CHILDRENS MEMORY FOR TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES

Children's memory for traumatic events including sudden-onset events ( accidents resulting in emergency-room treatment), natural disasters (h urricanes), witnessed events (homicides of parents), and events in whi ch the child is forced to participate (physical and sexual abuse) is r eviewed. In each and every instance, memory for the traumatic incident is shown to behave much like memory for nontraumatic incidents. The r ole of stress in modulating memory performance is also evaluated, and it is concluded that although stress can have a negative effect on wha t is in memory storage, even these effects can be modified by cognitiv e (knowledge) and social (attachment) factors. Finally, memory for tra umatic experiences is likened to retention of other distinctive experi ences. That is, although traumatic occurrences may be more durable tha n memory for ordinary experiences, such memories may be no different t han those for other personally significant events that are unique or d istinctive. It is argued that it may be the distinctiveness of the eve nt, rather than its traumatic properties per se, that leads to its dur ability in memory.