Sexual Abuse Cases

Paper Summary:

The paper states that the topic of recovered memories and false memories with respect to childhood sexual abuse is closely connected to memory issues of amnesia and delayed recall. The paper comments that although it is impossible to determine exactly how common amnesia and delayed recall are in cases of child sexual abuse, research does indicate that both phenomena occur with respect to child sexual abuse. The paper suggests that one explanation for why it does not occur, may be related to the types of abuse experience, in that repeated abuse may be more likely to cause amnesia or delayed recall.

Outline:
Introduction
Research concerning child sexual abuse and amnesia
Disagreement of the literature
Amnesia
Delayed Recall
Prevalence
- problems with determining prevalence
Suggested Explanations
- Type of Trauma
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The literature is also somewhat convoluted on the subject, as some researchers find traumatic events are encoded in more detail than non traumatic events, while others find that traumatic events are forgotten altogether. Such is the case when amnesia occurs. Amnesia refers to a loss of memory, most often of declarative memory as opposed to procedural memory (how to tie your shoe laces) (Colman, 2003). Although vivid intrusions of traumatic images and sensations are some of the most dramatic expressions of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a disorder commonly associated with childhood sexual abuse, the loss of recollections for traumatic experiences is also well documented. Research suggests that for some victims of trauma, having no recall of the abuse is based on more than just ordinary forgetting associated with the passage of time, their young age at the time of trauma, or lack of salience of the traumatic event"

Sample of Sources Used:

• Briere, J. (1988). The long-term clinical correlates of childhood sexual victimization. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 528, 327-334.
• Briere, J. (1992). Childhood Abuse Trauma: Theory and treatment of the lasting effects. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
• Collins, A.M. & Loftus, E.F. (1975). A spreading activation theory of semantic processing. Psychological Bulletin, 82,407-428.
• Finklehor, D. (1990). Early and long-term effects of child sexual abuse: an Update. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 21(5), 325-330.
• Herman, J.L. (1992). Trauma and Recovery. New York: Basic Books.

More papers on Sexual Abuse Cases:

• Term Paper # 96936 : "Child Sexual Abuse"
• Research Proposal # 53524 : "Shame in Sexual Abuse"
• Term Paper # 6540 : "Sexual Abuse in the Catholic Church"

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