Disclosure of Child Abuse and Neglect

The purpose of this chapter is to examine disclosures of child maltreatment by children and youth. When children and youth disclose abuse or neglect, this increases the possibility of access to supportive and therapeutic resources for these vulnerable individuals. In turn, access to resources can mitigate the risk to their health and well-being. The chapter first presents the classifications of disclosures as they have come to be understood in the literature. An exploration of disclosures by children and youth with specific attention to age, gender, and type of maltreatment is essential to understand how disclosure differs between children and youth. Finally, the chapter addresses how mandatory reporters should respond to a disclosure with specific recommendations.