This exposition is an attempt to unravel the complexities of the
relationship between childhood sexual abuse and adult
psychopathology. Four facets of the relationship are examined in some
detail: (a) the extent of childhood sexual abuse; (b) the probability
that sexual abuse in childhood will result in psychopathology in the
adult; (c) the reliability of early life memories in later life; and
(d) the role of recovered memory of trauma in the healing process. The
conclusions of this logico-empirical analysis are that first,
government statistics tend to underestimate the extent of childhood
sexual abuse, whereas independent surveys tend to overestimate
it. Estimating prevalence is further complicated by variations in the
definitions of key terms. Possibly the only safe conclusion is that
true prevalence cannot be reliably determined. Second, empirical
investigations of childhood sexual abuse conclude that not all victims
are emotionally injured. A substantial number of these investigations
find that a majority of victims suffer no extensive harm. Other
variables such as family dynamics are involved; there may be only a
few cases in which emotional harm results from sexual abuse as a
single factor. Third, memory research suggests that memory in general
is a dynamic, reconstructive process and that recall of childhood
events is particularly vulnerable to distortion. Memory cannot
dependably produce historical truth. Last, there is some clinical
evidence that abreaction of a traumatic event in adulthood may have a
remediative effect. Similar evidence for childhood trauma is
lacking. The belief in the healing effect of recalling and reliving a
childhood trauma depends on the therapist's orientation.