Disclosure process of sexual violence

Highlights

  • Disclosing sexual violence is a complex and gradual process. It can occur in a variety of contexts and can be deliberate, spontaneous or accidental, especially in the case of children.
  • People who disclose sexual violence usually do so to someone close to them (e.g., family member, friend, intimate partner).
  • Few people report the event to the police or professional help services.  
  • The majority of sexual offences reported to the police are reported more than a month after the event.
  • There are many obstacles to disclosing sexual violence, such as guilt or shame about the event, fear of not being believed, fear of negative consequences for oneself, loved ones or the perpetrator, and fear of the legal process and contact with the police.
  • The way in which someone reacts when a victim, whether a child or an adult, discloses sexual violence is important, as it influences their recovery. Negative reactions are likely to hinder recovery and prevent victims from seeking help, while positive reactions promote recovery and coping.

In Quebec, any adult who has reasonable grounds to believe that a child (under the age of 18) is being sexually abused is required to report the situation immediately to their local Director of Youth Protection (DYP). It is not necessary to be certain that the sexual abuse has taken place. The DYP will take the report, evaluate it, and ensure that the child has the necessary support.

To report a situation, you can contact your local DYP, 24/7. In case of emergency, call 911.

An overview of the disclosure of sexual violence

Disclosure is when a victim of sexual violence shares their experience with another person, whether formally, informally, deliberately, spontaneously, or in response to an invitation to do so1. A victim may disclose to someone close to them (e.g., friend, intimate partner, family member), to the police, to a professional (e.g., doctor, nurse, psychologist, social worker), or to anyone else. However, many victims choose not to disclose their experiences, for a variety of reasons.

It is common for a victim who discloses sexual violence to someone close to them to decide not to report the event to the police. It is estimated that only one sexual assault in twenty (5-6%) is reported to the police each year2,3, so police data are not representative of the actual number of sexual assaults occurring in a population. In Quebec, 5,747 sexual assault offences were reported by police in 2020. Women accounted for 88.9% of victims and men for 96.8% of alleged perpetrators4.

Distribution of victims of sexual offences, by time taken to report to the police, 2020a

 

aUpdated data
Source: Ministry of Public Security. Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR)

Of all police-reported sexual offences (including sexual assault and other sexual offences), just over half of victims reported the event more than a month (30 days) later. Of these, a significant proportion did so more than a year after the event.5  Even in cases where the sexual assault is reported to the police, reporting it does not always put an end to it, nor does it necessarily lead to a formal investigation,6 which explains, for some, their decision not to report the event or events to the police.

Reasons given for not reporting to the police include not wanting to deal with the police or the legal process, not wanting others to know about the event, or having concerns about the formal complaint process, the police and the legal process (e.g., believing that reporting would not make a difference, that the police would deem the incident not important enough, or that the perpetrator would not be convicted or appropriately punished)2,3,7,8.

A complex process

Disclosure is a complex, interactive and gradual lifelong process, not a single event9–12.For victims who disclose sexual violence as adults, this process involves weighing the risks and benefits associated with disclosing sexual violence11, deciding whether or not to tell another person about what they have experienced for the first time, and then, depending on how the first disclosure was received, deciding whether or not to tell other people. Although the decision to disclose sexual violence is a personal choice, several factors influence the likelihood of disclosing to someone close to the victim or to the police13. For example, minimization of the event or events experienced, fear of not being believed, feelings of shame and guilt, fear of negative consequences for oneself or others, and fear of the legal process or contact with the police are all factors that can influence disclosure2,3,14,15.

The disclosure of sexual violence, whether made in childhood or adulthood, can provoke reactions in those who receive it. The nature of these reactions has an important impact on victims, since receiving positive reactions can promote recovery and coping16,17, while negative reactions can hinder recovery, increase feelings of shame, and prevent victims from seeking help18,19.

References

  1. Ullman, S. E. (2003). « Social reactions to child sexual abuse disclosures: A critical review », Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, vol. 12, n° 1, p. 89‑121.
  2. Cotter, A. (2021). La victimisation criminelle au Canada, 2019, [en ligne], Statistique Canada, « Juristat », (consulté le 10 décembre 2021).
  3. Cotter, A., et L. Savage (2019). La violence fondée sur le sexe et les comportements sexuels non désirés au Canada, 2018 : Premiers résultats découlant de l’Enquête sur la sécurité dans les espaces publics et privés, [en ligne], Statistique Canada, « Juristat », (consulté le 10 décembre 2021).
  4. Ministère de la Sécurité publique (2022). Criminalité au Québec – Infractions sexuelles en 2020, [en ligne], Québec, Gouvernement du Québec, (consulté le 21 mars 2023).
  5. Ministère de la Sécurité publique (29 septembre 2022). Délai entre la perpétration d’une infraction sexuelle et le signalement à la police [document inédit].
  6. Bottoms, B. L., L. C. Peter-Hagene, M. A. Epstein, T. R. Wiley, C. E. Reynolds et A. G. Rudnicki (2016). « Abuse characteristics and individual differences related to disclosing childhood sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and witnessed domestic violence », Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 31, n° 7, p. 1308‑1339.
  7. Conroy, S., et A. Cotter (2017). Les agressions sexuelles autodéclarées au Canada, 2014, [en ligne], Statistique Canada, « Juristat », (consulté le 17 janvier 2023).
  8. Cohn, A. M., H. M. Zinzow, H. S. Resnick et D. G. Kilpatrick (2013). « Correlates of reasons for not reporting rape to police: Results from a national telephone household probability sample of women with forcible or drug-or-alcohol facilitated/incapacitated rape », Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol. 28, n° 3, p. 455‑473.
  9. Alaggia, R., D. Collin-Vézina et R. Lateef (2019). « Facilitators and barriers to child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosures: A research update (2000–2016) », Trauma, Violence & Abuse, vol. 20, n° 2, p. 260‑283.
  10. Draucker, C. B., et D. S. Martsolf (2008). « Storying childhood sexual abuse », Qualitative Health Research, vol. 18, n° 8, p. 1034‑1048.
  11. Easton, S. D., L. Y. Saltzman et D. G. Willis (2014). « “Would you tell under circumstances like that?”: Barriers to disclosure of child sexual abuse for men », Psychology of Men & Masculinity, vol. 15, n° 4, p. 460‑469.
  12. Manay, N., et D. Collin-Vézina (2021). « Recipients of children’s and adolescents’ disclosures of childhood sexual abuse: A systematic review », Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 116, n° Pt 1, p. 104192.
  13. Azzopardi, C., R. Eirich, C. L. Rash, S. MacDonald et S. Madigan (2019). « A meta-analysis of the prevalence of child sexual abuse disclosure in forensic settings », Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 93, p. 291‑304.
  14. Morrison, S. E., C. Bruce et S. Wilson (2018). « Children’s disclosure of sexual abuse: A systematic review of qualitative research exploring barriers and facilitators », Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, vol. 27, n° 2, p. 176‑194.
  15. Stoner, J. E., et R. J. Cramer (2019). « Sexual violence victimization among college females: A systematic review of rates, barriers, and facilitators of health service utilization on campus », Trauma, violence & abuse, vol. 20, n° 4, p. 520‑533.
  16. Ullman, S. E., et L. Peter-Hagene (2014). « Social reactions to sexual assault disclosure, coping, perceived control, and PTSD symptoms in sexual assault victims », Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 42, n° 4, p. 495‑508.
  17. Guyon, R., M. Fernet, É. Dussault, A. Gauthier-Duchesne, M.-M. Cousineau, M. Tardif et N. Godbout (2021). « Experiences of disclosure and reactions of close ones from the perspective of child sexual abuse survivors: A qualitative analysis of gender specificities », Journal of Child Sexual Abuse, vol. 30, n° 7, p. 806‑827.
  18. Elliott, S. A., K. L. Goodman, E. S. Bardwell et T. M. Mullin (2022). « Reactions to the disclosure of intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse: Findings from the National Sexual Assault Online Hotline », Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 127.
  19. MacIntosh, H., K. Fletcher et D. Collin-Vezina (2016). « “I was like damaged, used goods”: Thematic analysis of disclosures of childhood sexual abuse to romantic partners », Marriage & Family Review, vol. 52, n° 6, p. 598‑611.

Authors: Maude Lachapelle, Scientific Advisor, INSPQ
Catherine Moreau, Scientific Advisor, INSPQ 
Contributor: Dominique Gagné, Scientific Advisor, INSPQ 
External review: Roxanne Guyon, Ph. D, Assistant Professor of Sexology, Université Laval
Jacinthe Dion, Ph. D., Full Professor in Psychology, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

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