When a child discloses abuse, it is essential that s/he is BELIEVED, protected and assured that it is not his or her fault.

The Prevention of Family Violence Act makes it a legal obligation to report any cases of abuse and even suspected abuse to a police officer or social worker.

Disclosure can take 3 different forms:

Indirect Disclosure
(e.g. “Don’t make me to to grandpa’s house any more”). For the child, the message is clear, but it is often misinterpreted by adults and makes the child feel even more hopeless.

Accidental Disclosure
here the child accidentally tells of the abuse in conversation or the abuse is seen and “caught in the act”. In this situation, the child is not ready to disclose and, as a result, much care must be taken with handling these cases.

Purposeful Disclosure
in these instances, the child makes a conscious effort to disclose and wants some control to be taken over the abusive situation.

Your role in handling disclosure: