Nonsupportive disclosure in child sexual abuse: confidants' characteristics and reactions.
In a sample of 856 South African child victims of sexual abuse (M age= 10.2 yr., SD=4.2), 26% experienced nonsupportive reactions at initial disclosure, with nonsupportive reactions taking two forms, ignoring the child (16% of cases) and punishing or silencing the child (10% of cases). Nonsupportive disclosure was equally likely when the confidant was a nonoffending guardian (OR= 1.00), another family member (OR= 0.84), or a professional person (OR= 1.07) but significantly more likely in cases where the confidant was a community member (OR=3.41).
School of Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard College Campus, Durban 4041, Republic of South Africa. collings@ukzn.ac.za
Steven J
SJ
Collings
D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003219:Confidentiality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014342:Truth Disclosure