Making child sexual abuse disclosures
On this page you can find information about making disclosures of child sexual abuse, and hear from people with lived experience of making and receiving disclosures.
Help is available if you or someone you know has experienced, are experiencing, or are concerned a child or young person may be at risk of harm, including child sexual abuse. If you need assistance or support, our Get support page provides a list of dedicated services. If you need information or resources for reporting child safety concerns, please visit our Make a report page.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call Triple Zero (000).
Take a look at the video below to hear from victims and survivors of child sexual abuse and their advocates about making child sexual abuse disclosures.
Read the transcript
Brenda: My name is Brenda. I am a co-founder and Director of The Survivor Hub. We are a survivor-led organisation that provides support to survivors of sexual assault.
A disclosure of sexual abuse is when a survivor wishes to tell else someone about the sexual assault or sexual abuse that’s been happening to them.
Nicole: My name is Nicole Meyer and I am a survivor of female perpetrated abuse. I have gone through a trial and done a lot of healing work, and now an ambassador for National Survivors Day, and therefore increasing my advocacy and supporting survivors.
A victim or survivor may disclose abuse simply because they want it to stop and they’re looking for that support, or because they know something is going on that is wrong, even if they don’t quite understand it, or because they have a safe place and safe person they can disclose to.
Paul: My name is Paul. 64-year-old male, father of four beautiful sons and I am what I call a journey man. My life has been through lots of highs and lows. 14 years ago my life suddenly changed and it came crashing down. That was as a consequence of having endured about 4 years of childhood sexual abuse, from sexual, physical and emotional.
For me, and I believe it is for most people, it’s our time to regain control of our life, it’s our time to redefine our lives to say, ‘I feel broken but I’m worth something more. I deserve more.’
Hetty: My name is Hetty Johnston. I’m the Founder of Bravehearts and also Safeguarding People Australia. I have been involved in the area of child safety for almost 30 years now. It started when our own daughter was sexually assaulted.
If you are ready, the benefits of making a disclosure can be absolutely life changing; enormous.
Paul: The benefits of disclosure are regaining my life, redefining my life. I feel I’m a better father to my four sons now. I feel I’m a better person in terms of what I can give back to the community cause I actually feel like a real person again.
Hetty: There is no such thing as the right time to make a disclosure. It’s when you’re ready. It will depend on your circumstances, it will depend on the sort of support you have around you.
Nicole: No matter what age a person is, it is extremely difficult to disclose sexual abuse. Whether you’re a child, teenager or adult, or even a senior adult who hasn’t disclosed something that’s happened many years ago. So, if you set yourself up with supports around you to make that disclosure, you will then realise that it’s worth to speak out and start the healing process.
Hetty: I think the most important tool you’ll have if you decide to make a disclosure is having a support person. That support person will be with you through this entire journey, and that support person will be key to the outcomes and to your ability to continue on what can be a very difficult road.
Hetty: The right person for you might be your best friend, it might be a family member, or it might be someone completely out of the blue, like a police officer. Only you will know who that person is.
Paul: So, it’s having that place where people will actually believe you. Say, ‘Look I’m feeling very vulnerable right now. I’ve got something I really need to talk to someone about but I just don’t know if it’s the right person. Do you think you can be that person for me?’
Brenda: For me, I found it helpful just jotting down some points of things I want to say as well. I find it hard sometimes to get the words out on the spot, so even if you write it down, you can sort of give it to them and that can be helpful as well.
Paul: The road you’re taking is the right road, but it’s going to be a very difficult and bumpy road, but it’s worth it.
Brenda: If you’re a survivor and you do get a negative response, please, please know that that response is not a reflection of what’s happened to you, or a reflection of you at all, it is a reflection on them. And please know that lots of other survivors believe you.
Hetty: I think for all survivors, the first thing to know is what happened is not your fault. Whether that disclosure goes really well, or really bad, the thing is that what you’re doing is the right thing. And if they’re not listening to you, find someone who will.
What is a child sexual abuse disclosure
A child sexual abuse disclosure is the process where a person conveys or attempts to convey (verbally or non-verbally) that they are being or have been sexually abused as a child or young person. Disclosures can be made by children or young people about current or past abuse, or adults can make disclosures about sexual abuse that happened to them as a child (sometimes referred to as historical child sexual abuse).
Sometimes people are unsure about whether what happened to them was child sexual abuse. This can be due to the impacts of grooming, including self-blame, shame, and guilt, or not having enough information about child sexual abuse. If you are feeling unsure, you can find more information on our What is child sexual abuse? page and Grooming page, or contact one of the free support services listed on our Get support page.
On this page, we refer to people who have experienced child sexual abuse as ‘victims and survivors’. People with a lived experience of child sexual abuse may prefer to identify as a victim, a survivor, as both, as another term, or not identify with a term at all. It is always ok to tell people the terms you prefer. It’s also ok if these change over time or depending on the situation.
Disclosing child sexual abuse can look different for each person. It can happen several times across someone’s life, to different people, and for different reasons. Regardless of these differences, all disclosures deserve to be believed, taken seriously and responded to with care and support.
If you’re thinking about disclosing
There are many ways to disclose child sexual abuse. Some people may disclose experiences of child sexual abuse without planning to. For others, a disclosure may be something they actively plan for over time.
The journey of disclosing child sexual abuse can be a difficult one. Throughout your journey, it is important to remember some key things:
- child sexual abuse is never ok and what happened to you is never your fault
- it’s never too late to disclose or seek help
- this is your journey and you should do what feels right for you
- you are not alone and there is free support available.
Hear from Nicole Meyer, victim and survivor advocate, about her disclosure journey, below.
Read the transcript
Child sexual abuse is prevalent, and is happening everywhere and anywhere. It does not matter what religion, what faith, what minority, what majority. It happens absolutely everywhere.
Personally, my understanding is that religious and faith-based communities do present an extra barrier when it comes to disclosing abuse because everyone knows everyone and there’s a lot of shame involved, and often unfortunately in those communities, the abusers hide behind the religion to hide their abuse.
But I still think the shame and stigma of sexual abuse within religious communities is so high, and victims find it very difficult to disclose because of that.
My disclosure was actually very, very difficult. I decided to disclose because my sisters had disclosed already, and because I thought to myself, I want to get this perpetrator off the streets. I did it completely alone. I will never forget that day. I walked into a police station far out of my community because, again, that stigma of disclosing in a religious community was very strong. So, I went a half an hour drive away to a police station. I walked in, and even as an adult disclosing - I was in my mid-20s - it was extremely difficult for me to share what happened. That very first statement was … I think I stumbled a lot over it, I glossed over a lot of the trauma because I wasn’t ready to share all of it yet. And that’s something that many survivors struggle with. That very first disclosure, you can’t say everything. It’s so important to have that space to go back and add to that statement as more memories come up and as you feel more safe to share more. Which is what I did, but 10 years later.
So, if you set yourself up with supports around you to make that disclosure, you will then realise that it’s worth to speak out and start the healing process.
How to disclose
There is no right way to disclose child sexual abuse. How you disclose should be based on what feels right and safe for you. Some ways to disclose child sexual abuse may include:
- talking to someone you trust
- writing things down and sharing it with a safe person
- drawing a picture and giving it to someone you trust
- sharing a book or creative work that you feel represents your experience(s).
What to say
Sometimes it can be hard to know what words to use when disclosing. There is no right way to disclose and you should use language that you feel comfortable using.
For different people, that might look like using words like ‘child sexual abuse’, ‘child sexual assault’, ‘sexual violence’, ‘harm’, ‘made me feel uncomfortable’, ‘made me feel unsafe’, or something completely different.
How you talk about your lived experience can change over time and it’s okay if you don’t know exactly what words to use right away.
Get support to disclose
Disclosing child sexual abuse is a difficult and brave thing to do. When making disclosures, you deserve to have support and care.
You might like to think about the people in your life that you trust, feel safe with, and who can provide support before, during or after disclosing. In addition to people in your personal life, there are free support services dedicated to providing professional support to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse who are there to help.
You can find a list of dedicated support services on our Get support page.
Who do I disclose to?
Only you will know who is the right person is to disclose to. Generally, the right person to disclose to is someone who you trust and is a safe person to you. The right person for you might be:
- your friend
- your partner
- your parent(s), guardian(s) carer(s) or kin
- a teacher
- a health professional, such as a doctor or counsellor
- the police.
You will know if you have told the right person by how they respond. Ask yourself questions like:
- Did they believe me?
- Did they take my disclosure seriously?
- Did they listen to what I need?
- Do I feel supported?
- Are they keeping me safe?
Text alternative for the above image
"For all survivors, the think to know is that what happened is not your fault. Whether your disclosure goes really well or really bad, just know that disclosure is the right thing to do. And if they're not listening to you, find someone who will."
— Hetty Johnston AM
Founder of Safeguarding People Australia
It’s important to know that some people are required by law to report known or suspected child abuse and neglect to government authorities. Find out more about this under the Mandatory reporting of abuse section below.
Benefits of disclosing
The benefits of disclosing may depend on the reason or setting of the disclosure. For example, a benefit of disclosing for the first time may be stopping the abuse, or receiving support from a trusted person. Alternatively, a benefit of disclosing to your workplace may be working with your supervisor or HR team to develop trauma‑informed adjustments.
Generally, the benefits of disclosing can be to:
- stop the abuse or reduce the risk of further harm
- begin seeking help or support
- feel a sense of empowerment or taking back control
- find a community of other victims and survivors.
Text alternative for the above image
"The benefits of disclosure are regaining my life, redefining my life. I feel I'm a better father... I feel I'm a better person in terms of what I can give back to the community. I actually feel like a real person again."
— Paul Klotz
Journeyman: Victim, survivor and advocate
If a disclosure doesn’t go well
Unfortunately, sometimes after disclosing you realise someone wasn’t the right person for you to disclose to. This might be because they didn’t believe you, support you, or keep you safe. Whatever the reason, it is important to know that you deserve to feel believed, heard, supported and safe after disclosing.
It is important to know that someone’s bad response to your disclosure does not say anything about you or your experience(s).
Text alternative for the above image
"If you are a survivor and you do get a negative response, please, please know that that response is not a reflection of what's happened to you, or a reflection of you at all. It is a reflection on them. Please know that lots of other survivors also believe you."
— Brenda Lin
Founder and Director of The Survivor Hub
What to expect after disclosing
Immediately after disclosing
What to expect after disclosing may depend on who you have disclosed to and why you are disclosing. However, there are general things you should expect no matter who you are disclosing to or why.
After disclosing your experience(s) of child sexual abuse, the person you have told should:
- check you are not at risk of further harm
- believe you
- listen to you and your needs
- support you.
Sometimes the person you disclose to isn’t able to support you the way you need. For example, this might be because the person recognises that they aren’t a qualified mental health professional (for giving you more than basic emotional support) or a police officer (for investigating your abuse). If this happens, it is reasonable to expect this person to help you find the right person so you can receive the type and quality of support you need.
Soon after disclosing
Disclosing child sexual abuse can bring up difficult feelings and memories. Sometimes after disclosing, you may feel a rush of emotions. During this time, it can be especially helpful to have the support of the people you trust around you, such as a friend, partner, or mental health professional.
After you disclose, you may also begin to remember more details about your experience(s). Disclosing doesn’t have to just be one conversation. It’s okay to ask to talk again with the person you disclosed to. You should never be expected to remember everything at once.
Mandatory reporting of abuse
In Australia, some people are required by law to report known or suspected current child abuse and neglect to government authorities. Each state and territory has its own laws about who must report and under which circumstances.
In some jurisdictions, there are specific ‘failure to report’ laws for child sexual abuse. These laws generally make it a criminal offence for an adult to fail to report known or reasonably suspected child sexual abuse. Depending on the legislation, this obligation may apply to the general public or be limited to adults in particular roles.
States and territories also have mandatory reporting laws for people in certain professions. These mandatory reporters are usually individuals who work with children, such as teachers, doctors, nurses or police officers. Mandatory reporting laws were introduced to make it a formal, professional responsibility to protect children from abuse.
Find out more about mandatory reporting in the Australian Institute of Family Studies Mandatory reporting of child abuse and neglect resource (please note this is a guide only and laws may have changed since publication).
If you disclose to a mandatory reporter, they should talk to you before they report your abuse to any authorities. Alternatively, if you are concerned about disclosing to a mandatory reporter, you can check by asking them first.
If you want to check the most up-to-date reporting laws in your jurisdiction, you can contact your state or territory government child protection department.
Find out more about reporting child sexual abuse.
Other helpful resources
- Tell Someone – information from the Tasmanian Government to support people under 18 disclosing.
- The Survivor Hub – in-person and online peer-led support for people impacted by sexual assault.
- Bravehearts – support services for survivors of child sexual abuse.
- Blue Knot Foundation – information and free support services for survivors of child sexual abuse.
- SAMSN – information and support for male survivors of child sexual abuse.
Our website also has helpful information about how to respond to a child sexual abuse disclosure.
The information on this page may bring up strong feelings for some people. Remember, you are not alone. You can visit our Get support page to find a list of services that can help.