3.6
We Care...
by responding to a disclosure of abuse
Disclosures
In the course of your job, you may have a child spontaneously or purposefully disclose abuse to you. It is important to handle the disclosure in a way that sets a calm and supportive tone and environment for the child. Watch the video below to learn more about responding to a disclosure of child abuse.
Dr. Janet Rosenzweig is a national consultant for Prevent Child Abuse America, and a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sometimes, a child will try to tell a trusted adult something is wrong. For some kids, it’s a gradual process. They might first test the water, possibly seeking an opinion on a hypothetical problem to see how you might respond. If you find yourself in a conversation with a child and you begin to suspect they are disclosing abuse, stay calm, keep your voice matter of fact and keep the conversation going.
The most important thing you can do is show a child that you believe them. A child almost never lies about abuse and, if in the rare case they do, that child still needs help.
To keep a conversation going, consider how you might make it clear to the child they are not at fault. Often a child has been led to believe that he or she provoked the abuse. Regardless of anything a child did or said, an adult is always responsible for their own behavior, and you can express this to a child in simple language.
If the child is hesitating, take a moment and acknowledge this distress. Gently saying something like, “This seems so hard for you to talk about, and I’m so proud of how hard you’re trying” can assure the child and help them feel safe about talking to you.
Questioning children is complicated and you should carefully consider the questions you ask. Even when speaking with a child who seems to communicate on an adult level, keep your questions simple.
Younger children present another challenge – they are extremely eager to please grown-ups and often try to provide the answer they think the adult wants to hear, even if it’s not factually correct.
The professional investigator who follows up on your report will have special training in interviewing children and know how to get the information they need. Your job is to get the basic facts and make a child feel good about reaching out for help.
Some kids may want you to keep their secret, but it’s important to let them know you can't do that. Never make a promise to a child that you can’t keep. Victims have most likely been lied to by adults in the past and they need to learn to trust adults again. Since, as a Penn State employee or volunteer, you are required to report abuse and call the authorities, you must explain that you want to find a special person to help them, someone with the child's best interests at heart who understands and knows what to do.
Please, be as supportive as possible to a victim seeking help. It is incredibly difficult for them to take that first step. It is our job as caring adults to make that step as worthwhile as possible.
HideNext, you will learn about the SSABER model, which is an excellent tool for adults to use in the event that a disclosure happens. You want to establish an atmosphere in which the child knows what he/she is saying is very important, and it is something that you know how to handle. The SSABER model can help.