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Childhood Memories of Trauma

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I have a question regarding memory If a rape took place when the individual were a child can that tragedy be block out of the memory or can the person still remember what happen but not in so many details?

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Solution Summary

People frequently talk about repressed memories, but the truth is that most incidents of trauma are remembered very clearly. How much can children remember of a traumatic event?

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Memories from early childhood tend to be fragmented and are often confusing. A very young child (i.e. 2 or 3 years old) would probably have only very vague memories of the event, if any at all. A slightly older child would be more likely to have stronger memories, although these still might be very fragmented. Rape is a severely traumatic event, and one that all too often involves someone the child knows well.

A child's memories are easily manipulated, both by the child and by others. A child who was traumatized by someone they trusted would be deeply confused and desperate to understand why this happened. If the adult tells them it is a secret between the two of them, that they are bad and it is their fault, or that nothing bad happened, the child may incorporate those ideas into the memory of the event. As a result, they may feel tremendous guilt and anxiety when they think of the event. They may attempt to repress the memories, especially if they need to continue to live with or be in close contact ...

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