Who Are the Others? An Ecological Analysis of Significant Others in Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract

Intrafamilial child sexual abuse (CSA) is often seen as a private, dyadic interaction between a victim and perpetrator. Yet, emerging evidence suggests it is frequently embedded in broader family ecologies where others are present. Despite this, little is known about these “others” and how children perceive and interpret their presence. Therefore, the current study centers on the narratives of adults who experienced intrafamilial CSA in the presence of significant others. It examines two core questions: (1) Who are the “others” present during incidents of intrafamilial CSA? and (2) How do children interpret the presence of these individuals? Eighteen adult survivors (aged 26–62) participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to identify and interpret patterns of meaning, supported by peer debriefing, audit trails, and ongoing reflexivity to ensure rigor and interpretive depth. The findings indicate that “others” were present during the abuse across all ecological layers of the participants’ childhoods. At the microsystem level, mothers, siblings, extended family members, educators, and community figures were perceived as present. At the exosystem level, welfare and educational professionals were viewed as influential actors who knew or should have known about the abuse. At the intrapersonal level, the absence of acknowledgment created profound disruptions in internal validity, leaving children uncertain about the factual, cognitive, and moral meaning of their experiences. The study emphasizes the need for trauma-responsive, acknowledgment-centered practices that understand intrafamilial CSA as a relational and systemic phenomenon. It calls for multidisciplinary interventions and greater institutional responsibility in recognizing and validating children’s experiences across ecological contexts.