Evidence-based recommendations for partners and friends of adult survivors of child sexual abuse

Abstract

Background

Adult disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) is often addressed to partners and friends. The risk of negative reactions is high due to the stigma associated with CSA, however receiving social support is a protective factor. Therefore, educating the environment on how to face disclosure becomes crucial. Most education recommendations are focused on young victims, and the few addressed to adults are not evidence-based.

Objective

Our aim was to develop an evidence-based guide of action for adult CSA survivors' relatives.

Methods

First, we conducted a survey with individuals who had never received a disclosure to identify their concers if they recived a testimony of sexual abuse in their environment. The participants here were individuals who had never received a disclosure (N=9, 66.7% female; mean age: 39, SD: 17.63). Next, we elaborated a semi-structured interview based on these concerns to request recommendations from survivors on how to approach them during disclosure plus including questions about how their own disclosure flowed and which emotional needs they had. Finally, we conducted in-depth interviews with CSA survivors, collected their answers and performed a content-based analysis. The participants here were 12 CSA survivors (91.67%, female; mean age: 37.58, SD: 12.42).

Results

In general, disclosure appears to benefit from respecting five principles: (1) respecting survivors' timelines, including not reporting to the police until they feel ready for it (if adults, in case of children immediate report must be done instead); (2) letting them have control over the recipients of their victimization; (3) not associating their victimization with their identity; (4) asking them about their emotional experience rather than about the criminal act and (5) empathizing with each individual's need for forgiveness in three dimensions: themselves (self-blaming), the environment (lack of protection) and the abuser (aggression).