No. 01-1757 Stogner v. California - FindLaw: Supreme Court Center

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The California Legislature’s assumptions in making
Penal Code section 803(g) apply retroactively are supported
by significant scientific literature. The majority of
victims of childhood sexual abuse in retrospective surveys
had never told anyone of the abuse during their childhood.
Summit, Abuse of the Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation
Syndrome, Child Abuse and Neglect 173, at 181 (1992).
Rates of non-disclosure run between 33 percent and 92
percent for women, and between 42 percent and 85 percent
for men, and these numbers may be conservative. Lyon,
Scientific Support for Expert Testimony on Child Sexual
Abuse Accommodation, in Conte, Critical Issues in Child
Sexual Abuse, at 114 (Sage Publications 2002). Delays in
reporting were most likely when the offender was related
to the child, when the abuse was more serious than fondling,
and when compliance was obtained through threat
or manipulation. Id. at 116. The most commonly reported
reason for non-disclosure by child molestation victims was
fear: fear of being harmed or punished, fear of harm to a
loved one, or fear of harm to the perpetrator. In addition,
many child abuse victims wanted to forget the abuse,
thought no one would believe them, feared negative
reactions from family members, and had feelings of guilt,
self-blame, stigmatization, and isolation. Id. at 117-20.
Most published studies indicate that a history of
sexual abuse is associated with subsequent psychological
dysfunction in adulthood. Briere & Runtz, Post Sexual
Abuse Trauma: Data and Implications for Clinical Practice,
2 Journal of Interpersonal Violence, at 367-79 (1987).
html; California Senate vote available at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/
95-96/bill/asm/ab_2001-2050/ab_2014_vote_960620_1044AM_sen_floor.html.