No one noticed, no one heard

Key findings

• Over 80% of the children tried to tell someone about the abuse.
• On average, it took 7 years for the young people to disclose sexual abuse. The younger the child was when the sexual abuse started, the longer it took for them to disclose.
• There are a number of different ways that a child may try to let someone know what is happening to them. Disclosure – especially at the time of abuse – is rarely a straightforward process of just saying they have been abused.
• Many disclosures were either not recognised or understood, or they were dismissed, played down or ignored; this meant that no action was taken to protect or support the young person.
• The young people disclosed for a variety of reasons including: not being able to cope with the abuse any longer; abuse getting worse; wanting to protect others from abuse; or seeking justice.
• Reasons for not disclosing included: having no one to turn to; not understanding they were being abused; being ashamed or embarrassed; being afraid of the consequences of speaking out.
• Disclosing abuse is a difficult journey and 90% of the young people had had negative experiences at some point, mostly where the people they told had responded poorly.
• Positive experiences of disclosures were when: the child was believed, some action was taken to protect the child, and emotional support was provided.
• The young people said they wanted: someone to notice that something was wrong; they wanted to be asked direct questions; they wanted professionals to investigate sensitively but thoroughly; and they wanted to be kept informed about what was happening.