“Stop Waking the Dead”: Internet Child Sexual Abuse and Perspectives on Its Disclosure

Abstract

The phenomenon of Internet child sexual abuse (ICSA) has been receiving growing attention over the last decade, and studies have promoted knowledge with respect to the phenomenon's epidemiology, as well as to characteristics of the victims, perpetrators, and dynamics in these cases. The current retrospective study sought to delve into the disclosure component in cases of ICSA. The sample comprised 52 cases of adolescents who arrived at a child advocacy center (CAC) following ICSA. Analysis of these cases was targeted to capture the multifaceted nature of disclosure using those perspectives that could be documented by the CAC staff-of the practitioners, the adolescents, and their parents. Beyond the descriptive results regarding the victims and the nature of the abuse, the case analyses illustrate the disclosure process as experienced by the various parties involved, highlighting the challenging nature of this aspect of the phenomenon. For the parents, the disclosure experience can perhaps be best epitomized by the expression that was heard repeatedly-"Stop waking the dead"-an expression that indicated their wish to bring the subject to a close. The difficulty in disclosing such incidents was also illustrated by the fact that 20 children in the current sample were reluctant to collaborate during the CAC process. In fact, according to these data, most of the incidents were revealed following a police investigation rather than by a disclosure initiated by the children themselves. Focusing on this specific aspect of ICSA-that is, disclosure-enables a new perspective on it and stresses the need to further study it in such cases. A better understanding of the disclosure experience as it pertains to the individuals involved in cases of ICSA may improve and help modify future prevention and intervention efforts in the field.

The experiences of practitioners working with young people exposed to online sexual abuse

“…Issues were also raised about how trust could be established with practitioners where there was limited shared understanding about what had happened, the technologies that had been used, and the need of the CYP to try and maintain control over what had happened. Many studies have noted the reluctance of CYP to disclose their experiences of OCSA ( 35 ), and in one of the first studies in this area most children did not disclose, and even when confronted with the photographic evidence of the abuse, they would only acknowledge what they thought was already known ( 33 ). This would seem to suggest that only a few children who have experienced OCSA will be identified, and even fewer will be provided with meaningful therapeutic support.…”

Novel Forms of Reluctance Among Suspected Child Sexual Abuse Victims in Adolescence

“…Although the research on internet-initiated sexual abuse and commercial sexual exploitation suggests that adolescents may be particularly reluctant to disclose, it is important to consider the way in which different types of abuse victims are discovered. Adolescent victims of internet-initiated sexual abuse are usually discovered through online chats, images, or other corroborative evidence (Katz, 2013; Katz et al, 2021; Leander et al, 2008). In Katz (2013) none of the adolescent victims had disclosed abuse before the formal interview, and other studies have found similarly small percentages of prior disclosure (Katz et al, 2021: 6%; Leander et al, 2008: 4%).…”

“…Examining 20 11- to 14-year-old victims of internet-initiated sexual abuse, Katz (2013) found that 8 of the 20 victims (40%) refused to cooperate with the interviewers, even rejecting efforts at rapport building. In a sample of 52 11- to 17-year-olds victimized online, Katz et al (2021) found that 20 victims (38%) “refused to disclose anything” (p. NP5095), though an unspecified number ultimately gave some information. Studies examining interviews with adolescent CSE victims also find that reluctance is common.…”

Understanding expert testimony on child sexual abuse denial after New Jersey v. J.L.G.: Ground truth, disclosure suspicion bias, and disclosure substantiation bias

“…evidence is discovered before the child is questioned about abuse. Studies examining documented abuse have found high rates of reluctance and denial (Katz, Piller, Glucklich, & Matty, 2018;Leander, 2010;Sjöberg & Lindblad, 2002).…”

“…Another promising approach is to examine cases for which there is photographic or digital evidence of abuse, which can establish ground truth, reduce substantiation bias, and even solve the suspicion bias problem if the digital evidence is discovered before the child is questioned about abuse. Studies examining documented abuse have found high rates of reluctance and denial (Katz, Piller, Glucklich, & Matty, 2018; Leander, 2010; Sjöberg & Lindblad, 2002).…”