The literature has indicated that mothers of children victims of sexual abuse, when taking knowledge of the abuse situation of their children, can present a variety of manifestations that can include anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, the reaction facing abuse disclosure can be support and protection or, still, avoidance, indifference or ambivalence. This study aimed at investigating how mothers of sexually abused girls reacted when they had taken knowledge of the abuse. Ten participants who were being sheltered at a specialized service for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in a public hospital of Porto Alegre were interviewed. The mother's reactions were classified in positive and ambivalent. The majority of the mothers believed in the report of their daughters and denounced the abuse, although not all had been protective in the sense of keeping their children safe from the abuser or immediately looking for help and carrying out the denunciation. The factors that contribute to mother's reactions are also discussed.
child sexual abuse; mother's reaction; disclosure
