Recognition, telling and getting help with abuse and neglect: Young people's perspectives

Abstract

An understanding of children's perspectives on telling about abuse and neglect has potential to boost children's access to services. The literature on disclosure has mostly focused on child sexual abuse with many studies based on adult survivors' accounts of their childhoods. However, disclosure is one part of a wider process which also includes how children recognise abuse and experience services. This paper presents findings from a thematic analysis of 30 interviews with children and young people who had experienced multiple types of abuse and neglect. A conceptual framework for understanding how children and young people recognise and tell about abuse and neglect and what they think of the help they receive is presented. The framework is used to present case studies tracing the processes of recognition, telling and help over time, in relation to multiple problems of abuse. Implications for professional practice are discussed.