Not seen. Not heard. Not safe: The hidden struggles of children disclosing sexual abuse
Jul 2025
Written by Lynne McPherson
Every child deserves to feel safe, heard, and protected. Yet, for many survivors of child sexual abuse, the journey to being believed is long, painful, and often retraumatising. A ground breaking study by McPherson and colleagues (2025) reveals a harrowing truth: most children who experience sexual abuse try to tell someone but are not heard or believed.
Key findings:
- Most survivors disclosed their abuse multiple times before anyone listened or acted.
- Many disclosures were ignored, dismissed, or met with disbelief.
- Children often lacked a safe adult to turn to. In fact, 43 out of 51 participants said they had no trustworthy person to confide in.
- Abuse was frequently perpetrated by someone within the family or close social circle, making disclosure even more complex and dangerous.
Why don’t children just tell? Because it’s not that simple.
Children face:
- Internal barriers: shame, guilt, fear.
- Interpersonal barriers: fear of family breakdown, lack of support.
- Systemic barriers: institutions that fail to act, professionals who don’t listen, and cultures that silence.
One survivor, Lily, tried to disclose her abuse at age 6. She wasn’t asked the right questions. She wasn’t believed. She wasn’t protected. Her story, like many others, is a chilling reminder that disclosure is not a one-time event, it’s a process, often met with silence.
What helps?
- A safe, trusted adult who listens and believes.
- Professionals trained to recognise signs and respond appropriately.
- Institutions that prioritise the child’s safety over their own reputation.
What can we do?
- Believe children the first time.
- Create care environments where it’s safe to speak up.
- Train adults – carers, teachers, doctors – to recognise and respond to disclosures.
- Advocate for systems that protect children, not silence them.
This isn’t just a call to action, it’s a call to listen. Because when children are not seen, not heard, and not safe, we all fail.
To read the full article visit: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1155/hsc/8831616
To read more about this research visit: https://www.scu.edu.au/centre-for-children-and-young-people/our-research/learning-from-victims-and-survivors/
