Beyond Gender: Proximity to Interpersonal Trauma in Examining Differences in Believing Child Abuse Disclosures

Abstract

Survivors of child sexual abuse (CSA) often delay disclosing or do not disclose the abuse for fear of not being believed. Studies document that women believe CSA disclosures more often than do men. Little research has examined theoretical underpinnings for gender differences in believing. However, 1 theory suggests that women may be more empathetic to disclosures because interpersonal trauma (IPT) is proximal to their lives. The present study aimed to extend understanding of how proximity to IPT may shape views of others' experiences of IPT. This study examined whether proximity to IPT (i.e., knowing a close other who had experienced IPT) rather than personal experience would better account for the robust gender differences typically found in believing disclosures. College students (N = 279) completed self-report measures about their personal trauma history and responded to questions regarding knowledge of close others' trauma histories. Participants read a vignette of an adult female disclosing CSA and rated the disclosure for believability. Results indicate that exposure to IPT increased believing, whereas gender did not. These results suggest that one's proximity to IPT may be an alternative explanation for influence on believing CSA rather than gender alone.

Telling a trusted adult: Factors associated with the likelihood of disclosing child sexual abuse prior to and during a forensic interview

“…It may also be the case that emotional reactions contribute to nonbelief when perpetrators live within the home or are members of the family, as it may be difficult for the non-offending caregiver to comprehend that someone they know and trust could commit such an act (Elliott & Carnes, 2001). Inconsistent with hypotheses, our findings did not support Miller and Cromer's (2015) theory of interpersonal proximity, which argues that people are more likely to believe a CSA disclosure if someone close to them has experienced interpersonal victimization.…”

“…Although we are not aware of any studies to date that have examined the effects of domestic violence (DV) or a history of CSA in the family as they predict caregiver belief following abuse allegations, there is emerging evidence for the theory that proximity to interpersonal violence influences one's belief in allegations of child sexual abuse. Recently, Miller and Cromer (2015) found that college students with a history of exposure to interpersonal trauma were more likely to rate a CSA disclosure vignette as believable. More research is needed to confirm these findings and identify other correlates of caregiver belief, especially among children and adolescents reporting to CACs.…”

Reluctance Versus Urge to Disclose Child Maltreatment: The Impact of Multi-Type Maltreatment

“…However, access to these, as well as to additional child protection and social justice resources, usually requires disclosure (Paine & Hansen, 2002). The majority of victims, however, do not disclose their child abuse and neglect experiences for various reasons, such as fear of not being believed (Miller & Cromer, 2015), worries regarding their family, fear of social rejection (McElvaney, Greene, & Hogan, 2013), and not knowing to whom to disclose (Lev-Wiesel, Gottfried, Eisikovits & First, 2014). Furthermore, in a recent retrospective study by Bottoms et al (2014), substantial minorities of CM survivors reported never disclosing sexual abuse (23%), physical abuse (34%), psychological abuse (20%), and witnessed domestic violence (29%).…”

Empowerment or Threat: Perceptions of Childhood Sexual Abuse in the #MeToo Era

“…Another proposed explanation for gender differences is proximity to sexual victimization, whether through own experiences or those of close others. Several studies have found that people who experienced (sexual) victimization were more likely to believe allegations of sexual violence ( Cromer & Freyd, 2007 ; Miller & Cromer, 2015 ; Nuttall & Jackson, 1994 ). These findings fit with the DAT to explain gender differences and expand on it.…”

“…These findings fit with the DAT to explain gender differences and expand on it. Women tended to have closer proximity to traumatic events than men, either through their own experiences or the experiences of others close to them ( Miller & Cromer, 2015 ). After controlling for this proximity, gender differences were no longer significant.…”