How Children and Young People Disclose That They Have Been Sexually Abused: Perspectives From Victims and Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse

Child sexual abuse is a pervasive social and public health concern with high social and economic costs. Children and young people who experience this form of abuse are in danger of serious, ongoing impacts on their development, functioning and overall life trajectory as a result of the lasting influence of complex trauma. The recent research, drawing from young adult self-reports, has found that more than one in three girls and almost one in five boys have experienced child sexual abuse. These alarming figures are not, however, matched by official data reporting rates of substantiated child sexual abuse cases. It is possible that a sizeable proportion of children who have experienced sexual abuse may not be coming to the attention of authorities and, consequently, may not have their needs being met in a timely way, including their need for safety. A question about the disclosure of child sexual abuse emerges, specifically whether, how and to whom children can tell about what has happened or is happening to them. This paper reports on a study focussing on the disclosure of child sexual abuse, based on in-depth individual interviews with 51 adult victim survivors of child sexual abuse. Findings revealed that most interview participants disclosed a multitude of times before being heard and having their disclosures acted upon. Some were never heard. A thematic inductive analysis is presented and discussed, and recommendations are made for policy and practice reform.