The perils and possibilities in disclosing childhood sexual abuse to a romantic partner.
This study sought to understand the long-term effects of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in adulthood by interviewing seven women about their experiences of disclosing CSA to romantic partners. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, an in-depth, qualitative research approach, was used to analyze the transcripts. The analysis produced 10 themes that were grouped into three domains: (a) Struggling in Private about Disclosure: prior to disclosing, participants described concerns that arose in the context of their romantic relationships; (b) The Experience of Disclosing: participants described when and how they disclosed and the thoughts and feelings accompanying disclosure; and (c) The Aftereffects of Disclosure: after disclosing, participants described the impact it had on the self as well as on the relationship with their romantic partner.
Del Castillo
Darren
D
Department of Psychology, Psychology Building, Room 100G, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056, USA. delcasdm@muohio.edu
Wright
Margaret O'Dougherty
MO
D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D012649:Self Concept; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012747:Sexual Partners / Q000523:psychology*; D012917:Social Adjustment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult