Recovered memories of childhood abuse
Authors: J K Ilsley, C.-D. Birman, J. Hoult, C. R Brewin, L. Crook, H. G Pope
Journal: BMJ (1998)

# We must tell patients that they were not to blame {#article-title-2} EDITOR—Pope welcomes the recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists, which counsels caution when treating patients with “recovered memories” of sexual abuse in childhood.1 This report may encourage disbelief of patients presenting with any memory of childhood abuse. Child sexual abuse is common in the United Kingdom.2 It is associated with long term physical and psychological sequelae.3 Its victims are reluctant to disclose their histories to doctors: only one in 20 will try to do so.4 They wait an average of 17 years after the abuse has occurred, and expect to be disbelieved and blamed.5 Since 1896, when Freud radically altered his opinions and pronounced that his patients' stories of incestuous abuse were the stuff of fantasy, society has found it difficult to confront the reality of child abuse. There is a national organisation that represents people who allege that they have been falsely accused of perpetrating abuse, but there is no one body to which adult survivors can turn for help and advice. Should any of our patients be desperate enough to entrust us with their stories of childhood sexual abuse then the least we can do is to believe them and tell them that they were not to blame. 1. ↵1. Pope HG Jr. Recovered memories of childhood sexual abuse.BMJ1998; 316:488–489. (14 February.) [OpenUrl][1][Abstract/FREE Full Text][2] 2. ↵1. Baker A, 2. Duncan SP Child sexual abuse: a study of prevalence in Great Britain.Child Abuse & Neglect1985; 9:457–467. [OpenUrl][3][CrossRef][4][PubMed][5][Web of Science][6] 3. ↵1. Arnold PR, 2. Rogers D, 3. Cook DAG Medical problems of adults who were sexually abused in childhood.BMJ1990; 300:705–708 4. ↵1. Lechner ME, 2. Vogel ME, 3. Garcia-Shelton LM, 4. Leichter JL, 5. Steibel KR Self-reported medical problems of adult female survivors of childhood sexual abuse.J Fam Pract1993; 36:633–638. [OpenUrl][7][PubMed][8][Web of Science][9] 5. ↵1. Kendall-Tackett MA, 2. Simon AF Perpetrators and their acts: data from 365 adults molested as children.Child Abuse & Neglect1987; 11:237–245. [OpenUrl][10][CrossRef][11][PubMed][12][Web of Science][13] # People with memories of abuse must be given reassurance {#article-title-8} EDITOR—I agree with the recommendations by the Royal College of Psychiatrists reported in Pope's editorial.1 One problem with memories of sexual abuse in childhood is the absence of empirical evidence. In certain cases the “recovered” memories have been shown to be based on hysteria, fantasy, malicious invention, or lies. These cases, however, are surely the exception that proves the rule. There is an epidemic of child sexual abuse in the world today. In the United States, several million cases of child abuse and neglect are “indicated” each year, and this figure continues … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft.stitle%253DBMJ%26rft.issn%253D0007-1447%26rft.aulast%253DPope%2BJr%26rft.auinit1%253DH.%2BG%26rft.volume%253D316%26rft.issue%253D7130%26rft.spage%253D488%26rft.epage%253D489%26rft.atitle%253DRecovered%2Bmemories%2Bof%2Bchildhood%2Bsexual%2Babuse%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F9501699%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/ijlink?linkType=ABST&journalCode=bmj&resid=316/7130/488&atom=%2Fbmj%2F317%2F7164%2F1012.atom [3]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DChild%2Babuse%2B%2526%2Bneglect%26rft.stitle%253DChild%2BAbuse%2BNegl%26rft.aulast%253DBaker%26rft.auinit1%253DA.%2BW.%26rft.volume%253D9%26rft.issue%253D4%26rft.spage%253D457%26rft.epage%253D467%26rft.atitle%253DChild%2Bsexual%2Babuse%253A%2Ba%2Bstudy%2Bof%2Bprevalence%2Bin%2BGreat%2BBritain.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252F0145-2134%252885%252990054-7%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F4084825%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/0145-2134(85)90054-7&link_type=DOI [5]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=4084825&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fbmj%2F317%2F7164%2F1012.atom [6]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1985AYG0200005&link_type=ISI [7]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DThe%2BJournal%2Bof%2Bfamily%2Bpractice%26rft.stitle%253DJ%2BFam%2BPract%26rft.aulast%253DLechner%26rft.auinit1%253DM.%2BE.%26rft.volume%253D36%26rft.issue%253D6%26rft.spage%253D633%26rft.epage%253D638%26rft.atitle%253DSelf-reported%2Bmedical%2Bproblems%2Bof%2Badult%2Bfemale%2Bsurvivors%2Bof%2Bchildhood%2Bsexual%2Babuse.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F8505606%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [8]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=8505606&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fbmj%2F317%2F7164%2F1012.atom [9]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1993LG74700012&link_type=ISI [10]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DChild%2Babuse%2B%2526%2Bneglect%26rft.stitle%253DChild%2BAbuse%2BNegl%26rft.aulast%253DKendall-Tackett%26rft.auinit1%253DK.%2BA.%26rft.volume%253D11%26rft.issue%253D2%26rft.spage%253D237%26rft.epage%253D245%26rft.atitle%253DPerpetrators%2Band%2Btheir%2Bacts%253A%2Bdata%2Bfrom%2B365%2Badults%2Bmolested%2Bas%2Bchildren.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1016%252F0145-2134%252887%252990063-9%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F3594284%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [11]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1016/0145-2134(87)90063-9&link_type=DOI [12]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=3594284&link_type=MED&atom=%2Fbmj%2F317%2F7164%2F1012.atom [13]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=A1987H486900013&link_type=ISI