“To say it out loud is to kill your own childhood.” – An exploration of the first person perspective of barriers to disclosing child sexual abuse

Halvorsen, Jorunn E.; Solberg, Ellen Tvedt; Stige, Signe Hjelen

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104999

Cited by 23 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Broadly, self-concept refers to the way individuals think about, evaluate, and perceive themselves ( Baumeister, 1999 ), and one of its core aspects is self-esteem. Self-concept is proposed to have a mediating role between CSA and its negative outcomes on psychological health, and the relationship between CSA and negative self-concept and self-esteem has been theoretically and empirically explored ( Kendall-Tackett et al, 1993 ; Stern et al, 1995 ; Turner et al, 2010 ; Cantón-Cortés et al, 2012 ; Lamoureux et al, 2012 ; Halvorsen et al, 2020 ). This study, in line with studies on offline CSA, showed that the abuse influenced the ways in which participants thought about and understood themselves, as well as how they thought others would perceive them.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

et al. 2020

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The aim of the present study was to gain a first-person perspective on the experiences of technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), and a deeper understanding of the way it may affect its victims. Seven young women (aged 17–24) with experience of TA-CSA before the age of 18 participated in individual in-depth interviews. The interviews were teller-focused with the aim of capturing the interviewee’s own story about how they made sense of their experiences over time, and what impact the victimization had on them in the short and long terms. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed a broad range of abusive experiences that had profoundly impacted the individuals’ lives, health and self-concepts. Three dominant themes emerged from the analysis – From thrilling to abusive, Negative effect on health and wellbeing, and A new self after the abuse. From thrilling to abusive captures the wide range of experiences described, starting from the child’s own sexual curiosity to descriptions of having been manipulated or threatened into engaging in sexual activity, as well as the sometimes long and complex process of understanding the severity of one’s experiences. Negative effect on health and wellbeing describes the victimization’s comprehensive impact on the life and health of the participants, how they blamed themselves for what had happened, and the struggle of having to live with the constant fear of pictures from the abuse resurfacing. A new self after the abuse depicts how the victimization impacted the way participants viewed and thought about themselves in relation to others, and distorted their views of their bodies. The findings are discussed in relation to previous research on both offline CSA and TA-CSA, as well as theoretical and practical implications.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

et al. 2020

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“…One of the most important findings in our interviews points to the important role adults play in early disclosure of CSA. Previous research has shed light on the number of barriers survivors of CSA face in the process of disclosure ( 20 , 23 , 25 , 41 ). Telling someone about CSA is therefore a complex and heavy process that can take years for many victims ( 4 , 5 , 37 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, increased information about the long-lasting effects of CSA can also become a barrier for disclosure because it creates a stigma around victims, and that keeping quiet is a way of maintaining control and avoiding a negative self-representation ( 41 ). In our findings also another dilemma was raised with a concern that an exaggerated focus on CSA may force children into an adult world and putting too much of the responsibility to prevent and disclose abuse on the children's shoulders.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One article explored the process leading survivors to understand that they had been sexually abused, with the main themes The ambiguity of memory: “To remember the catastrophic”; The language of the body: “Let the body speak ”; and Encountering an observant other: “The significance of being seen and recognized” ( 42 ). Another article explored survivors' experienced barriers in their process of disclosing sexual abuse, with the main themes Fear of reprisals; CSA stains – Negative implications for self-representation; and The complicating effect of ambiguity ( 41 ). In this article, we explore adult survivors of child sexual abuse's reflections and perspectives on what could facilitate early disclosure of CSA.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there has been made considerable efforts in the research community to develop improved methods of facilitating disclosure, this remains a highly complicated process. It has been underlined that spreading information and prevention programs can help in the process of facilitation, and also improve how we respond in a helpful way ( 8 , 20 , 37 ), but there are also findings suggesting that advanced focus can be a barrier to disclosure because it creates a stigma around victims, and that keeping quiet is a way of maintaining control and avoiding a negative self-representation ( 41 ). The aim of this article is therefore to add the perspectives of survivors of CSA, and what they believe can facilitate early disclosure, and that this might add insights to ongoing efforts to facilitate in the complex process of early disclosure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

What Do Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Believe Will Facilitate Early Disclosure of Sexual Abuse?

Solberg¹,

Halvorsen

Stige

2021

Front. Psychiatry

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The purpose of this study was to explore what adult survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) believe will facilitate early disclosure of sexual abuse. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 adult survivors of CSA aged 18–57 years, and analyzed the transcripts using reflexive thematic analysis. Our analysis resulted in three main themes: Adults making it possible to tell; Adults daring to consider the unthinkable; and Conveying knowledge of CSA that facilitates understanding. The findings highlighted the importance of adults facilitating disclosure and making it possible for survivors to tell about their experiences, but also the responsibility adults have to dare to consider the possibility of CSA when children struggle. Another important finding was the significance of enhancing the general population's understanding of the complexity of CSA, including why disclosure is difficult, so adults are given the tools needed to understand and know what to do when they suspect CSA. The findings also have important implications for the planning and implementation of interventions to facilitate early disclosure of CSA.

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Child sexual exploitation and abuse disclosure and help‐seeking: A glimpse of global South data

Kavenagh,

Maternowska

2024

Child Abuse Review

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Over decades, research practitioners have highlighted how survivors of sexual abuse in childhood face strong forms of stigma including victim‐blaming, shame and social isolation. However, the data and evidence are disproportionately slanted towards the global North. Shifting the focus to the global South, this reflective piece draws on two substantial multicountry research projects to highlight the expectations and experiences of young survivors of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA) in their quest for support. By applying a socio‐ecological analysis, it demonstrates how societal stigma—from both professionals and young people themselves—compounds the help‐seeking process. The findings support the well‐documented concept that disclosing sexual violence is an ongoing—not singular—process that depends on a series of interactions at the individual, interpersonal and institutional levels of the ecosystem. Building better trauma‐informed responses is likely to help; however, a focus only on services falls short, especially in countries where child protection systems struggle to thrive. A concurrent transformative shift in both social and gender norms across the ecosystem is essential to address the seemingly intractable challenges to child sexual exploitation and abuse prevention and response.

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“To say it out loud is to kill your own childhood.” – An exploration of the first person perspective of barriers to disclosing child sexual abuse

Cited by 23 publications

References 60 publications

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

“All of Me Is Completely Different”: Experiences and Consequences Among Victims of Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse

What Do Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse Believe Will Facilitate Early Disclosure of Sexual Abuse?

Child sexual exploitation and abuse disclosure and help‐seeking: A glimpse of global South data

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