I came across this great resource on Dr. Lacter’s website. The title of the resource is Fear of the Consequences of Disclosure, Actual, Anticipated, or Threatened by Abuser(s) that Cause Disclosure to Be Consciously Withheld and/or that Cause Abuse Memories to Be Dissociated. She gathered these resources to help victims from blaming themselves for not telling an adult, parent or someone while the abuse is occurring. Dr. Lacter lists a number of reasons with supporting resources. I have included a few of the items on her list below as to why victims of child abuse do not tell.
“Fear of not being believed; in many cases, abusers tell children that they won’t be believed
Fear of being blamed by others
Fear of “getting in trouble,” being seen as equally at fault, being told, “It takes two to tango.”
Self-blame for not fighting or escaping, for unacceptable helplessness, forgetting the entrapment
Abusers make children feel to blame, call them seductive, tell them they wanted it, coerce
perpetration, tell them they are accomplices, murderers, evil, that they liked it, etc.
Fear of being judged as crazy and psychiatric hospitalization; this is often threatened by abusers
Gaslighting, that is, psychological manipulation to cause victims to question their own sanity.*
A belief that the abuse may be justified, right, normal/typical, especially if the abuse began early
Fear of condemnation, loss of love, or abandonment by a parent or other attachment figure
Fear of being sent to a foster-home or orphanage; this is often threatened by abusers”
– Source from https://endritualabuse.org/consequences-of-disclosure/
She address the following topics:
1. Remembering Why I Could Not Tell
2. Reasons Why Memories of Incest Trauma May Become Inaccessible or Be Withheld
3. Tactics in Extreme Abuse and Abuse, including Abuse that Calculatingly Manipulates Victims’ Dissociated Self-states and Makes Disclosure Increasingly Unlikely
For more information, please visit Dr. Lacter’s website listed below.
Source:
www.endritualabuse.org
Fear of the Consequences of Disclosure, Actual, Anticipated, or Threatened by Abuser(s) that Cause Disclosure to Be Consciously Withheld and/or that Cause Abuse Memories to Be Dissociated
Fear of the Consequences of Disclosure, Actual, Anticipated, or Threatened by Abuser(s) that Cause Disclosure to Be Consciously Withheld and/or that Cause Abuse Memories to Be Dissociated
