Memories of childhood sexual abuse: a survey of young adults

• Published in: Child abuse & neglect 1998-12, Vol.22 (12), p.1217-1238
• Main Authors: Epstein, Michelle A., Bottoms, Bette L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult survivor; Biological and medical sciences; Chicago; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse, Sexual - ethnology; Child Abuse, Sexual - psychology; Child Abuse, Sexual - statistics & numerical data; Child sexual abuse; Childhood sexual abuse; College Students; Family; Female; Forgetting; Humans; Illinois; Incidence; Individual Characteristics; Male; Medical sciences; Memory; Middle Aged; Performance Factors; Polls & surveys; Prevalence; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Recall; Recall (Psychology); Repressed memory; Repression; Repression, Psychology; Retention (Psychology); Sex crimes; Sexual Abuse; Social Class; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; USA; Victimology; Young adults
• ISSN: 0145-2134; 1873-7757
• DOI: 10.1016/S0145-2134(98)00099-4

Objective: To explore the prevalence of, characteristics of, and factors associated with forgetting of childhood sexual abuse memories in a large non-clinical sample ( N = 1712). Method: Using an anonymous survey, we asked respondents about (a) the nature and severity of their childhood abuse; (b) the continuity of their abuse memories; and (c) their experiences with others suggesting to them that they might have been abused. Results: A substantial minority of victims in our sample reported having temporarily forgotten their childhood sexual abuse. Forgetting was largely unassociated with victim or abuse characteristics. Compared to individuals who always remembered their abuse, however, individuals who temporarily forgot were more likely to report that someone had suggested to them that they might have experienced abuse. Those who received such suggestions were particularly likely to suspect that they may have experienced childhood sexual abuse that they do not yet remember. Conclusion: Forgetting may be less common than implied by earlier estimates from clinical samples, yet it is not uncommon. Also, a sizable minority of the population is wondering whether they have experienced unremembered abuse, and these suspicions are linked to having encountered suggestions from others. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the phenomenon sometimes labeled repression. Spanish abstract was not available at time of publication. Objectif: Explorer dans un échantillon non-clinique de 1.712 personnes, la prévalence, les caractéristiques et les facteurs reliées à la perte de mémoire concernant des expériences d’agressions sexuelles vécues en enfance. Méthode: Par le biais d’un sondage anonyme, les auteurs ont interrogé les sujets de l’étude sur (a) la nature et la sévérité des mauvais traitements en enfance, (b) la continuité dans leurs souvenirs et enfin (c) leurs expériences avec d’autres personnes qui leur auraient suggéré la possibilité qu’ils furent jadis des victimes de mauvais traitements. Résultats: Une minorité considérable de victimes dans l’échantillon disent avoir oublié de façon temporaire leurs expériences d’abus sexuels. La perte de mémoire n’était pas associée aux caractéristiques de la victime ni à celles des mauvais traitements. Les victimes qui avaient des pertes de mémoire temporaires, lorsque comparées aux personnes qui se sont toujours souvenues des mauvais traitements perpétrés à leur égard, étaient plus aptes à signaler q