I agree that many of the claimants probably didn't view their interactions as traumatic at the time.
Whereas you cling to monetary motivations, the ideas behind compliant victimization explain a lot more of the evidence.
From my post to which you replied: "
Such experiences may be forgotten simply because we did not perceive them as traumatic at the time."
Let me expand on this: the key is that they weren’t viewed as traumatic at the time. It is not uncommon for victims to enjoy the physical manifestations of the abuse. This is a hard thing to accept. But as Ken Lanning has said, a pubescent boy is the easiest creature in the world to seduce. Years later, once that boy's sexual identity is fully formed, assuming he's heterosexual, it is incredibly unlikely for him to tell people he really enjoyed receiving his first blowjob when it was from an older man.
From my post to which you replied: "
It is certainly possible for people to forget an incident of sexual abuse, especially if they never talk about it afterward."
Let me expand on this: And, perhaps, they may tell tell people they don’t want to remember, which isn’t the same as having forgotten. It generally means they don’t want to talk about what it is they do remember.
If that doesn't spell it out sufficiently, I refer you to Ken Lanning's paper on Compliant Victimization:
https://www.abusewatch.net/Compliant Child Victims.pdf
Offender-Victim Bond
The successful investigation and prosecution of sexual exploitation of children cases often hinges on being able to answer two questions:
1. Why didn't the victim disclose (fully or partially) when it happened?
2. Why is the victim disclosing (fully or partially) now?
For objective fact-finders, the answers to these questions should be what the evidence supports not what society prefers. Because victims of acquaintance exploitation usually have been carefully seduced and often do not realize or believe they are victims, they repeatedly and voluntarily return to the offender. Society and the criminal-justice system have a difficult time understanding this. If a neighbor, teacher, or clergy member molests a boy, why does he "allow" it to continue and not immediately report it? Most likely he may not initially realize or believe he is a victim. Some victims are simply willing to trade sex for attention, affection, and gifts and do not believe they are victims. The sex itself might even be enjoyable, and the offender may be treating them better than anyone else ever has. But, they may come to realize they are victims when the offender ends the relationship. Then they recognize that all the attention, affection, and gifts were just part of a plan to use and exploit them. This may be the final blow for a troubled child who has had a difficult life.
Many of these victims never disclose their victimization. Younger children may believe they did something "wrong" or "bad" and are afraid of getting into trouble. Older children may be more ashamed and embarrassed. Victims not only do not disclose, but they often strongly deny it happened when confronted. In one case, several boys took the stand and testified concerning the high moral character of the accused molester. When the accused molester changed his plea to guilty, he admitted that the boys who testified on his behalf were also among his victims.
In my experience, some of the more common reasons that compliant victims do not disclose are:
- The stigma of homosexuality.
- Lack of societal understanding.
- Failure to tell when they should have.
- Presence of positive feelings for the offender.
- Embarrassment or fear over their victimization.
- The belief they are not really victims.
Because most of the offenders are male, the stigma of homosexuality is a serious problem for male victims, especially if no threats or force were used prior to the sex. Although being seduced by a male child molester does not necessarily make a boy a homosexual, the victims do not understand this. If a victim does disclose, he risks significant ridicule by his peers and lack of acceptance by his family.
These seduced or compliant child victims obviously do sometimes disclose, often because the sexual activity is discovered (e.g., abduction by offender, recovered child pornography, overheard conversations, computer records located) or suspected (e.g., statements of other victims, association with known sex offender, proactive investigation), after which an intervener confronts them. Others disclose because the offender misjudged them, got too aggressive with them, or is seducing a younger sibling or their close friend. Compliant victims sometimes come forward and report because they are angry with the offender for "dumping" them. They might be jealous that the offender found a new, younger victim. They sometimes disclose because the abuse has ended, not to end the abuse. Some compliant victims eventually disclose due to significant changes later in their lives such as marriage or the birth of a child.
Lastly, if you disagreed with my post to which you replied, you're going to have to take it up with Pendergrast. He's the one who wrote it. You know, in that book you keep telling everybody to read.