The presence of family secrecy in childhood : an investigation into the impact of family secrets in childhood on adult children’s lives and relationships

Abstract

Existing literature has extensively explored family secrecy; however, a notable gap remains regarding the influence of childhood family secrets on the later lives and relationships of adult children, particularly from a systemic and relational perspective. This study fills this void by employing elements of constructivist grounded theory methodology (Charmaz, 2014) to investigate how adult children navigate their encounters with family secrets, silences, and disclosures. In-depth interviews with seven adult participants who had experienced the presence of family secrets during their childhood were conducted. Using constant comparison and memo writing throughout the simultaneous data collection and data analytic process, the following tentative core category was presented: Riding the emotional rollercoaster: Emotions that shape family secrets and family secrets that shape emotions. This central theme encapsulates the complex nature of navigating family contexts marked by secrecy, illustrating the mutual influence of emotions on family secrecy. Sub-categories include contrasting childhood memories, the transition from innocence to awareness of family secrets, secrecy as a portal into intricate family dynamics, resilience amidst emotional turmoil, and the short- and long-term impact of family secrecy during childhood. Implications for practice highlight the importance of fostering safe spaces for disclosure and employing creative approaches to facilitate conversations about the emotional weight of family secrets without necessarily revealing them. Additionally, a proposed model using the imagery of an emotional rollercoaster offers a potentially valuable framework for exploring individuals’ encounters with family secrets and their decisions surrounding disclosure.