Best practice for parent-focused child sexual abuse prevention education in early childhood
Commissioned research
Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
- Disclosure
- Justice
- Victims & survivors
Project Length
24 months
Project Budget
$250,000
Funding Stream
Research
Project Lead
- Professor Patrick O’Leary, Disrupting Violence Beacon, Griffith University
Project Team
- Professor Leah Bromfield, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
- Dr Ana Borges Jelinic, Disrupting Violence Beacon, Griffith University
- Dr Eden Thain, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
- Craig Hughes-Cashmore, Survivors & Mates Support Network
- Dr Katherine Reid, Griffith University
- Amanda Paton, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
- Dr Gary Foster, Griffith University
- Jacqueline Le Mesurier, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
- Sian Burgess, Australian Centre for Child Protection, University of South Australia
Background and Aim
This research project will investigate and compare the trajectories of disclosure of two groups of victims and survivors of child sexual abuse – people over and under 30 years of age with a disclosure experience between 2013 and 2022.
These groups differentiate adults that disclosed abuse during or after the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The aim of this project is to understand barriers and facilitators for disclosure and the role of the Royal Commission in this dynamic. This project is centred on survivors’ wellbeing, with a multidisciplinary and nation-wide lens.
Methods
A literature review on the current state of knowledge on disclosure will be followed by recruiting participants for individual surveys and interviews. Recruitment will be assisted by partnering with survivor networks. The project will be guided by a Project Advisory Committee, with mixed methods data analysis.
Significance
This research will provide a better understanding of disclosures, preparing professionals and certain target groups to more effectively manage and facilitate disclosure. Better prepared professionals avoid re-traumatisation and assist in victim and survivor healing. A full report, policy and practice brief, participant summary and presentation will be developed and delivered to a broad audience.
Latest research outcomes
Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: Study aims and approaches
Introduces project aims, methods and approach to understanding contemporary experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure
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Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: Participant demographics
An overview of participant demographics and the characteristics of the study sample
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Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: Factors that support disclosure
Explores factors that support disclosure of child sexual abuse across different settings and relationships
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Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: The impact of responses to disclosure
Examines how responses to disclosure can influence safety, wellbeing, help-seeking and recovery
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Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: Changes over time
Explores how disclosure experiences and responses have changed over time
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Video: Understanding child sexual abuse disclosure: Disclosure as an interconnected process
Highlights how disclosure often occurs as an interconnected process across multiple people, settings and stages of life
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Summary report: Understanding the experiences of child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
Summarises key project findings and identifies opportunities to strengthen responses to child sexual abuse disclosure
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Grey literature review: Child sexual abuse disclosure in Australia in the wake of the Royal Commission
Reviews Australian and international evidence on child sexual abuse disclosure published since the Royal Commission
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Webinar: Understanding and responding to disclosures of child sexual abuse from children and young people
Explores how children and young people disclose child sexual abuse and how adults can respond safely and effectively
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Fact Sheet: Disclosure matters: What the evidence tells us about responding to child sexual abuse
Summarises evidence on how supportive responses can influence disclosure, safety and recovery
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Fact Sheet: Understanding disclosure over time: Insights from a systematic review
Explores disclosure as a process that unfolds over time and across different contexts and relationships
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Fact Sheet: It doesn't happen once: Lived experiences of disclosure across the life course
Examines lived experiences of disclosure and highlights how disclosure often occurs across multiple interactions and stages of life
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Fact Sheet: Disclosure across the life course: Insights from Australian survey data
Presents findings from Australian survey data on disclosure experiences, help-seeking and responses to child sexual abuse
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