The wide variety of sequelae attributed to childhood sexual abuse
has led some authors to posit that it is the complex interaction
between the object-relational developmental world of the child and the
event and nature of the abuse that determines the enduring effects of
the abusive experience. The authors addressed this hypothesis by
examining the correlation between the occurrence of childhood sexual
abuse and subjects' perceptions of the nature of their childhood
family. Results revealed significant differences in the subjects'
recollections of family functioning based on abuse status. Abused
subjects recalled families that were isolative, rigidly ruled in an
authoritarian style, and unable to foster the development of autonomy
in family members. The authors discuss the study results in light of
the interactions between memories of the childhood family and the
experience of sexual abuse.