Book excerpt: Trauma and Dissociation in a Cross-Cultural Perspective examines the psychological, sociological, political, economic, and cultural aspects of trauma and its consequences on people around the world. Dispelling the myth that trauma-related dissociative disorders are a North American phenomenon, this unique book travels through more than a dozen countries to analyze the effects of long-lasting traumatization-both natural and man-made-on adults and children. Working from theoretical and clinical perspectives, the field's leading experts address trauma in situations that range from the psychological effects of the Troubles in Northern Ireland to the emergence of Hikikomori, the phenomenon of social withdrawal in Japanese youth.