Victims of child sexual abuse: Understanding their need for justice

The Experiences and Perceptions of Sexually Abused Children as Participants in the Legal Process: Key Conclusions From a Scoping Literature Review

“…The final need described in the studies was the children’s need to be provided with support. Our review found that children’s need for support was related to whether or not a CSA would be disclosed (Collings, 2011; Peterson et al, 2019; Skinner & Taylor, 2009; Sumalla & Hernandez-Hidalgo, 2018). Feeling safe, listened to, believed and not judged were also described in Gagnier and Collin-Vézina’s (2016) study as encouraging disclosure, while finding a trusted and safe person to disclose to was perceived as necessary in the decision to disclose the abuse.…”

“…It has been found that perpetrators commonly employ methods that aim to minimize the abuse (Eisikovits et al, 2016) and to make the child feel as if the abusive acts are embedded in routine, almost as if nothing happened (Field & Katz, 2021). Therefore, it is not surprising that the children in these studies mentioned their wish that the court would validate their truth (Sumalla & Hernandez-Hidalgo, 2018)––that something did happen to them, that it was wrong and that it was not their fault. Acts negating this need were found to be so pervasive that in one of the reviewed articles, 100% of the children reported being accused of lying (Randell et al, 2018).…”

“…Due to the lack of faith the children experience from the system, they may, in turn, not trust the system. In Sumalla and Hernandez-Hidalgo’s (2018) study of adults who were sexually abused as children, the survivors who did not disclose to the police related it to a lack of trust in the system and fear of being doubted or judged. In another study, feeling anxious was also related to having a negative attitude towards the court (Block et al, 2010), which may enhance the lack of determination to disclose in the first place.…”

Restoring victims’ confidence: Victim-centred restorative practices

“…This belief that one is unable to avoid certain experiences is referred to as learned helplessness (Peterson et al, 1981). Sexual victimization during childhood is often characterized by feelings of injustice and betrayal, especially when the victimization is by a family member, and these feelings often undermine their self-esteem, entailing self-blame and dissociation (Tamarit Sumalla and Hernandez-Hidalgo, 2018). Research suggests that adversities, like victimization, may be critical to subsequent risk of victimization, not necessarily because of their lasting impact but because they can produce a series of disadvantages, which accumulate and put the individual at risk of revictimization (Mersky et al, 2018).…”

“…This may take the form of a criminal conviction of the offender or an acknowledgement by the offender of their responsibility. Victims’ demands for justice and accountability are not only about their need for safety and the prevention of revictimization but also about their need for esteem and recognition from their family and others (Tamarit Sumalla and Hernandez-Hidalgo, 2018).…”