How to Respond to a Child’s Disclosure of Sexual Abuse

Remain calm and don’t overreact. The child may feel more ashamed and guilty, shut down, or change their story if you react with anger or disbelief.

Believe the child and assure them what happened is not their fault.

• Listen calmly
• Allow silence in the conversation so the child does not feel rushed
• If you must ask additional questions to make a report, only ask open ended questions as leading questions can confuse the child’s memory of events. Ask as few questions as possible, it is not your responsibility to investigate. Asking unnecessary questions may further harm the child.
  • Open-ended questions include:
    • “Can you tell me more?”
    • “What happened next?”
  • Examples of supportive responses include:
    • “I believe you”
    • “What happened is not your fault”
    • “This takes a lot of courage. I’m very proud of you for telling me.”
    • “We will get the support we need to get through this”
    • Do not make broad promises about the future, such as “I will keep this from ever happening again.”