A common misconception is that children who have been sexually abused will likely immediately disclose. A recent study of over 1,000 sexual assault survivors revealed that the average age at the time of reporting child sex abuse was about fifty-two years. This is critical information to consider and impart when a child or adolescent is participating in a forensic interview or testifying in court. This presentation will review this new compelling research and discuss how to use this information at trial to rebut the defense assertion that a delayed disclosure implies a possibly false allegation. Participants will also learn of the most common recipient(s) of such delayed disclosures and strategies to compel a judge or jury to convict.
Learning Objectives:
Learn that disclosures of child sexual abuse most commonly occur decades after the crime
Lessons learned from multiple victim cases underscore delayed disclosure and a common modus operandi
The most common recipient of an outcry is a peer and/or a friend
