They determined that a child has to be repeatedly interviewed and coaxed to disclose. The child has to be repeatedly questioned about abuse until they finally overcome their reluctance to talk about the molestation and disclose. Half of the recanters seemed to have done so after having been exposed to pressure from a caregiver. Also, they did not find gradual disclosure of abuse during extended visits to a therapist or other professional to be common. Instead, the child disclosed full details about the entire event at one time.
Many therapists believe that children are reluctant to disclose because they have been threatened.
A variety of studies have shown that this is rarely so. Unfortunately, research studies in this topic have only recently been given the priority that they deserve. It would appear that researchers and clinicians disagree, both about the processes by which children disclose abuse, and about the reliability of their eventual statements. This battle revolves around the credibility of children's testimony, particularly in sexual abuse cases. Child witnesses are depicted by this side as helpless sponges who soak up the interviewer's suggestions and regurgitate them in court.