Don't know whether I am repeating myself, but I did tell, and it was treated so trivially by authority, that I had no confidence left.
I think as a child, we have a different mind set, we protect so much, those we love, and don't want to be thought of instigating, what happened.
As a child, we think, OK., if he is caught, he will just blame me for wanting it, adults always win, they know the score, I'm only the kid, they won't believe me, somehow I am guilty, even when forced to do things no kid should ever know about.
But kids don't think that way, they are left to think and meander about the million and one things that may come out of telling, they are trying to protect themselves and their families, believe me, to an 11yr old, I ran so many thoughts through my mind, they all came to one thing, after burning my mind inside out, and just wanting to be "out", you win thing.
Thinking about it, a kid should be thinking of playing, not hiding from some beast, he is stronger, he will come and get you, this is what the imagination of a young boy holds in such an attack.
You just want an end to the monsters in your mind, visiting you every night, through nightmares and terror, afraid to even move in your bed for fear of the beast returning.
You just want an end point to put on the terror, you can't because he is never caught, you live your life in fear of him hunting you down, you fear the police will believe him, not you, what that would do, is indescribable, but it all goes through a kids mind.
I thought? If he does get caught, they will believe him, if I went to court, they will believe him, why? Because my mind is so f**cked up, if he turned it around on me, I would not survive the onslaught, of the guilt I already had, being used to make me look guilty. Think of "IMPRESSION OF GUILT"
Think of all the other "impressions", when they are bestowed on such a young mind, a mind that is so immature, a mind that knows the horrendous things done in the act, but still never does know the adult view, nor will he ever until he reaches adulthood, because he is so vulnerable, and he will be until he can really understand.
There really is so much to be said in this topic, maybe, we could have a topic entitled, what effect did it have on not telling?
I still live with it, have to, have no choice, but I have been there, know the score, wonder why my life is full of crap, but I also wonder. Who could bestow so much mental damage on a kid, and would they, if they knew, probably, because they don't give a shit.