They said I was too young and a liar": Caregiver disbelief as a barrier to children's disclosure of sexual abuse

• In Event: Examining the Situational Factors and Consequences of Child Abuse and Maltreatment

Abstract

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive and complex social problem. It is vital to understand the barriers that affect a child's decision to disclose abuse to improve investigative procedures, subsequent treatment, and judicial outcomes. CSA victims often report reluctance to disclose abuse because they fear not being believed. Furthermore, when trusted adults do not believe children who disclose, they fail to take action to prevent future abuse or to mitigate the consequences of past abuse, such as through physical and mental-health treatment. The current study seeks to examine the effect of disbelief by caregivers and trusted adults on a child's decision to disclose abuse among a sample drawn from forensic interviews of suspected CSA victims who sought treatment at a large, Midwestern child advocacy center from 2013 to 2015 (N=80). Content analysis of forensic interview narratives illustrate themes of disbelief and fear of disbelief in victims' disclosures of abuse. Identified themes are compared across age, gender, the victim's relationship to the perpetrator, and the victimization experienced. Directions for future research and prevention policy is discussed.

Authors

• Nicole Lasky, Northeastern State University

• Michelle L. Wojcik, University of Cincinnati

• Bonnie Fisher, University of Cincinnati

• Amy Cassedy, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

• Emily Eismann, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children

• Robert Shapiro, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children

• Heidi Malott, Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children