Peer-reviewed article
A systematic review of factors associated with disclosure of child sexual abuse
Mahirah Abdul Latiff, Lue Fang, Deborah Amanda Goh, Li Jen Tan ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This systematic review examined 27 quantitative studies published between 2000 and 2022 to identify factors that either help or prevent children from disclosing child sexual abuse. The review identified 17 significant predictors of disclosure, including facilitators such as older age, being female, and having supportive non-offending caregivers, and barriers such as intellectual disability, family violence, and adherence to traditional values. The findings show that the relationship between these factors and disclosure is complex and varies depending on social and ecological context. The review aims to help professionals working with abuse victims better understand what may encourage or obstruct disclosure so they can provide more tailored support.
Key points
- Facilitators of disclosure included older age, female gender, higher IQ, recent abuse, resistance during abuse, clergy perpetrator, non-offending caregiver support, and acculturation
- Barriers to disclosure included intellectual disability, avoidant coping, romantic relationships with the perpetrator, family criminality, domestic violence, adherence to traditional Asian values, and ethnic minority identity
- The relationship between predictors and disclosure is often mixed, contradictory, or indirect/interactional rather than straightforward
- Social-ecological context is critical when interpreting findings about disclosure predictors
- The review covered 27 quantitative studies published from 2000 to 2022
Limitations
This is a review of existing studies and does not itself test interventions or measure outcomes directly. The review does not evaluate whether interventions based on understanding these factors actually improve disclosure rates or child outcomes.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Disclosure of CSA is key to victims having access to support and protection, but the current understanding of what factors play a key role is still limited. The present review aims to understand a range of socio-ecological factors that can either facilitate or obstruct the disclosure of CSA. METHODS AND RESULTS: Through a systematic review of 27 quantitative studies published from 2000 to 2022, the current review identified 17 significant predictors of CSA disclosure. Facilitators of disclosure included older age, being female, higher IQ, recent abuse, resistance during abuse, clergy perpetrator, non-offending caregiver support, and acculturation. Barriers to disclosure included intellectual disability, avoidant coping, romantic relationships with the perpetrator, family criminality, domestic violence, adherence to traditional Asian values, and ethnic minority identity. The findings also suggested that the relationship between predictors and disclosure tends to be mixed, contradictory, or indirect/interactional, emphasizing the importance of situating the findings in specific social-ecological contexts. CONCLUSIONS: The findings can inform future research and practice by providing a comprehensive understanding of the predictors of CSA disclosure and highlighting the importance of considering the socio-ecological context when interpreting findings. Moreover, the review provides a valuable resource for professionals who work with victims of CSA, helping them better identify factors that may facilitate or hinder disclosure and allowing for tailored interventions.