The Psychological Impact of Withholding Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse

Sinclair, Barbara B.; Gold, Steven R.

doi:10.1891/0886-6708.12.2.137

Cited by 35 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 0 publications

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“…Testa et al (1992), with 231 women recruited from multiple settings, found that disclosers and nondisclosers did not differ with respect to outcomes associated with PTSD, self-esteem, and global functioning. Similarly, Sinclair and Gold (1997) found no differences between disclosers and nondisclosers in severity of trauma-related anxiety and distress with a sample of 204 female college students.…”

Section: Disclosers Versus Nondisclosersmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…To date, most studies with adult samples had failed to reveal a link between patterns of CSA disclosure and later psychological functioning among victims (e.g., Finkelhor, 1979;Sinclair & Gold, 1997;Testa et al, 1992). Arata (1998) documented the only clear exception to this pattern of findings, as short-delay disclosers in her college student sample reported fewer symptoms of PTSD-related intrusion and avoidance than a comparison group composed of longdelay disclosers and nondisclosers.…”

Section: Short-delay Disclosers Long-delay Disclosers and Nondisclomentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Is Disclosure of Childhood Rape Associated with Mental Health Outcome? Results from the National Women’s Study

Ruggiero¹,

Smith²,

Hanson³

et al. 2004

Child Maltreat

123

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Clinicians often assert that disclosure of childhood rape is beneficial to victims because it sets the occasion for protective action and can bring them into contact with professionals trained to address rape-related mental health needs. Consistent with this is the hypothesis that victims of childhood rape who disclose their victimization soon after it occurs are at lower risk for later psychosocial difficulties relative to those who delay disclosure or never disclose. We explored this issue with a nationally representative sample of 3,220 adult women; 288 (8.9%) endorsed at least one instance of forcible sexual penetration prior to age 18. Results revealed a significantly higher past-year prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive episodes among women who waited longer than 1 month to disclose their rape relative to nondisclosers and women who disclosed within 1 month of the rape. Delayed disclosure remained associated with PTSD after controlling for demographic and rape characteristics. Patterns of disclosure were not associated with past-year substance-use problems.

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Section: Disclosers Versus Nondisclosersmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Short-delay Disclosers Long-delay Disclosers and Nondisclomentioning

confidence: 99%

Is Disclosure of Childhood Rape Associated with Mental Health Outcome? Results from the National Women’s Study

Ruggiero¹,

Smith²,

Hanson³

et al. 2004

Child Maltreat

123

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Most studies specifically examining disclosure of CSA do not find differences in psychological functioning between disclosers and nondisclosers for either children or adults (e.g., Nagel, Putnam, Noll, & Trickett, 1997;Sinclair & Gold, 1997;Testa, Miller, Downs, & Panek, 1992; for a brief review, see Ruggiero et al, 2004). Others have found disclosure to be associated with greater anxiety and difficulty with coping (Elliott & Briere, 1994;Tufts New England Medical Center, 1984).…”

Section: Journal Of Psychological Traumamentioning

confidence: 99%

What Do We Know About Gender in the Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse?

Tang

Freyd

Wang

2008

Journal of Psychological Trauma

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Child sexual abuse (CSA) is usually concealed by shame and secrecy, and it is often not disclosed for long periods or is not disclosed at all. Lack of disclosure has profound implications for prevention, treatment, and science. Gender is often assumed to be a factor in disclosure rates. Although empirical investigations of the role of gender in the disclosure of CSA have increased in psychological research in the past decade findings are often contradictory, and support for common beliefs such as males being more reluctant to disclose than females may not be as strong as assumed. Therefore, in this article we ask the question, "What do we know about gender in the disclosure of child sexual abuse?" We evaluate the degree of validity of reported rates of CSA by examining the methods used to gather epidemiological evidence for CSA. We also provide a critique of two methods commonly used in the study of CSA: prospective and retrospective studies. We conclude by identifying areas to address in future studies concerning gender and CSA.

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“…However, delayed discussion of childhood sexual coercion was not significantly related to problematic alcohol and/or drug use in the last year. Discussing experiences of sexual coercion is not necessarily linked to better health/behavior outcomes (Sinclair & Gold, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Sexual Coercion on Psychological, Physical, and Sexual Well-Being in a Representative Sample of Australian Women

et al. 2006

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It is well established that, compared to other women, women who have been forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity have poorer psychological, physical, and sexual health. However, it is not clear whether particular experiences of sexual coercion, such as younger age when coerced or number of times coerced, are more likely to lead to poorer health status. This study of a representative sample of Australian women aged 16-59 years was designed to examine such associations. Of the 9134 women recruited for the study, 885 (21%) had been sexually coerced, which was defined as being forced or frightened into unwanted sexual activity. This study showed that any experience of sexual coercion was associated with poorer psychological, physical, and sexual health. The data revealed no consistent associations between health status and particular characteristics of sexual coercion, such as the age when women were coerced, the number of times they had been coerced, or the time since being coerced. Two of the few significant findings were that women who had been coerced more than once reported significantly greater psychosocial distress, and that women first coerced when aged 13-16 reported poorer physical well-being than women first coerced at younger or older ages. There was no significant association between whether women had consulted a psychologist or other professional counselor and better health status. The absence of consistent associations between health status and particular characteristics of sexual coercion indicates a need for care and support services for all women who have been sexually coerced.

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The Psychological Impact of Withholding Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse

Cited by 35 publications

References 0 publications

Is Disclosure of Childhood Rape Associated with Mental Health Outcome? Results from the National Women’s Study

Is Disclosure of Childhood Rape Associated with Mental Health Outcome? Results from the National Women’s Study

What Do We Know About Gender in the Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse?

The Impact of Sexual Coercion on Psychological, Physical, and Sexual Well-Being in a Representative Sample of Australian Women

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