Case Report: “We are not alone”: shared vulnerability and peer solidarity as catalysts for healing in child sexual abuse

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) profoundly affects children's emotional and developmental well-being. For many survivors, the inability to fully understand the abuse during childhood is used by perpetrators to maintain control and silence, creating long-lasting psychological consequences. Aim: This study explores the two adolescent girls make meaning of their CSA experiences and how sharing their narratives with each other contributes to their healing and personal growth. Methods: This study draws on in-depth interviews with two female adolescent survivors of CSA. A reflexive thematic analysis approach was used to explore how they make sense of their experiences and how shared storytelling shaped their recovery. Results: The findings highlight the restorative power of peer connection. As the two adolescents exchanged their narratives, they recognized shared forms of vulnerability rooted in similar socioeconomic and family contexts. This mutual recognition fostered emotional safety, validation, and a unique form of solidarity that supported their healing and personal growth. Conclusions: The study suggests that recovery for adolescent CSA survivors can be meaningfully strengthened through relational spaces where survivors share their stories with peers who understand similar forms of pain. Such shared narrative environments can cultivate compassion, relational closeness, and emerging post-traumatic growth.