Factors related to delayed disclosure among victims of child sexual abuse in Singapore.

BACKGROUND

Delayed disclosure is a prevalent and serious issue among victims of child sexual abuse (CSA). Identifying the factors associated with delayed disclosure can identify the profile of children who are at risk of delaying disclosures and inform measures to facilitate timely disclosure.

OBJECTIVE

The current study represented a pioneering effort to investigate factors that are related to disclosure of CSA in Singapore. It examined the influence of various victim and abuse characteristics on the time taken for a victim to disclose CSA.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

A total of 252 CSA cases that were referred to the psychology department of Singapore's Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) from 2017 to 2021 were analyzed.

METHODS

Cases were coded for the study variables and multivariate Cox regression was conducted to analyze the impact of each variable of interest on the time taken to disclose the abuse.

RESULTS

It was found that the following sub-populations of CSA victims were associated with delayed disclosure: younger victims, female victims (as compared to male victims), victims with higher severity of sexual abuse (e.g., forced intercourse), and victims who were abused by in-home caregivers (as compared to acquaintances).

CONCLUSIONS

The findings from the study generated practical implications to help reduce the time victims take to disclose CSA in the Singaporean context.