ABSTRACT
Efforts to tackle child sexual exploitation (CSE) and other forms of child sexual abuse (CSA) are often frustrated by the secretive and hidden nature of the abuse and associated difficulties in disclosure and identification. The chapter argues that the theoretical traditions which have shaped the field of CSA disclosure – and particularly theories that seek to explain non-disclosure – are firmly rooted in an understanding of sexual abuse as something occurring to younger children within the family. Child-related barriers are those which arise from developmental characteristics of the child and/or emotional turmoil experienced by the child as a result of the abuse. Relational barriers are those which arise from the nature or characteristics of a relationship or set of relationships which can be actual or perceived. Social barriers are those which arise from broader societal responses to or messages about sexual abuse that may prevent disclosure.
