RT Article
T1 "I need to talk to someone…what do I do?": peer-to-peer disclosures of child maltreatment on social media
JF Journal of family violence
VO 40
IS 8
SP 1535
OP 1548
A1 Williams, Anneliese H.
A1 Williams, Amelia W.
A1 Renner, Lynette
A1 PettyJohn, Morgan E.
A1 Cash, Scottye J.
A1 Schwab-Reese, Laura M.
A2 Williams, Amelia W.
A2 Renner, Lynette
A2 PettyJohn, Morgan E.
A2 Cash, Scottye J.
A2 Schwab-Reese, Laura M.
LA English
YR 2025
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1946194557
AB Introduction: Child maltreatment significantly impacts youths’ mental and physical health into adulthood. While resources can help, many victims only disclose their experiences to peers, often through social media. The way children use these platforms to reveal maltreatment is not well understood. Objective: This research aimed to analyze disclosures of child maltreatment on the online platform TalkLife, focusing on the nature of disclosures, motivations, and subsequent actions or feelings described. Methods: We conducted a two-phase qualitative content analysis of anonymized TalkLife posts. Initially, we devised a definition for child maltreatment, which we applied to 3,669 posts labeled "suspected family issues" by TalkLife algorithms, identifying 263 posts related to child maltreatment. We then further analyzed these using qualitative content analysis. Results: TalkLife users revealed diverse maltreatment experiences with mental/emotional, physical, and sexual abuse mentioned most often. Disclosures, largely by victims, often cited nuclear family perpetrators. Factors triggering disclosures included recent abuse, emotional states, or seeing related posts. Users sought to vent, solicit advice, inquire about abuse, joke, or share desires. Many youth shared their emotional and traumatic responses to the abuse which spanned from confrontation to flight. A minority detailed others’ reactions to their disclosures, with both support and disregard observed. Conclusion: These results underscore the disclosure needs of maltreated youth, showing some turn to online platforms for peer support. As online disclosures grow, we must equip youth to address peers’ revelations. Platforms could also use algorithms to identify such disclosures, offering trauma-informed resources.
NO Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 1546-1548
K1 Abuse
K1 Child Maltreatment
K1 Disclosure
K1 Neglect
K1 Online
K1 Peer-to-peer
DO 10.1007/s10896-024-00697-w