Child sexual abuse: Why do they keep it a secret? : A perspective from guilt and shame

The aim of this study was to examine the problems behind disclosure and why children do or do not tell about the sexual abuse. The empirical base of this thesis was six autobiographies. Aspects of guilt and shame in relation to the disclosure process were the main topics in this study. Also, the difficulties with disclosure as well as the surrounding conditions that facilitate the disclosure are mentioned. The following difficulties were found: guilt/shame, denial of the sexual abuse, fear for the disclosure’s consequences, the lack of support from family and surroundings, distorted reality perception/the normalization process of violence, the power imbalance between perpetrator and victim. Regarding conditions that facilitate the victims’ disclosure, the following aspects were found: internal factors, surrounding conditions and evidence of the sexual abuse. In addition, these theories were applied: the affect theory and the normalization process of violence