Sexual abuse is the most under-reported of all forms of abuse and the most difficult to ‘detect’ (compared to child neglect and domestic violence or physical abuse which show signs that can be identified by those around the child and family).

Studies show that 33% of adults never disclose the sexual abuse they suffered as a child.

Factors influencing disclosure of abuse:

We will use Collin – Vezina’s Model (2015) in understanding how the decision to disclose abuse is made:

1. At the intra-personal level the following factors may act: internalization of responsibility (feelings of guilt, shame, accountability, fear of disappointing others and the feeling of being defective or broken, of being something wrong with oneself); self-protective mechanisms (minimization of abuse, loss of trust in others, repressed memories); insufficient psychological development (insufficient understanding of sexual issues, confusion about the abusive situation, lack of means to disclose);
2. At the relational level: violence and dysfunction in the family (the child’s sense of not being safe, fear of repercussions, protecting others and self-sacrifice); power dynamics (manipulation, threats, silence, multiple aspects of the relationship with the abuser); awareness of consequences (changes in the way he/she is perceived by others, fear of consequences, avoidance of authorities); a fragile social system (people to whom the abuse may be disclosed or who can support the child);
3. At the socio-cultural level: social stigma (fear of being judged as homosexual, mentally disturbed, promiscuous); taboos related to sexuality (lack of knowledge); lack of social information or access to services; the specific period in which the child lives, cultural and historical.

The disclosure process unfolds consciously and planned and we can witness three dynamics:

1. Active withholding of information (the child does not want to be told, denies when asked, or if told, forces the person to keep the secret);
2. “Pot under pressure” (the child is ambivalent and feels distress – the cost of keeping the secret, or discloses the abuse unintentionally);
3. Intentional disclosure (the child discloses to a person they trust)

For school-age and older children, the factors influencing disclosure are: relationship with the abuser (unknown or from family or close environment); sense of responsibility (of having accepted the abuse and having taken part in it with their consent); fear of consequences for themselves and those close to them.

In terms of withdrawing allegations after an initial disclosure of abuse has been made, research shows that children are more likely to withdraw their allegations if: the abuser is a family member, the child is under the age of ten, the non-abusing parent has little or no support for the child’s allegations and is reluctant to believe the child, the child is guilt-tripped or threatened about maintaining allegations of abuse, the child or the child’s caregivers maintain contact with the abuser.

Source: Conducting Interviews with Child Victims of Abuse and Witnesses of Crime. A practical guide, Mireille Cyr, Ed. Routledge

Article written by: Patricia Aramă, clinical psychologist