Health Professionals' Responses to Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse History: Female Child Sexual Abuse Survivors' Experiences

Abstract

This study reports on a postal questionnaire, conducted in 2004, with female survivors of historic child sexual abuse. The questionnaire explored their experiences of health professionals' responsiveness to disclosure of child sexual abuse history. Of 61 participants, aged between 22 and 65, 69% had disclosed to health professionals. Those who had not disclosed reported that they would have liked to but were not asked about child sexual abuse. Thirty-five percent of participants suggested routine questioning about child sexual abuse. Most participants related a fear of common medical examination procedures to their experience of child sexual abuse, and 64% said this stopped them from attending regular health checks. The current study suggests the development of guidelines for dealing with possible child sexual abuse survivors would be useful for health professionals.

KEYWORDS:

• disclosure
• health professionals
• health consequences
• survivors

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kim McGregor

Kim McGregor, PhD, is with Rape Prevention Education-Whakatu Mauri, Auckland, New Zealand.

Shirley Jülich

Shirley Jülich, PhD, is at the Business School, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.

Marewa Glover

Marewa Glover, PhD, is with Social & Community Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Jeny Gautam

Jeny Gautam, BHSc/BA, is with Social & Community Health, School of Population Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.