“A burden in your heart”: Lessons of disclosure from female preadolescent and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse

The Disclosure Experiences of Male Child Sexual Abuse Survivors

“…The authors noted that despite telling someone about the abuse, 15 victims who disclosed as children continued to be abused afterwards. Parental reaction was found to be critical to the outcome when children disclosed, as Staller, and Nelson-Gardell (2005) noted that "disclosure is not a one-way process. Children receive, process, evaluate, and react to information based on how adults respond to them" (p. 1423).…”

“…! family breakdown (Alaggia, 2004;Staller, & Nelson-Gardell, 2005); this was especially true when the abuser was a family member (Yancey, & Hansen, 2010).…”

“…Staller and Nelson-Gardell (2005) explained that when survivors meet new people they must make the conscious decision to tell or not to tell: "it means they must continue to make 'first disclosure' decisions with every new relationship. They will have to face continually the decision who to include in the circle of those who know and whom to exclude" (p. 1426).…”

“…McElvaney, et al (2012 similarly noted that disclosing CSA should be seen on a continuum: "the process may continue in a "stop-start" fashion throughout the life span" (p. 1169). Staller, and Nelson-Gardell (2005) added that since disclosure it not a linear process it often comes out in incomplete slices throughout a victim's life; sometimes by accident, other times purposefully.…”

“…While disclosing can be essential for services to be made available to victims, it also catapults children into an adult world. When children decide to disclose, they enter into a complex world in which the person they disclosed to might have a wide variety of reactions, ranging from disbelief, support, anger, and sadness (Staller, & Nelson-Gardell, 2005). Ullman (2003) further noted that due to their young age, children who disclosed during their childhood were placed at greater risk due to their limited power and status within the family, making them more vulnerable to family reactions and denial.…”