Recantation in child sexual abuse : putting the pieces of the puzzle together

Research on the issue of recantation in child sexual abuse represents a body of literature which is still pretty much in its infancy. This paper examines theoretical and empirical literature relevant to the topic and presents guidelines for primary and secondary prevention. Case study material is presented to illustrate the value of a child-centred approach to understanding recantation, and the paper concludes with recommendations and cautionary comments for helping professionals who are likely to encounter the issue of child sexual abuse retraction in the course of their professional activities.