Recantation of Sexual Abuse Disclosure Among Child Victims: Accommodation Syndrome

"Our family sleeps deeply": The Presence of Others During Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse as Conveyed By Girls From Diverse Communities in Israel

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is generally perceived as a crime perpetrated out of sight, without witnesses. Nevertheless, several researchers have explored the presence of others during incidents of abuse in regards to two main aspects: bystanders in extrafamilial CSA and bystanders' decisions whether or not to get involved. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding how children who experience abuse perceive and experience the presence of others during abusive incidents. The current study was designed to examine the experiences and perceptions of girls who experienced intrafamilial CSA (IFCSA) with respect to the presence of others, as conveyed during their forensic interviews. A thematic analysis of 24 forensic interviews was conducted with secular Jewish, ultra-Orthodox Jewish, and Muslim Arab girls, aged 4-14. The analysis identified four main themes: (a) the girls' perceptions of others' awareness of them being abused, (b) the girl's experiences of loneliness, (c) the girls' experiences of disclosing to the others present during the abuse, and (d) family dynamics. The discussion highlights the unique, multifaceted and elusive dynamics of IFCSA, calling into question the commonly held view that it happens only in secret. The girls' narratives highlighted their distress and pointed to the abusive and unbearable daily routine in which they live. In spotlighting their encounters with IFCSA, the girls focused on the feelings of guilt, shame, and isolation they experienced.

What Messages Are Communicated to Children in Maltreatment Prevention Programs? Conclusions of a Scoping Review

There is a worldwide consensus that the prevention of child maltreatment (CM) is critical in promoting children's safety. Furthermore, a significant part of the prevention efforts targets the children themselves. This scoping review aimed to map the characteristics of CM prevention programs that targeted children by examining studies that described the relevant implemented programs, published in peer-reviewed journals over the last decade. Thirty-one relevant manuscripts were identified from the online databases. The analysis, guided by scoping review guidelines, examined these programs in terms of content, context of delivery, and practitioners involved. A thematic analysis identified the key messages conveyed to the children. The findings showed that the vast majority of programs are school-based and focused on preventing child sexual abuse (CSA) with considerably less attention given to other forms of maltreatment. In addition, most programs did not promote active parental participation. The content descriptions of the CSA prevention programs revealed several common key messages that focused on children's individual safety skills, specifically recognition, refusal strategies, and disclosure. The discussion addresses the concepts of blame and guilt as crucial to rethinking the CM prevention messages conveyed to children. Key conclusions that were drawn from the current scoping review highlight the need to better align prevention efforts and recent CM research. Additionally, ceiling effects in several studies indicated that children's participation, as information sources and partners in program development, should be promoted, so that prevention efforts will meet their needs within their various relevant life contexts.

The social response to child sexual abuse: Examining parents, perpetrators, professionals and media responses as described in survivors' testimonies to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry

BACKGROUND

CSA is an extremely adverse experience, and its prompt and early disclosure is vital. Whether the effects of disclosure are positive or negative depends largely on the recipients' reactions to the disclosure. Early disclosure of abuse could help end the abuse, prevent repeated victimization, protect other children, enable psychological interventions, and make it possible to hold the perpetrator(s) accountable.

OBJECTIVE

Spotlighting the societal responsibility regarding CSA, the current study was designed to examine how adult survivors of CSA perceived and experienced various actors' responses to the CSA, as well as the impact of these responses on their lives.

METHODS

Qualitative inductive thematic analysis was carried out on 35 written narratives of adult survivors of CSA submitted to the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry into CSA.

RESULTS

The results pointed to several actors responding to CSA, and delved into the perceived responses of the parents, preparators, professionals and media.

CONCLUSION

The discussion emphasizes the crucial role of social responses to CSA, while addressing the various actors and their dynamics. The journey to justice through the inquiry process is being challenged throughout the social discourse highlighted in the current study. There is an urgent need to provide public platforms for survivors to share their testimonies to mitigate the stigmatization of CSA, which will hopefully promote more just societies.

"It was Really Hard for Me to Tell": The Gap between the Child's Difficulty in Disclosing Sexual Abuse, and their Perception of the Disclosure Recipient's Response

Disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is essential to its mitigation and the protection of children. Previous studies have greatly contributed to the understanding of disclosure rates both in childhood and adulthood, in addition to delayed disclosure and disclosure barriers. In acknowledging the relevancy of the ecological framework, researchers have illustrated how the various systems in the children's lives have a role in their decision to disclose the abuse. The current study was designed to delve into the disclosure stories shared by children during their forensic interviews. Fifty children, 30 girls and 20 boys, from diverse communities in the Jewish society in Israel (15 secular, 15 Orthodox and 20 ultra-Orthodox) were forensically interviewed for the first time following CSA. Thematic analysis was carried out on their narratives, focusing on two main themes. The first was the children's descriptions of their difficulties to disclose, which were embedded in their own perceptions and experiences, their fear of the disclosure recipient's response, and their dynamic with the perpetrator. The second theme provided a glance into the children's descriptions of the disclosure recipients' responses, which highlighted the children's central experience of loneliness in the context of the abuse. Theoretical and practical ramifications pertaining to these crucial gaps will be discussed. In addition, specific religious-cultural elements raised in relation to the disclosure will be highlighted. Limitations of the study as well as further recommendations and implications will be introduced.

"The most shocking thing was that I didn't respond to the abuse": The peritraumatic responses and transitions as conveyed by survivors of continuous child sexual abuse

BACKGROUND

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a worldwide phenomenon with ongoing and far-reaching consequences for millions of children worldwide. It is a consensus among researchers that continuous CSA represents a unique challenge.

OBJECTIVE

The current study aimed to explore the peritraumatic responses of survivors of continuous CSA as described in their written narratives of abuse. The transitions between the peritraumatic responses will also be examined, highlighting the unique context of continuous CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Written narratives of CSA were recruited via an advertisement in the media inviting CSA survivors to share their stories of abuse on an anonymous online platform. The data collection was carried out under the Israeli Independent Public Inquiry on CSA.

METHODS

A qualitative thematic analysis was applied to 32 richly written accounts of abuse.

RESULTS

Three peritraumatic responses were identified: the adaptive response, hinting, and attempts to fight and flight. Transitions between these responses were described by the survivors and addressed the heavy load of the abuse, realization of the abuse, fear of consequences and the central role of the survivor's environment.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides a unique platform for the exploration of peritraumatic responses in continuous CSA. Alongside the identification of three peritraumatic responses described by the survivors, the current study provides an initial glance into transitions between peritraumatic responses. This insight strengthens the developing notion that peritraumatic responses in the unique context of CSA are a top-down process, often shaped by various contexts and multidimensional dynamics in the children's lives.

"And I Let It All Out": Survivors' Sibling Sexual Abuse Disclosures

There is consensus in child sexual abuse (CSA) literature with respect to the central role of the disclosure process. However, CSA disclosure is challenging for all children, those who have experienced intrafamilial abuse. In recent years, there has been growing research into sibling sexual abuse (SSA), which is a prevalent and severe, but also the least studied form of intrafamilial CSA. This study was designed to advance theory on SSA disclosure by examining the narratives of adults who have disclosed the abuse and discuss it with reference to the perceived role of disclosure recipients-including perpetrating siblings, parents, and professionals. In-depth interviews with 25 adults were conducted and analyzed thematically. The results highlighted the significance of disclosure for survivors, as well as the central roles played by significant others in the process, including the offending and nonoffending siblings, parents, and professionals. The discussion addresses the important role of the family system in the disclosure narratives. The conclusions point to the need of all actors taking part in the disclosure itself, as well as in the survivors' lives postdisclosure, to become "better" disclosure recipients by acknowledging survivors' needs. This in turn would also empower survivors to disclose their stories and cope with the potential familial and societal ramifications of their disclosure.

How does COVID-19 impact intrafamilial child sexual abuse? Comparison analysis of reports by practitioners in Israel and the US

BACKGROUND

There is consensus in child sexual abuse (CSA) literature that intrafamilial child sexual abuse (IFCSA) has a tremendous impact on children and families while simultaneously creating challenges for practitioners. COVID-19 impacted countries worldwide and generated a global crisis resulting in impacts on daily life, however, it's effect on IFCSA is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare professional perspectives and experiences working with IFCSA with respect to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic within the United States and Israel.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Participants were therapeutic, child welfare and legal professionals, who provided services to children involved in IFCSA.

METHODS

This qualitative cross-cultural comparative study analyzes professional experiences of IFCSA during COVID-19 based on an open-ended questionnaire answered online, with 37 responses from the US and 23 responses from Israel.

RESULTS

Findings reveal mostly negative changes in the dynamics of IFCSA families during COVID-19, including financial, environmental, and emotional hardships, as well as some positive changes in the relationships among family members. In terms of professional interventions, concerns were raised that COVID-19 has been detrimental to the disclosure of IFCSA, with plummeting child abuse reports. Further, risk and benefits of transferring to internet based or telephonic therapeutic interventions were shared.

CONCLUSIONS

Governmental and community efforts are needed to develop a safety net of protective factors to reduce IFCSA risks and increase resiliency during the COVID-19 pandemic and future global crises. Moreover, enhanced strategies to accessing and supporting families remotely such as using technology could improve identification and response to IFCSA.

Predictors of recantation after child sexual abuse disclosure among a Brazilian sample

BACKGROUND

Recantation after child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosure refers to the complete denial of prior reports by a victim. In substantiated cases of CSA, recantation has negative effects on criminal proceedings and the protection of current and future victims. Past studies have identified the socio-family factors and CSA characteristics that are associated with recantation. However, the systematization of these risk factors remains limited.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the predictors of recantation using a sample of criminal cases of CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

The sample consisted of 108 criminal cases of CSA with (n = 46) and without recantation (n = 62). All the cases had been judged in a Brazilian court of law between 2010 and 2016.

RESULTS

The final logistic regression model consisted of the following five significant predictors of recantation: a lack of support from the caregiver (odds ratio [OR] = 15.90, p < .001), disclosure to a single individual (OR = 13.75, p = .001), parental offending (OR = 12.44, p = .001), a long time interval (i.e., >one week) between disclosure and the reporting of the abuse to the authorities (OR = 8.64, p = .003), and a higher number of formal interviews (OR = 1.50, p = .052).

CONCLUSIONS

The present findings underscore not only the effects of socio-family factors and the number of interviews on recantation but also the importance of examining the contexts within which previous disclosures of CSA have been made to the assessment of the risk of recantation.

"Thanks for Telling Me": The Impact of Disclosing Sex Secrets on Romantic Relationships

This research investigated the relationship consequences of disclosing sexual secrets to a romantic partner. Analyses of data from a 39-item Internet questionnaire completed by 195 undergraduate students showed that revealing sex secrets to a romantic partner was associated with either neutral or positive relationship outcomes. Disclosure of sexual secrets almost never (< 5%) resulted in relationship dissolution and over a third of the sample reported that they appreciated the honest disclosure. In addition, keeping sex secrets was related to lower relationship satisfaction such that each additional sex secret being kept from a romantic partner was associated with a one-half point loss of satisfaction (on a 5-point relationship satisfaction scale). This decrease persisted when controlling for sex and race. Mediation analyses found support for the notion that the type of romantic relationship an individual is in explains part of the association between keeping secrets and relationship satisfaction. Implications and future research considerations are suggested.