CHILDRENS DISCLOSURE OF SEXUAL ABUSE DURING FORMAL INVESTIGATION

This study set out to provide information on children's disclosures of sexual abuse during formal child sexual abuse investigation. The stud y was carried out in a Child Sexual Abuse Assessment Unit based in a C hildren's Hospital, staffed by a multidisciplinary team and receiving referrals from community child protection agencies, pediatricians, gen eral practitioners, and the police. Two hundred and fifty one children who had full assessments over a 12-month period formed the study grou p. They were divided at time of referral into two groups: (a) those wh o had previously told someone about abusive experiences prior to inves tigations; and (b) those who had not. There was a strongly positive co rrelation between having previously told someone about sexual abuse an d disclosure of such abuse during formal investigation. There was also a strongly positive correlation between not having previously told so meone and not disclosing during formal investigation. Age was an impor tant variable, with children under 5 being least likely to disclose ab use during formal investigation, irrespective of whether they had prev iously told someone about abuse. Disclosure of sexual abuse during inv estigation was strongly positively correlated with abuse being regarde d as confirmed. These results call into question the value of formal s exual abuse investigation in children who have not previously told som eone about abuse. The value of a ''nonleading'' interview style with y oung children is also called into question, given that many young chil dren who had previously disclosed abuse, did not repeat this informati on during formal investigation in which ''nonleading'' interviews were used.