Purpose: The subject of disclosure is an under-studied topic in the area of child sexual abuse (CSA) (Jones, 2000). The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore dynamics of disclosure by examining the range of perpetrator tactics used in suppressing disclosure; impact of psychological/developmental/environmental factors on the victim's ability to disclose; and the role of family in disclosure.

Methods:  In-depth interviews of twenty female and male survivors of intra-familial CSA were conducted to explore disclosure processes. Areas for exploration included family background and dynamics; perpetrator strategies used in maintaining secrecy; misperceptions and beliefs developed by the victim; nature and quality of significant relationships in childhood; disclosure attempts and outcomes; and environmental and cultural influences. Interviews were transcribed verbatim for coding and categorizing. Themes were extracted and interpretations made based on the data together with previous literature and cultural categories. Persistant observation, negative case analysis and peer debriefing were among techniques used to ensure trustworthiness of the data.

Results: Through this exploration previously undefined dimensions of disclosure emerged. Earlier research refers to three broad categories of "accidental, purposeful, and prompted/elicited" disclosure types (Paine & Hansen, 2001), while data from the current study revealed purposefully withheld, behavioral, and triggered as additional disclosure typologies. The proposed supplementary definitions embody complex facets of disclosure that should be considered in practice because they are derived from contextual factors such as human development, memory and familial dynamics.

Implications for Practice: Implications for practice are proposed by using an expanded framework of disclosure definitions. Social workers may be better able to respond to child victims and adult survivors in their struggle of disclosing sexual abuse. The expanded framework will also help in understanding the long-term impact of delayed disclosure.