Citation

Stevenson MC, Rivers MA. Child Maltreat. 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/10775595231157729

PMID

36932825

Abstract

We examined the effects of child race, perpetrator race, and abuse disclosure status (within the context of a formal forensic interview) on abuse substantiation outcomes. Specifically, we coded child sexual abuse disclosure, abuse substantiation, and race of 315 children (80% girls, M age = 10, age range = 2-17; 75% White, 9% Black, 12% Biracial, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian) who underwent a child forensic interview in a Midwestern child advocacy center. Supporting hypotheses, abuse substantiation was more likely in cases involving (a) abuse disclosure (vs. no disclosure), (b) White children (vs. children of color), and (c) perpetrators of color (vs. White perpetrators). Also supporting hypotheses, the effect of abuse disclosure on increased abuse substantiation was greater for White children than for children of color. This research suggests that even when children of color disclose their experiences of sexual abuse, they nonetheless face barriers to abuse substantiation.

Language: en

Keywords

child maltreatment; diversity; child sexual abuse; disclosure; child advocacy centers; ethnic minority populations