NCJ Number
153345
Date Published
1994
Length
2 pages
Annotation
Based on a review of the literature on child sexual abuse, the Working Group on Investigation of Memories of Childhood Abuse of the American Psychological Association presents interim conclusions.
Abstract
At this stage, the members of the working group have agreed that controversies regarding adult recollections of childhood abuse should not be allowed to obscure the fact that child sexual abuse is a complex and pervasive problem in America that has historically been unacknowledged. The working group has also thus far concluded that most people who were sexually abused as children remember all or part of what happened to them; however, it is possible for memories of abuse that have been forgotten for a long time to be remembered. The mechanisms by which such delayed recall occurs are not well understood. It is also possible to construct convincing pseudomemories for events that never occurred. The mechanisms by which these pseudomemories occur are not currently well understood. The working group has concluded that there are gaps in knowledge about the processes that led to accurate and inaccurate recollections of childhood abuse. The final report will identify specific gaps in knowledge and suggest research directions. It will also explore the ways current data may inform legal testimony, forensic evaluations, therapeutic strategies, and professional training.