This is a guide to responding to children and young people’s disclosures of abuse and maltreatment. It also outlines what is known about how, why and when children and young people are likely to disclose abuse and provides information to help individuals respond to these disclosures.

Most research into children and young people’s disclosures has focused on disclosures of child sexual abuse – however, the issues discussed in this guide are likely to be relevant to disclosures of other types of abuse (e.g. physical, psychological and emotional abuse).

The guide is for family members, friends, other adults and professionals working with children and young people. The way that individuals respond to disclosures of abuse may differ according to their role in the child’s life.