Journal of Family Issues

The aim of this research project was to explore how men and women con-structed a sense of self through narrative following an early sexual experi-ence with an adult. Using narrative inquiry methodology, 22 in-depth interviews were conducted in New South Wales, Australia, with 13 women and 9 men ages between 25 and 70. All participants had an early sexual expe-rience at the age of 15 or younger with someone 18 or older. Narrative analy-sis was used to examine the co-constructed stories that emerged. Participants told four evolving narratives about their experiences: narratives of silence, of ongoing suffering, of transformation, and of transcendence. The gender dif-ferences between these narratives have been examined in the light of the liter-ature relating to childhood sexual abuse, the victim and survivor discourses, and the social construction of gender