Sexual Abuse Disclosures

Most sexual abuse disclosures are delayed. And of those children and youth who do disclose, between 8% and 22% recant true allegations of sexual abuse (Elliot & Briere, 1994¹; Sorenson & Snow, 1991²).

FACT:  Elliot and Briere (1994³) found that 75% of children did not disclose within a year of the first incident, and 18% waited more than five years.

FACT:  Sorenson and Snow (1991⁴) found that almost three-quarters of children studied did not reveal abuse when first questioned.

Adolescence is a time for developing independence. During this time, secrets are often revealed. But first-time sexual abuse disclosures may sound unconvincing; they are often riddled with anxieties and inconsistencies. The coping skills that helped them survive are the very things that now alter their memory and perceptions. Add to that, other destructive and delinquent behaviours that child sexual abuse victims may display, it translates into adults invalidating the disclosure.

Adolescents who disclose may be wracked with guilt, fear, confusion, and anxiety. If adults invalidate the youth's disclosure, the anxiety is intensified. And even if adults do believe, often the threats the offender made to the child in order to keep the secret actually come true: the family splits apart or is divided; the offender is removed from the home (when the perpetrator is a family member), thereby splitting the family further; the youth's world begins to fall apart. If there are no supports and effective intervention of the sexual abuse, adolescents will retract sexual abuse disclosures.

According to Summit (1983⁵): The lie "confirms adult expectations that children cannot be trusted. It restores the precarious equilibrium of the family. The children learn not to complain. The adults learn not to listen" (p.188).

Sexual abuse steals childhood away from children and youth. Regardless of whether the child/youth is male, female, able-bodied or disabled in some way, sexual abuse destroys the child's self-esteem and self-worth. They feel profound pain and experience overwhelming loss. The effects of sexual abuse clearly show that we pay dearly for this pain and loss, as sexually abused children run away, become addicted to drugs and alcohol, attempt suicide, and may go on to sexually abuse other children and youth.

As a society, we must set our biases aside. We owe it to our children and youth to believe and understand them when they disclose sexual abuse. And when we do receive sexual abuse disclosures from children, we need to the child or youth:

For more information, how to deal with disclosures has some excellent suggestions.

If you're a kid and you've been traumatized by abuse, check out never_ever_your_fault.htm The website is a refreshing approach to help you with self-esteem and accountability issues.

Sexual Abuse Victims pages on this site:

Sexual Abuse Victims	Male Victims
Female Victims	Victims with Disability
Sex Abuse Disclosures

Sexual Abuse pages on this site:

Sexual Abuse	Sexual Abuse Victims
Sexual Abuse Definition	Male Victims
Sexual Abuse Signs	Female Victims
Sexual Abuse Effects	Victims with Disability
Sexual Abuse Statistics	Sexual Abuse Disclosures

Child abuse information pages on this site:

Abuse Headlines	History of Abuse
Sexual Abuse Signs	Child Abuse Stats
Sexual Abuse Effects	Emotional Abuse
Sexual Abuse Stats	Emotional Abuse Types
Sexual Abuse Victims	Emotional Abuse Signs
Male Victims	Emotional Abuse Effects
Female Victims	Bullying
Victims w/ Disability	Emotional Abuse Stats
Sex Abuse Disclosures	Physical Abuse
Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Signs
Male Sex Offenders	Abuse & Discipline
Female Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Effects
Child Sex Offenders	Physical Abuse Stats
Adolescent Sex Offenders	Child Neglect
Incestuous Sex Offenders	Child Neglect Signs
Internet Sex Offenders	Child Neglect Effects
Child Abuse Law	Child Neglect Stats
Age of Majority	Poverty & Neglect
Duty to Report	Sexual Abuse
Abuse Intervention	Sexual Abuse Defined
Abuse Prevention

Sexual Abuse Disclosures

1 Elliot, D. & Briere, J. (1994). Forensic sexual abuse evaluations: Disclosures and symptomatology. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 12, 261-277.

2 Sorenson, T. & Snow, B. (1991) How children tell: The process of disclosure in child sexual abuse. Child Welfare League of America, 70, 3-15.

3 Elliot, D. & Briere, J. (1994). Forensic sexual abuse evaluations: Disclosures and symptomatology. Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 12, 261-277.

4 Sorenson, T. & Snow, B. (1991) How children tell: The process of disclosure in child sexual abuse. Child Welfare League of America, 70, 3-15.

5 Summit, R. (1983) The child sexual abuse accommodation syndrome. Child Abuse and Neglect, 7 (2), 177-193.

Last revised August 8, 2007