Thirty adult women survivors of childhood sexual abuse who believed they
were functioning well were selected through advertisements in local
newspapers and presentations at an incest-survivor support group. Subjects
were assessed by a battery of structured diagnostic interviews and
standardized psychological measures, including the MMPI, the Trauma Symptom
Checklist-40, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. The results showed
the existence of a subgroup of survivors of childhood sexual abuse who do
not have devastating long-term psychological effects. Better adult
psychological functioning was predicted by certain characteristics of the
abuse, the family system, and the survivors.
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