Adult and Adolescent Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparative Analysis
Date
2022
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Journal of Interpersonal Violence
Abstract
The recent attention focused on child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure pathways
has highlighted complex psychological processes that influence disclosure
both for children and adults. Some authors have suggested that such processes
may differ between children and adults yet few studies have examined distinct
samples within the same study. This paper addresses this gap by exploring
adolescent (n = 20) and adult (n = 10) experiences of disclosure of childhood
sexual abuse. Interviews were conducted with both samples, using the same
interview schedule and a comparative analysis was conducted of the key
themes identified from a grounded theory analysis. Those themes that were
found to be common to both samples included pressure cooker effect, telling
would make it worse, and self-blame. Themes that were found to be more
prevalent in the adolescent sample included police/court involvement, concern for other children, being asked, and peer influence. It is suggested that
such potential differences reflect the changing social context over the past few
decades which is characterised by increased awareness of sexual abuse as a
crime and the risks of recidivism of offenders.
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Keywords
sexual abuse, adolescent victims, reporting, , disclosure
Citation
McGill, L., & McElvaney, R. (2022). Adult and Adolescent Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 08862605221088278.