Disclosure of parental physical abuse: Patterns in disclosure attempts among Norwegian teenagers

• Published in: Child abuse review (Chichester, England : 1992) Vol. 33; no. 2
• Main Authors: Skoland, Kathrine, Studsrød, Ingunn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2024
• Subjects: Adolescents; Adults; child physical abuse; Children; Confessions; Confidants; Disclosure; Domestic violence; Families & family life; frequency of violence; Friendship; Gender differences; informal recipients; Parents & parenting; Relatives; school employees; Socioeconomic status; Victims; Youth
• ISSN: 0952-9136; 1099-0852
• DOI: 10.1002/car.2866

In recent years, Norwegian authorities have intensified their efforts to prevent and prosecute domestic violence while prioritising the protection of victims, with initiatives such as action plans, strategic measures and various programmes, with a particular focus on children. Despite increased awareness of violence towards children, a significant portion still goes unreported. Our study aims to examine patterns in disclosure attempts among Norwegian teenagers. We studied 11,615 teenagers from the Local Youth Survey between 2014 and 2016 who confirmed experiencing physical violence from an adult family member. Our findings indicate that, among those who did try to disclose, informal confidants like parents or friends, rather than school employees, were the preferred choices. When examining the factors that influence the likelihood of attempting to disclose, we observed that the frequency of violence played a significant role in explaining variation. The likelihood of attempting disclosure was also higher among girls and among those with a low socioeconomic background. Part of this pattern was confirmed also when studying the subgroup that had tried to disclose: the probability of attempting to tell a school employee was higher among those who had a low socioeconomic background and was exposed to violence more frequently. In this subgroup, however, no significant gender differences were observed. Key Practitioner Messages Few teenagers who have experienced physical violence from an adult in the family try to disclose their experiences. Teenagers who have experienced physical violence from an adult in the family tend to try disclosing their experiences to informal confidants, such as a parent or a friend. Just as important as empowering young people to disclose is the capability and skills of friends and family members when receiving confessions about physical abuse.