The disclosure process of children reported for having committed atypical sexual behaviors

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

Early intervention with children who committed serious and reprehensible acts is essential for maximizing the child’s development. Based on a sample of 100 children who were the subject of a children’s protection report for having committed atypical sexual behaviors, the current study aims to deepen our knowledge about the disclosure process of children’s wrongdoing in order to provide a richer understanding of the underlying motives of such behaviors. More specifically, the objectives of the study is to identify the different contexts in which a child confess or deny his/her behavior(s) as well as the individual and situational factors influencing their disclosure process. This knowledge is essential for practitioners in order to better understand what happened and how the children actually see and explain their behaviors, as well as better respond to the children’s issues. Results suggest different patterns of disclosure in which the role of the first person confronting the child about the behaviors committed, as well as the parents’ reaction, has a great influence on the child’s level of disclosure. Our findings point to the importance of comprehensive and specialized knowledge of this process in order to better inform practitioners who have to intervene quickly in those situations.

Authors

• Andreanne Bergeron, Université de Montréal

• Nadine Deslauriers-Varin, Université Laval

• Patrick Lussier, Université Laval