U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Child Abuse: Betrayal and Disclosure

NCJ Number
227340
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2009 Pages: 209-217
Author(s)
Melissa Ming Foynes; Jennifer J. Freyd; Anne P. DePrince
Date Published
April 2009
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This study examined disclosure of childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse.
Abstract
Results demonstrated a significant association between closeness of the perpetrator and delayed disclosure of emotional abuse (EA) and physical abuse (PA) that could not be explained by other characteristics of abusive experiences; this is consistent with predictions based on Betrayal Trauma Theory. Survivors of abuse characterized by very close (VC ) victim-perpetrator relationships were significantly more likely to delay disclosure for 1 or more years, or never to disclose, than survivors of abuse characterized by non-VC victim-perpetrator relationships. Disclosure is required for many types of support provision; identifying factors that facilitate and hinder disclosure of abuse characterized by VC victim-perpetrator relationships, may inform the development of effective ways of encouraging timely disclosure. Data were collected from 202 undergraduates using a survey methodology. Table, figures, and references