Stranger v. Intimate Abuse
This short summary states that children more often report sexual abuse by someone they know than by a stranger. It identifies research citations accompanying Wendy Dutton’s February 2022 summary.
Tag
CSA Testimony
Memory for Traumatic Events
This compilation reviews research on how trauma and stress can affect memory, including stability, recall, organization, and susceptibility to later information. Its cited studies describe varied findings, such as memory impairments or disorganization in some samples and vulnerability to misinformation, so it does not treat every traumatic memory as either uniformly accurate or uniformly impaired.
Types of Disclosure
Wendy Dutton’s summary distinguishes accidental, prompted, and purposeful disclosures of child sexual abuse, defining each by how the disclosure begins. It lists research citations associated with these categories.
Under-Disclosure of Sexual Abuse
This brief resource states that children may report less detail about abuse experiences than is reflected in recordings or perpetrators’ confessions, and lists five related citations. It is attributed to a February 2022 document titled “Areas of Inquiry and Summary for Expert Testimony and Supporting Research Citations.”
To Whom Disclosure Made, and Effects of Disclosure
This summary by Wendy Dutton discusses whom children may tell about sexual abuse and how responses to disclosure are described as relating to later disclosure and trauma symptoms. It also lists research articles cited in support of the summary.
Dissociation/Hyperarousal
The source distinguishes dissociation from hyperarousal as different responses discussed in relation to trauma. It describes dissociation as attention turning inward, with examples such as numbing or depersonalization, while hyperarousal involves heightened monitoring for possible threats.
Fight/Flight/Freeze
The resource reviews fight, flight, and freeze as possible responses to perceived danger, including tonic immobility and other passive reactions. It explains physiological stress responses and summarizes research proposing a broader sequence of defensive reactions, while noting that responses may vary with age and sex.
Dr. Dutton’s recommended Forensic Interview Techniques
The source outlines a structured approach to interviewing children about possible abuse, beginning with rapport and narrative practice before asking about the concern. It recommends open-ended invitations, direct but non-leading follow-up questions when needed, and a neutral close, drawing on cited interview research.
Gender and Disclosure
The source describes gender-related patterns that may shape how children disclose sexual abuse. It reports that boys may delay longer and worry about being seen as weak or homosexual, and it lists research citations addressing gender and disclosure.
Do molesters molest when others are in the room?
This resource contrasts a preliminary 1999 survey of offenders with a 2015 study of potential guardians and child sexual abuse severity. The former authors described their questionnaire as limited and unvalidated, while the later study reported that a nearby person was associated with reduced duration and lower likelihood of penetration.