Many ways of telling: expanding conceptualizations of child sexual abuse disclosure
Abstract
Objective The aim of this study was to explore influences that inhibit or promote child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure. Method Face-to-face in-depth interviews of 24 female and male survivors of CSA were conducted, using the Long-Interview method to trace disclosure processes. Verbatim transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed by hand and by using a computerized data analysis system (N*Vivo). The results of this investigation identified several patterns of disclosure. Prolonged engagement, persistent observation, negative case analysis, and peer debriefing were among the techniques used to ensure the trustworthiness of data. Results Through analysis of the interview data, previously undefined dimensions of disclosure emerged. First, three frequently used categories of 'accidental, purposeful, and prompted/elicited' disclosure types accounted for 42% of disclosure patterns in the study sample. However, over half the disclosure patterns described by research participants did not fit these previously established definitions. Results of the study facilitated expanding conceptualization of additional disclosure patterns to include behavioral and indirect verbal attempts, disclosures intentionally withheld, and disclosures triggered by recovered memories. Conclusions The author concludes that these supplementary definitions integrate complex facets of disclosure derived within the context of human development, memory and environmental influences. This expanded conceptualization…
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Age, gender, and cultural sexual taboos can impede disclosure and keep survivors from sharing what happened.
“Finally, sociocultural barriers, which include age and gender as well as cultural norms and taboos regarding sexuality, may also have a negative effect on disclosure and prevent several victims from sharing their experience of abuse (Alaggia, 2004;Alaggia, 2005;Goodman-Brown, et al., 2003).”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Alaggia, 2004
A sense of safety helped victims tell about the abuse.
“She found that feeling safe was important for victims to disclose their abuse.”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Alaggia (2004)
Many survivors tell about child sexual abuse only much later, frequently during adulthood.
“Disclosing CSA much later in life, often in adulthood, is quite frequent for victims (Alaggia, 2004;Hunter, 2011).”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Alaggia, 2004
Feeling safe, believed, and emotionally comforted are critical to a positive disclosure experience.
“feeling safe was found to be critical when disclosing (Alaggia, 2004;Staller, & Nelson-Gardell, 2005), as well as being believed and comforted emotionally.”
From The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors (2016) · cites this paper as Alaggia, 2004
In Alaggia (2004), distortion and revision of events are also potential problems in recall.
“Distortion and revision of events are also potential problems in recall.”
From Facilitators and Barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Disclosures: A Research Update (2000–2016) (2019) · cites this paper as Alaggia (2004)
In Alaggia (2004), a high degree of trustworthiness of the data was achieved and quotes provided supported the categories.
“High degree of trustworthiness of the data was achieved and quotes provided supported the categories”
From Facilitators and Barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Disclosures: A Research Update (2000–2016) (2019) · cites this paper as Alaggia (2004)
Categories of indirect behavioral disclosure patterns have been further verified in follow-up research by Hunter (2011) and through an extensive file review using Alaggia's (2004) disclosure framework.
“Categories of indirect behavioral disclosure patterns have been further verified in follow-up research by Hunter (2011), and through an extensive file review that used Alaggia’s (2004) disclosure framework to analyze their data”
From Facilitators and Barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Disclosures: A Research Update (2000–2016) (2019) · cites this paper as Alaggia’s (2004)
Cites
Why children tell: a model of children’s disclosure of sexual abuse
Goodman-Brown, T. B., Edelstein, R. S., Goodman, G. S., Jones, D. P. H., & Gordon, D. S. (2003) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/s0145-2134(03)00037-1 · Cited by 560 · see citing works
Factors influencing children to self-disclose sexual abuse
Paine, M. L., & Hansen, D. J. (2002) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/s0272-7358(01)00091-5 · Cited by 502 · see citing works
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Facilitators and Barriers to Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) Disclosures: A Research Update (2000–2016)
Alaggia, R., Collin-Vézina, D., & Lateef, R. (2019) · Trauma, Violence, & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838017697312 · Cited by 532 · see citing works
“Knowledge gained in the intrapersonal domain includes expanded conceptualization of disclosure by building on previous categories of accidental, purposeful, and prompted disclosure to also include behavioral and indirect attempts to tell, intentionally withheld disclosure, and triggered and recovered memories (Alaggia…”
BackgroundSelf-citationCollin-Vézina, D., De La Sablonnière-Griffin, M., Palmer, A. M., & Milne, L. (2015) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.03.010 · Cited by 298 · see citing works
Disclosing the Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse: A Gender Analysis
Alaggia, R. (2005) · Journal of Loss and Trauma · doi:10.1080/15325020500193895 · Cited by 235 · see citing works
Self-citation"I keep that hush-hush": Male survivors of sexual abuse and the challenges of disclosure.
Sorsoli, L., Kia-Keating, M., & Grossman, F. K. (2008) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037/0022-0167.55.3.333 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors
Gagnier, C., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2016) · Journal of Child Sexual Abuse · doi:10.1080/10538712.2016.1124308 · Cited by 144 · see citing works
Reitsema, A. M., & Grietens, H. (2016) · Trauma, Violence, & Abuse · doi:10.1177/1524838015584368 · Cited by 129 · see citing works
Recipients of children’s and adolescents’ disclosures of childhood sexual abuse: A systematic review
Manay, N., & Collin-Vézina, D. (2021) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104192 · Cited by 100 · see citing works
Easton, S. D. (2019) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.04.005 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Okur, P., van der Knaap, L. M., & Bogaerts, S. (2020) · Journal of Interpersonal Violence · doi:10.1177/0886260517720732 · Cited by 40 · see citing works
Grandgenett, H. M., Pittenger, S. L., Dworkin, E. R., & Hansen, D. J. (2021) · Child Abuse & Neglect · doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2019.104193 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Children’s Disclosures of Child Sexual Abuse
Finkel, M. A. (2012) · Pediatric Annals · doi:10.3928/00904481-20121126-10 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Rau, T., Ohlert, J., Fegert, J. M., & Allroggen, M. (2016) · Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie · doi:10.13109/prkk.2016.65.9.638 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
- Authors
- Alaggia, R.
- Affiliations
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Alaggia, Ramona
- ORCID
- Alaggia, Ramona
- Venue
- Child Abuse & Neglect
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-11
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 11
- Pages
- 1213-1227
- ISSN
- 0145-2134 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2027748509
- Cited by
- 292
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 16 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 18 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 4.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child Abuse & Neglect (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Military, Security, and Education Studies
- Social Sciences › Gender Studies › Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies
- Keywords
- child sexual abuse, disclosure, disclosure patterns, survivor narratives, recovered memory, human development, trustworthiness, child victims, adult survivors, peer debriefing, peer observation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Child, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Surveys and Questionnaires, Disclosure
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