A multi-contextual examination of factors associated with the perpetration and lack of reporting of intrafamilial child sexual abuse as identified by victims

Abstract

Most studies examining child sexual abuse (CSA) involve samples of ‘detected’ perpetrators in criminal justice and/or psychiatric settings. As a result, there is very little information available about ‘undetected’ CSA, calling into question the generalisability of existing research to CSA that remains undetected. Intrafamilial CSA in particular is characterised by significant underreporting by victims, possibly more so than other types of CSA. It is therefore unclear whether and to what extent the perpetration of intrafamilial CSA is adequately captured in the existing CSA literature. This thesis examines factors associated with undetected intrafamilial CSA, as identified by victims. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews with adult survivors of intrafamilial CSA provided important qualitative insight into the ‘dark figure’ of intrafamilial CSA, offering detailed descriptions of perpetrators, CSA experiences, victim characteristics, and familial contexts of CSA. Participants also provided unique information about factors associated with the perpetration of intrafamilial CSA across multiple contexts, including differences by perpetrator type (e.g., sibling vs. paternal vs. external-family member). A conceptual framework is presented to explain the lack of disclosure of undetected intrafamilial CSA, using an inductive methodology within a multi-level ecological framework. Implications for prevention strategies at multiple points of intervention within the community, family, and individual contexts are discussed, alongside recommendations for future research using larger longitudinal and corroborative samples.