NCJ Number
142297
Journal
Child Abuse and Neglect Volume: 17 Issue: 2 Dated: (March-April 1993) Pages: 281-289
Date Published
1993
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Using a sample of 63 children who sexual and ritualistic abuse in a preschool setting in California, this study explored the children's disclosure process in therapy as well as the occurrence of recantation, and identified associated correlates. Each child's therapist was asked to complete the Child Disclosure and Recantation Pattern and to provide information on the approximate time between the beginning of therapy to the child's disclosure or recantation, the type of abuse disclosed or recanted, and any event that the therapist believed could be related to a disclosure or recantation.
Abstract
Nine types of abuse were identified in this study: vague, observing others, nonspecific sexual abuse, least intrusive sexual abuse, intrusive sexual abuse, very intrusive sexual abuse, threats specific to telling, terrorizing, and ritualistic acts. The types and patterns of disclosures and recantation were then coded. The results showed that children tended to make disclosures of their sexual abuse early in their treatment process. Most children had disclosed abuse to a professional evaluator prior to beginning their therapy. The findings showed that children often revealed vague experiences of their abuse and waited for a reaction before disclosing further details. Ritualistic abuse was most often the last type of abuse revealed; the findings also showed that less intrusive acts were revealed before highly intrusive acts. The study found that some children did recant their previous disclosures in therapy; however, in all but two cases, they later redisclosed, thereby retracting their recantations. Furthermore, children who recanted disclosed new types of abuse after recantation. The findings demonstrate a need to continue research in order to explore the legal dimensions of children's patterns of disclosing their sexual abuse. 4 tables and 19 references