The Role of Disclosing Child Sexual Abuse on Adolescent Adjustment and Revictimization

ABSTRACT

The role of disclosing child sexual abuse on adolescent survivors' symptomology and the presence of additional unwanted sexual experiences was investigated in a subsample of 111 adolescents from the National Survey of Adolescents who reported child sexual abuse. Results indicated that prompt disclosure of sexual abuse to an adult moderated the influence of penetration during the abuse on the number of symptoms at assessment. Thus, prompt disclosure buffered the influence of more severe abuse. Disclosure also had a main effect on the likelihood of further victimization. Participants who told an adult promptly after the abuse were less likely to report additional unwanted sexual experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Child sexual abuse
• disclosure
• adolescence
• revictimization
• adjustment
• trauma