Responding to Disclosures
What is a Disclosure? A disclosure is telling another person about an incident or experience of violence or abuse. This incident or experience of violence may have occurred in the past, or it may have happened recently, or it may be ongoing.
If someone discloses to you, here are a few helpful ways to respond:
Keep your response neutral
Validate and be an active listener
Ask the survivor about their safety and their support system
Share options for moving forward and let them know the choice is theirs and you are here to support them. Some options/choices are: reporting to police or other organization, getting medical treatment- SANE, mental health support, consider guardianship.
Approach with a trauma informed lens. Learn about the 4 R’s of Trauma Informed Care: Realize, Recognize, Respond and Resist Retraumatizing. (SAMHSA)
Focus on restoring choice and power! Survivors of violence and/or sexual assault have their choice and power taken away when they are abused. Their disclosure shows trust and courage. Whoever they disclose to has an opportunity to restore choice and power and plays an important role in the healing process. Let empathy be the guide. Validate as much as possible. Remember when someone discloses abuse to you it is not a fact-finding mission! Allow the survivor to share what they feel comfortable sharing.
Statements like: ‘I believe you! This is not your fault. I’m here for you. You are strong’, can be very helpful to a victim/survivor.
Mandated Reporting in MA
Mandated reporters are required by law to report cases of suspected abuse or neglect. Mandated reporters are people who because of their profession, are more likely to be aware of abuse and neglect of children/youth, elders and people with disabilities. Anybody, even people who are not mandated to report, may chose to file a report of suspected abuse/neglect. The standard for reporting suspected abuse or neglect, is a ‘reasonable cause to believe’. Those who report need only have ‘a mere suspicion’ that an abuse or neglect was committed.
How to report
If a disabled person has disclosed to you, or if you suspect an abuse was committed, report to DPPC’s 24-hour hotline: 1-800-426-9009.