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Cited by 34Sexual Assault and Victimization StudiesMemory Processes and InfluencesPosttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Does trauma memory play a role in the experience of reporting sexual assault during police interviews? An exploratory study

Hardy, Amy, Young, Kerry, Holmes, Emily A.·2009·Memory
DOI 10.1080/09658210903081835
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Abstract

A recent study indicated that 94.4% of reported sexual assault cases in the UK do not result in successful legal prosecution, also known as the rate of attrition (Kelly, Lovett, & Regan, 2005). Scant research has examined the role of trauma-related psychological processes in attrition. Victims of sexual assault (N =22) completed questions about peri-traumatic dissociation, trauma memory fragmentation, account incoherence during police interview, and likelihood of proceeding with legal cases. Higher levels of dissociation during sexual assault were associated with participants reporting more fragmented trauma memories. Memory fragmentation was associated with participants indicating that they provided more incoherent accounts of trauma during police interview. Importantly, people who viewed themselves as providing more incoherent accounts predicted that they would be less likely to proceed with their legal cases. The findings suggest trauma impacts on memory, and these trauma-related disruptions to memory may paradoxically contribute to attrition.

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Crossref · 10.1080/09658210903081835

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  • Hardy et al. found that peritraumatic dissociation on the PDEQ was moderately to strongly positively related to two single-item meta-memory fragmentation measures.

    “Self reports of peritraumatic dissociation, assessed using the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ; Marmar et al., 1997), were moderately to highly positively associated with two single items of meta-memory fragmentation, assessing “fragmented pieces” and “account incoherence”.”

    From Dissociation and memory fragmentation in post-traumatic stress disorder: An evaluation of the dissociative encoding hypothesis (2012) · cites this paper as Hardy et al., 2009

  • Across Criterion A trauma samples, higher peritraumatic dissociation consistently accompanied higher self-rated fragmentation.

    “Taken together results of Halligan et al. (2003), Murray et al. (2002), and Hardy et al. (2009) generally suggest that, in Criterion A trauma-exposed samples, individuals with higher peritraumatic dissociation consistently show higher meta-memory ratings of fragmentation.”

    From Dissociation and memory fragmentation in post-traumatic stress disorder: An evaluation of the dissociative encoding hypothesis (2012) · cites this paper as Hardy et al., 2009

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Authors
Hardy, A., Young, K., & Holmes, E. A.
Affiliations
  • Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
Corresponding author
Hardy, Amy
ORCID
Venue
Memory
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2009-11
Volume
17
Issue
8
Pages
783-788
ISSN
  • 0965-8211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-0686
DOI
10.1080/09658210903081835
OpenAlex
W2120880692
Cited by
34
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 3
FWCI
3.89
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Memory (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory Processes and Influences
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
Keywords
sexual assault, traumatic memory, memory fragmentation, police interviews, victim testimony, sexual assault survivors
MeSH terms
Adult, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Memory, Surveys and Questionnaires, Repression, Psychology, Sex Offenses, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Police, Crime Victims

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