This thesis examines generally how a sample of male and female adults have endured, and still endure, the adversity of child sexual abuse suffered while they were orphans in Queensland, Australia from 1940 to 1960. As orphans,
they experienced physical, emotionaland sexual abuse, as well as neglect, during their childhood, and the adverse effects of this abuse substantially determined their life chances.
Specifically, this thesis examines how the sexual abuse affected their educational achievement, their educational development and their educational opportunities. There appears to be a scarcity of research data on the long term effects of sexual and other abuses, on the educational achievement, educational development and educational opportunity for children, at the time of the abuse, and then
later as adults.