The Legacy of Shame following Childhood Sexual Abuse Disclosures

Abstract

Shame has been recognized as a barrier to child sexual abuse (CSA) disclosures, but there has been less focus on the impact of shame on post-disclosure. This study explores how shame is experienced by CSA survivors following disclosure. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven CSA survivors aged 14–25 years on their CSA disclosure experiences. Thematic analysis of the transcripts produced four themes that highlight the various impacts of shame post-disclosure: 1) struggles with identifying as a sexual abuse survivor; 2) manifestations of shame; 3) shaming responses to disclosures; and 4) strategies to overcome shame. Clinical implications are presented using a social ecological perspective.