s Confronting the Racist Legacy of the American Child Welfare System: https://www.amazon.com/Confronting-Racist-Legacy-American-Welfare/dp/0197675263

Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster

Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/

View our sponsors: https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/

Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!  

Subscribe on YouTube where we have bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/@NobodyShouldBelieveMePod

Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/

Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit: https://www.munchausensupport.com/

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf
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Why do all of these stories purporting false allegations of child abuse sound the same? If enough people have experienced the same thing, that must mean it’s true, right? 

The truth is, as soon as you do a little digging, these cases begin to unravel. By taking a closer look into the cases featured in Serial’s The Preventionist and Mike Hixenbaugh’s Do No Harm, the copy and paste storytelling becomes apparent.

Featuring:

Tara Haelle, Science Journalist

Dr. Jill Glick, Child Abuse Pediatrician

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Read No, shaken baby syndrome has not been discredited by Tara Haelle: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/shaken-baby-syndrome-diagnosis-real

Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster

Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/

View our sponsors: https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/

Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!  

Subscribe on YouTube where we have bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/@NobodyShouldBelieveMePod

Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/

Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit: https://www.munchausensupport.com/

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf
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Stories of “false” allegations of child abuse build on each other to paint the picture of a widespread problem that can affect anyone who brings there child into a hospital. None have made more of an impact than those featured in Take Care of Maya.

The first half of this season was dedicated to John Stewart, and 15-month-old Knowellan Kelly, but what about the other 3 families shown at the end of Take Care of Maya? A story is spun about how these parents were wronged by the system, but there’s a stark omission of what actually happened to their children–how they ended up at the hospital in the first place. Today we look at the truth behind the narrative about Dr. Sally Smith. 

Featuring:

Matthew Torbenson, Assistant District Attorney

Dr. Jill Glick, Child Abuse Pediatrician

Dr. Sally Smith, Child Abuse Pediatrician

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Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster

Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/

View our sponsors: https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/

Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!  

Subscribe on YouTube where we have bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/@NobodyShouldBelieveMePod

Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/

Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit: https://www.munchausensupport.com/

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf
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Child abuse pediatricians have become increasingly villainized in the media despite being among the most specialized and cautious doctors in child abuse medicine. Andrea looks at what these doctors actually do and why their role is so often misunderstood.

Andrea also explores the rise of paid defense experts who offer alternative explanations in abuse cases that fall far outside the medical consensus. 

Featuring Experts:

Dr. Stephen Boos, Child Abuse Pediatrician

Matthew Torbenson, Assistant District Attorney

Dr. Jill Glick, Child Abuse Pediatrician

***

Try out Andrea’s Podcaster Coaching App: https://studio.com/apps/andrea/podcaster

Order Andrea’s book The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception, and Munchausen by Proxy: https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-mother-next-door-9781250284273/

View our sponsors: https://www.nobodyshouldbelieveme.com/sponsors/

Remember that using our codes helps advertisers know you’re listening and helps us keep making the show!  

Subscribe on YouTube where we have bonus content: https://www.youtube.com/@NobodyShouldBelieveMePod

Follow Andrea on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreadunlop/

Buy Andrea's books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Andrea-Dunlop/author/B005VFWJPI

For more information and resources on Munchausen by Proxy, please visit: https://www.munchausensupport.com/

The American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children’s MBP Practice Guidelines: https://apsac.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Munchausen-by-Proxy-Clinical-and-Case-Management-Guidance-.pdf
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices