How should a nurse respond to a 15-year-old disclosing sexual abuse by their father for 8 years?

How should a nurse respond to a 15-year-old disclosing sexual abuse by their father for 8 years?

• A. The nurse should protect the family’s privacy and avoid reporting
• B. The nurse should minimize the disclosure
• C. The nurse should confront the father immediately
• D. Sharing this information is a positive step in getting help

Answer: (D)

When a teen discloses sexual abuse, the nurse’s response should validate the disclosure and set the course toward safety and support. Believing the patient and affirming that sharing this information is a brave, positive step is crucial because it opens the door to protection, medical care, and counseling. The nurse confirms the disclosure, explains limits of confidentiality, and follows the facility’s protocol to ensure immediate safety and to initiate necessary reporting to protective services or authorities as required by law. This shift from silence to action helps connect the adolescent with the help they need and protects them from further harm. Choosing to keep the information private, minimize the disclosure, or confront the father directly would not support the patient’s safety or well-being and runs counter to standard care. The aim is to empower the patient through support and formal protection measures, not to shield the abuser or delay intervention.

When a teen discloses sexual abuse, the nurse’s response should validate the disclosure and set the course toward safety and support. Believing the patient and affirming that sharing this information is a brave, positive step is crucial because it opens the door to protection, medical care, and counseling. The nurse confirms the disclosure, explains limits of confidentiality, and follows the facility’s protocol to ensure immediate safety and to initiate necessary reporting to protective services or authorities as required by law. This shift from silence to action helps connect the adolescent with the help they need and protects them from further harm.

Choosing to keep the information private, minimize the disclosure, or confront the father directly would not support the patient’s safety or well-being and runs counter to standard care. The aim is to empower the patient through support and formal protection measures, not to shield the abuser or delay intervention.