Citation

Swingle JM, Tursich M, Cleveland JM, Gold SN, Tolliver SF, Michaels L, Kupperman-Caron LN, Garcia-Larrieu M, Sciarrino NA. Child Abuse Negl. 2016; 62: 10-18.

Affiliation

Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.chiabu.2016.10.009

PMID

27771551

Abstract

Prevention programs often encourage sexually abused children to disclose without fully considering the potential for adverse consequences. This study examined the impact of disclosure on abuse cessation and later adult symptomatology. A clinical sample of 301 adult survivors completed the Impact of Event Scale (IES/IES-R), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II). Participants were divided into 3 groups: Nondisclosure (n=221), Disclosure/Abuse Ended (n=25), and Disclosure/Abuse Continued (n=55). Multivariate analyses of covariance, adjusting for abuse characteristics (age of onset, penetration, and number of perpetrators) and other trauma exposure, revealed significant differences in psychiatric symptom severity among the three groups, Wilks' λ=0. 95, F (6, 584)=2.69, p=0.014, ηp(2)=0.03. Specifically, those in the Disclosure/Abuse Continued group scored significantly higher on the IES/IES-R Intrusion subscale (p=0.04) and the BDI-II (p=0.01), as compared to the Nondisclosure group. The Disclosure/Abuse Ended group did not differ significantly from the other groups.

RESULTS suggest that disclosure may be detrimental unless adequate steps are taken to ensure abuse cessation and appropriate treatment.

Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Language: en