The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of the cultural values of familism and gender roles on the disclosure of child sexual abuse and on subsequent support of survivors. This study will strive to gain a deeper understanding of the perceived connection which these two Latino cultural values have with the experience of child sexual abuse. In particular, this study sought to find out whether the presence of strong degrees of familism and traditional gender roles are related to difficulty in disclosing child sexual abuse and to lack of family support.

This was a qualitative study which consisted of a sample of 12 adult Latinas who were survivors of child sexual abuse. The results indicated that for the study participants familism and gender roles were important factors contributing to disclosure of child sexual abuse and family support. Implications for social work practice and recommendations for future research are discussed.