Delayed disclosure and disrupted communication during forensic investigation of child sexual abuse: a study of 47 corroborated cases.
OBJECTIVE
To study factors of relevance for the understanding of disclosure of child sexual abuse.


METHODS
Cases from a Swedish district court involving 47 children in which allegations of child sexual abuse had been corroborated by a confession from the defendant were studied.


RESULTS
Delayed disclosure was related to a close relationship with the perpetrator and young age at the first experience of abuse. Disrupted communication during the police interview was related to less violent abuse.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings highlight the importance of social factors in children's disclosure of sexual abuse.
Sjöberg
R L
RL
Division of Psychosocial Factors and Health, Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Lindblad
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology; D030881:Disclosure; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors