Survivors of intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse: experiences of disclosure, family and parenting
type: CreativeWork
description: Systematic Review Abstract: Intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse (IFCSA) is a global phenomenon associated with a multitude of negative outcomes in adulthood, including parenting difficulties. This qualitative meta-synthesis explored how individuals who have experienced IFCSA experience parenthood. A systematic search of the literature was conducted, followed by purposeful sampling of eligible studies. The findings from 18 qualitative studies were synthesised using meta-ethnography. Six themes were generated: being a good parent; the emotional capacity for parenting; barriers and facilitators; a lens of trauma; continuing the legacy; and an opportunity to heal. The worthwhile struggle to be a good parent emerged as an overarching theme, and captures the sense that survivors of IFCSA have strong desires to be good parents and make determined efforts to do so, but face difficulties in parenting that many others do not. Findings are discussed in relation to theory, research and practice. Empirical Study Abstract: Background: Intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse (IFCSA) is a particularly damaging form of sexual abuse. Disclosure of IFCSA is frequently delayed until adulthood, yet there is a scarcity of research exploring adult disclosures of IFCSA within the family. Objective: To explore how survivors of IFCSA experience disclosing their abuse to their families in adulthood. Participants and Setting: Six female survivors of IFCSA, ranging in age from 30 to 62, recruited from a counselling service in Ireland. Methods: Data was collected via semi-structured interviews focusing on disclosure experiences, reactions to disclosures, and family relationships. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three overarching themes emerged from the data. Participants experienced a sense of tension between individualism and collectivism that manifested across disclosure decisions an…
abstract: Systematic Review Abstract: Intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse (IFCSA) is a global phenomenon associated with a multitude of negative outcomes in adulthood, including parenting difficulties. This qualitative meta-synthesis explored how individuals who have experienced IFCSA experience parenthood. A systematic search of the literature was conducted, followed by purposeful sampling of eligible studies. The findings from 18 qualitative studies were synthesised using meta-ethnography. Six themes were generated: being a good parent; the emotional capacity for parenting; barriers and facilitators; a lens of trauma; continuing the legacy; and an opportunity to heal. The worthwhile struggle to be a good parent emerged as an overarching theme, and captures the sense that survivors of IFCSA have strong desires to be good parents and make determined efforts to do so, but face difficulties in parenting that many others do not. Findings are discussed in relation to theory, research and practice. Empirical Study Abstract: Background: Intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse (IFCSA) is a particularly damaging form of sexual abuse. Disclosure of IFCSA is frequently delayed until adulthood, yet there is a scarcity of research exploring adult disclosures of IFCSA within the family. Objective: To explore how survivors of IFCSA experience disclosing their abuse to their families in adulthood. Participants and Setting: Six female survivors of IFCSA, ranging in age from 30 to 62, recruited from a counselling service in Ireland. Methods: Data was collected via semi-structured interviews focusing on disclosure experiences, reactions to disclosures, and family relationships. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Results: Three overarching themes emerged from the data. Participants experienced a sense of tension between individualism and collectivism that manifested across disclosure decisions an…
author: McMahon, Rachel
language: en
keywords: Intrafamilial childhood sexual abuse, Childhood sexual abuse, Parenting, Systematic review, Meta-synthesis, Disclosure, Social reactions, Family relationships, Qualitative, Interpretative phenomenological analysis
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
date published: 2021-05-06
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:46:44Z
provider: University College Cork
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University College Cork

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10468/12000