To Tell or Not to Tell: Current Functioning of Child Sexual abuse Survivors who Disclosed their Victimization

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of childhood disclosure on current mental health functioning of female survivors of child sexual abuse and to identify characteristics of abuse that were associated with disclosure. Two hundred and four women with a history of child sexual abuse completed questionnaires describing sexual victimization history, circumstances of childhood disclosures, and measures of current symptoms. Disclosure was not directly related to overall current functioning; however, disclosure was associated with fewer intrusive and avoidant symptoms. Disclosure tended to be less common with more severe levels of assault and when the assailant was related to the victim. The results suggest that disclosure may be beneficial in preventing the development of specific post-traumatic symptoms; however, disclosure was found to be least common for the types of assaults that produced the greatest psychological distress.