Qualitative study examines seven adolescent girls’ abuse disclosure and school support

A qualitative study of seven adolescent girls aged 14–18 who had experienced child sexual abuse found that disclosure unfolded as a continuum influenced by emotional readiness, social context and cultural expectations. The participants also described post-traumatic coping, resilience and the importance of schools as safe places for awareness, emotional support and disclosure. The research, conducted in one district of Tamil Nadu, India, was based on in-depth interviews rather than measures intended to estimate prevalence or evaluate the effectiveness of school interventions.

The researchers selected participants through a screening process following child sexual abuse awareness sessions attended by 517 students from high and higher secondary schools. Seven girls who had experienced child sexual abuse were purposively selected for the study. Using semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the investigators examined how the adolescents perceived and made sense of their experiences. ATLAS.ti was used to identify and organize key themes. Thematic saturation was achieved by the seventh interview, with no substantively new themes emerging during the final stage of analysis.

Four major themes emerged. The first, labeled “Narrating and Disclosing CSA as a Continuum of Expression,” captured participants’ experiences of expressing and narrating abuse at different stages of emotional readiness and in different social contexts. The second, “Post-Traumatic Navigation: Inner Worlds and Outer Responses,” focused on the emotional and behavioral responses associated with life after abuse. Together, these themes show that the adolescents did not describe disclosure as a uniform process with one beginning and endpoint. Their accounts instead linked the act of speaking about abuse to their readiness to do so and to the circumstances surrounding disclosure.

The third theme concerned participants’ perceptions of perpetrators and the influence of sociocultural conditions. The fourth, “Cultivating Safe Havens: Schools as Engines of Prevention and Change,” addressed schools as potential sources of awareness, emotional support and safe opportunities for disclosure. The interviews also recorded moments of resilience: despite describing abuse and its aftermath, some participants highlighted ways in which they continued to respond and find support. Because the study was qualitative and included only seven participants, it did not quantify the frequency of coping responses or establish that every school offered effective support. It instead documented how this particular group understood disclosure, coping and the role of educational institutions.

The authors concluded that adolescents’ experiences of child sexual abuse were deeply influenced by emotional readiness, social context and cultural norms, including the broader context in which discussions of sexuality and abuse may be constrained. They emphasized the potential value of systemic, empathetic interventions that center survivors’ voices and strengthen school-based prevention and support. Their results describe perceptions reported by seven girls in one Tamil Nadu district and do not demonstrate that school-based programs reduce abuse, improve mental-health outcomes or cause a particular form of resilience. The purposive sample also limits generalization to other adolescents, boys, survivors in other regions or students who did not participate. The study’s principal contribution is its detailed account of how the participants described disclosure as a continuum, navigated post-traumatic responses, viewed sociocultural influences, and identified schools as potential safe havens.

Subject of Research: Disclosure, coping and perceived school support among adolescent girls who experienced child sexual abuse

Article Title: Lived experiences of adolescent girls following child sexual abuse: disclosure, coping, and perceived school support

Article References: S. V., S., & Balamurugan, J. (2026). Lived experiences of adolescent girls following child sexual abuse: disclosure, coping, and perceived school support. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 17, Article 1895004. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1895004

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1895004

Keywords: child sexual abuse, adolescent girls, disclosure, coping, school support, resilience, qualitative research, thematic analysis, Tamil Nadu, survivor experiences, Lived, experiences