Listening and Believing: An Examination of Young People’s Perceptions of why they are not Believed by Professionals when they Report Abuse and Neglect

This article explores commonly held perceptions by young people as to why they are sometimes not believed by practitioners when reporting potential or actual instances of abuse or neglect. Using original data gained from telephone, individual and group interviews with over a hundred young people a ‘typology of disbelief’ was constructed and is here presented for consideration. By drawing attention to a range of perceptions frequently articulated by young people, it is hoped to increase understanding of the problems they may face when attempting to disclose abuse and neglect.