Peer-reviewed article

"When My Past Came Back to Me:" Understanding Mothers' Decisions to Disclose Their Experiences of Sexual Assault to Their Children.

Campbell R, Gregory K, Goodman-Williams R, Javorka M, Engleton J · 1 Nov 2025

Abstract

This study examines mothers' decisions to disclose past experiences of sexual assault to their children. These survivors reported their assaults to the police years ago, but no action was taken in their cases. When new DNA evidence came to light, prosecutors re-opened their cases, which caused significant disruption in survivors' personal lives and in their family dynamics. We examined whether the mothers in our sample decided to tell their children about their past sexual assault and pending court cases, and whether these decisions varied by the current age of their children. We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews with N = 32 sexual assault survivors and completed a content analysis to identify why the subsample of n = 23 survivors who had children did or did not disclose to their children. 30% of mothers disclosed to their children, all of whom were currently adolescents/young adults. Some felt compelled to disclose because the police's attempts to recontact them prompted questions or concerns from their children. Other mothers disclosed intentionally so they could explain why they had been depressed and anxious for years, and how this distress shaped their parenting relationships. 70% of the mothers did not disclose to their kids, most of whom were currently youth/pre-adolescents, to protect their emotional and/or physical safety. Overall, sexual assault survivors were hesitant to tell their children about their past victimization experiences and wanted more choice and control over if and how to share their information with their kids.