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Maternal Perceptions Of And Responses To Child Sexual Abuse: MATERIN POGLED IN ODZIV NA SPOLNO ZLORABO OTROKA
Zlatka Rakovec-Felser1, Lea Vidovič2
1University of Maribor, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Health Psychology, Taborska 8, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia.
Zdravstveno Varstvo
|June 11, 2016
Summary
A mother's supportive response significantly reduces the disclosure time for child sexual abuse victims. Lack of maternal support leads to much longer delays in reporting abuse, impacting long-term outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Forensic Psychology
- Sociology of the Family
Background:
- Child sexual abuse victims often delay disclosure for extended periods.
- Numerous factors contribute to children's reluctance to report abuse.
- Understanding these factors is crucial for intervention and support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a mother's response to allegations on a child's willingness to disclose sexual abuse.
- To analyze the relationship between maternal support and disclosure timelines.
- To identify key factors influencing disclosure in child sexual abuse cases.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 73 court-referred child sexual abuse cases in Slovenia over ten years.
- Inclusion of female child victims (ages 4-15) and adult male perpetrators.
- Quantitative and qualitative data collection with expert opinions.
Main Results:
- Victims with maternal support disclosed abuse in approximately 9 months.
- Victims without maternal support experienced significantly longer disclosure delays (mean 6.9 years).
- Intra-familial abuse (61.6%) was more prevalent than extra-familial abuse (38.4%).
Conclusions:
- A mother's perceived protective attitude is critical for female child sexual abuse victims.
- Maternal support can help halt ongoing abuse and mitigate immediate and long-term negative effects.
- Early disclosure, facilitated by maternal support, is vital for victim well-being.