Subjects were 100 males on an inpatient substance abuse treatment unit at a midwestern Veterans Administration Medical Center. Sixty-four were alcohol abusers, 33 were polysubstance abusers, and three were diagnosed with cocaine abuse. Sixty-two had no current Axis I psychiatric condition. The subjects completed a standard test battery that included the Trauma Symptom Checklist and the Dissociative Experiences Scale. Clinical information that pertained to history of childhood abuse was obtained from the subjects' medical charts. Results show that 34 percent of the sample reported a history of childhood abuse. Although this group did have higher mean scores on all the scales compared to the nonabused group, there was no statistical significance. There was no apparent relationship between abuse history and level of education, IQ, race, drug of choice, or psychiatric comorbidity. Thus, a tentative conclusion is that substance abusers with histories of childhood abuse are heterogeneous with regard to many demographic and clinical variables. Study limitations are discussed, and the researchers suggest that further study in this area is warranted. 1 table and 16 references