Tracing Pathways of Disclosure: A Narrative Review of Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse

Background and Purpose: Sexual violence against children occurs globally in forms of child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). Although the prevalence of CSEA is alarmingly common, investigations find that a small percentage of these experiences are reported to formal authorities. The surveillance of marginalized communities—including racialized and disadvantaged families—contributes to intrusive interventions resulting in reduced rates of formal disclosure. Further, research shows that disclosing CSEA is a key part of the evidence required for substantiation and laying charges. Recipients of disclosures may include informal sources such as peers, family, and friends, and can also include formal sources (e.g., teachers, doctors, social workers/counsellors, police) with disclosure pathways leading to various outcomes. Although disclosing CSEA significantly impacts court proceedings, there is limited research on how CSEA is associated with disclosure pathways, and how these feed into legal action to prevent and protect children from CSEA. This review begins to fill this gap by exploring how factors such as race, age, sex, and subtype of CSEA influence how, why, and to whom child survivors disclose their experience, therefore allowing for charting pathways of disclosure and subsequent justice outcomes.

Methods: Researchers from Scotland and Canada collaborated to co-conduct a narrative review of the CSEA disclosure literature for knowledge construction purposes (Kiteley & Stogdon, 2014). Our search yielded thirteen articles (n=13) based on specified inclusion criteria. Covidence was deployed by two reviewers to screen and extract data for analysis, followed by a third researcher to reach consensus. Studies were then subjected to a thematic analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006) involving: 1) multiple readings of sample studies by several authors; 2) identifying patterns across studies by coding/charting specific features; 3) examining disclosure definitions used, sample characteristics, and disclosure measures utilized, and 4) extrapolating major findings.

Findings: This analysis uncovers complex disclosure pathways for children that vary across national and geographic context, age, sex, race, and ethnicity. First, ‘disclosure’ is applied differentially in the literature. Second, pathways identified include full versus partial, formal versus informal, and voluntary versus involuntary, expanding on previous typologies. Third, children who report to formal authorities, and those who report two or more times, are more likely to have their case accepted for prosecution than those who disclose to an informal source such as a parent or peer. Of note, reports made by younger children, Indigenous children, and reports alleging a female perpetrator, are less likely to be subjected to judiciary processes.

Conclusion and Implications: Findings highlight the importance of educating and training caregivers, service providers, police, and legal authorities in trauma informed responses and interviewing. The primary focus would be on fostering trusting relationships with children that support and facilitate safe CSEA disclosures. By educating the public and professionals about signs of CSEA and appropriate trauma informed responses, social workers can facilitate the detection and elimination of CSEA.

References:

Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology 3 (2): 77-101.

Kiteley, R & Stogdon, C. (2014). Literature reviews in social work. London: SAGE