Among victims of sexual abuse, the inability to trust is pronounced, which also contributes to secrecy and non-disclosure.

  Children often fail to report because of the fear that disclosure will bring consequences even worse than being victimized again. The victim may fear consequences from the family, feel guilty for consequences to the perpetrator, and may fear subsequent retaliatory actions from the perpetrator.

  Victims may be embarrassed or reluctant to answer questions about the sexual activity.

 

  Victims may also have a feeling that "something is wrong with me," and that the abuse is their fault.

  In addition to "sexual guilt," there are several other types of guilt associated with the abuse, which include feeling different from peers, harboring vengeful and angry feelings toward both parents, feeling responsible for the abuse, feeling guilty about reporting the abuse, and bringing disloyalty and disruption to the family . Any of these feelings of guilt could outweigh the decision of the victim to report, the result of which is the secret may remain intact and undisclosed.

  A child's initial denial of sexual abuse should not be the sole basis of reassurance that abuse did not occur. Virtually all investigative protocols are designed to respond to only those children who have disclosed. Policies and procedures that are geared only to those children who have disclosed fail to recognize the needs of the majority of victims.

  Young victims may not recognize their victimization as sexual abuse.

  There is the clinical assumption that children who feel compelled to keep sexual abuse a secret suffer greater psychic distress than victims who disclose the secret and receive assistance and support.

  Early identification of sexual abuse victims appears to be crucial to the reduction of suffering of abused youth and to the establishment of support systems for assistance in pursuing appropriate psychological development and healthier adult functioning . As long as disclosure continues to be a problem for young victims, then fear, suffering, and psychological distress will, like the secret, remain with the victim.
                         SO...JUST SPEAK!!!   BE THE VOICE OF ACTION!

 

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Sorensen, T., Snow, B. (1991). How children tell: The process of disclosure in child sexual abuse. Child Welfare League of America, 70, 3-15.

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Whitlock, K. & Gillman, R. (1989). Sexuality: a neglected component of child sexual abuse education and training. Child Welfare, 68, 317-29.