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Accuracy of Adult Recollections of Early Childhood Abuse

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Recollections of Trauma

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSA,volume 291))

Abstract

Over the last two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of reports retrospectively linking childhood abuse to a variety of short- and long-term effects. Typically, adolescents or adults are asked about a history of abuse in an interview or on a questionnaire designed to elicit this information retrospectively. However, considerable controversy exists about the validity of information obtained from retrospective self-reports (Berliner & Williams, 1994; Briere & Conte, 1993; Della Femina, Yeager, & Lewis, 1990; Herman & Schatzow, 1987; Kruttschnitt & Dornfeld, 1992; Lindsay & Read, 1994; Loftus, 1993; Widom, 1989c; Williams, 1994). Although many researchers argue that estimates based on adult retrospective reports are probably underestimates (Finkelhor, 1993), others have argued that retrospective reports may contain many false positives (Nash, 1992).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. The University at Albany (SUNY), 135 Western Ave., Albany, New York, 12222, USA

    Cathy Spatz Widom

  2. Post-Traumatic and Dissociative Disorder Program, the Psychiatric Institute of Washington, USA

    Christine A. Courtois

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  1. Cathy Spatz Widom
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  2. Christine A. Courtois
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada

    J. Don Read

  2. University of Wales, Bangor, UK

    D. Stephen Lindsay

  3. University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

    D. Stephen Lindsay

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Widom, C.S., Courtois, C.A. (1997). Accuracy of Adult Recollections of Early Childhood Abuse. In: Read, J.D., Lindsay, D.S. (eds) Recollections of Trauma. NATO ASI Series, vol 291. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2672-5_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-2672-5_3

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