Delayed Disclosure In Child Abuse

When it comes to child abuse, a victim may be unwilling to disclose any information of the types of abuse that they may have endured. Disclosure simply means telling someone of the abuse that you may have endured (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). A victim is more likely to disclose information after a prolonged amount of time after the perpetrator of the abuse is no longer around the victim or once the victim experiences emotional upheaval (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). However, delayed disclosure can occur due to several factors that my influence the child to speak on the information. For example, the relationship between the victim and the offender can play a huge role on whether the victim decides to speak up, especially if it is a family member (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts,
2013).
Next, if a child is an adolescent then compared to a teenager the less likely they are to disclose (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). The child’s age can also have an impact on the pressure the offender places on the offender. We can use the classic example of an offender with a five-year-old victim. The offender will first build a relationship with the child and then groom the child for a sexual relationship (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). Once this occurs, the offender will then commit sexual acts on the child and then after trying to conceal the act, such as giving the child a treat or telling the child that would happened is a secret (Burgess, Regehr, &
Roberts, 2013). A cause in delay will also occur if the offender threatens the victim causing the victim to fear punishment (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). The victim may also believe no one will take them seriously and this can cause the victim to not know how to described what happened to them to another individual (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013). Finally, fear and a wide range of emotions can cause delayed disclosure (Burgess, Regehr, & Roberts, 2013).