Psychology, Department of
Date of this Version
June 2002
Abstract
Self-disclosure by victims of child sexual abuse (CSA) is critical to initiate legal and therapeutic intervention. Unfortunately, research indicates that lengthy delays in disclosure and even nondisclosure are common. A comprehensive review of the clinical and research literature on CSA and an overview of related bodies of literature was conducted. Areas addressed include the context of sexual abuse as it relates to disclosure, the context and elements of children’s disclosures, motivational factors inhibiting disclosure, and models of the disclosure process. Ancillary and analogue research on secrecy and disclosure are also reviewed. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Comments
Published in Clinical Psychology Review 22 (2002), pp. 271–295. Copyright © 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. Used by permission. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02727358