Discusses two questions raised by sexually abused children's involvement in the legal system: competency to testify; and procedural and evidentiary reforms to protect child witnesses. Reviews relevant psychological research. Recommends that children be permitted to testify without prior qualification. (Author/BH)

Discusses work with thousands of siblings, parents, therapists, survivors, and retractors concerning sexual abuse reported by individuals with false memory syndrome. States that mind-altering techniques that help to create confabulations have been unleashed on an unwary public. In the hands of some therapists, these techniques create false…

Surveys an adult female sample of childhood sexual abuse survivors to determine if hardiness was effective in moderating the negative effects of perceived trauma and severity of the sexual abuse and internalized shame on relationship intimacy. Results indicate that perception and severity of abuse, and shame were significantly and negatively…

Study seeks to determine if existential well-being has a positive impact on survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Findings reveal that severity of abuse was associated with the level of existential well-being present in the survivor. The relationship between abuse and existential well-being is unclear. (Contains 23 references and 3 tables.) (GCP)