A psychosocial understanding of child sexual abuse disclosure among girl children in South Africa

Child sexual abuse is endemic in South Africa, driven by high levels of gender based violence and underscored by structural and social factors. This paper aims to develop an understanding of the process of disclosure in a... [ view full abstract ]

Child sexual abuse is endemic in South Africa, driven by high levels of gender based violence and underscored by structural and social factors. This paper aims to develop an understanding of the process of disclosure in a sample of children and their caregivers.
Methods:
In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 31 children, aged 8 to 17 years and their caregivers at three intervals after presentation to a sexual assault treatment centre.
Findings:
Nearly half of the children failed to disclose the sexual abuse immediately, fearing caregiver reactions. Most children purposefully disclosed to a confidante through a process of identifying an intermediary to tell caregivers on their behalf. The process of disclosure was influenced by multiple factors such as; a fear of the caregiver’s reaction and disbelief all related to parental style. Disclosure was found to be a dynamic process that unfolds and not a single or static event, influenced by multiple factors which all impact on recovery.
Conclusion:
Our findings highlight the need to address social norms on sexual abuse, in order to improve responses to disclosure to facilitate post sexual abuse adjustment for the child and the family.