NCJ Number
65957
Date Published
1979
Length
210 pages
Annotation
ORIGINATING AS AN EVALUATION STUDY BUT CONSEQUENTLY DEVELOPING INTO A DATABASE RESEARCH, THIS EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS FOCUSED ON FAMILY THERAPY AS PRACTICED BY THE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE TREATMENT PROGRAM (CSATP).
Abstract
THE CSATP, LOCATED IN CALIFORNIA AND THE LARGEST AND MOST INNOVATIVE INCEST TREATMENT PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY, INVOLVES HUMANISTIC FAMILY THERAPY, A VOLUNTARY PARENT SELF-HELP GROUP, TRAINING, AND COMMUNITY AWARENESS EFFORTS GEARED TO RESOCIALIZATION AND REUNIFICATION OF THE FAMILY. A COMPUTERIZED DATA INTAKE SYSTEM WAS DEVISED FOR PURPOSES OF THE EVALUATION STUDY, THAT DOCUMENTED 102 SEXUAL CHILD ABUSE CASES IN A 5-MONTH PERIOD AT CSATP. THIS SYSTEM IS CONTINUING TO COMPILE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND REPRESENTS THE BEGINNINGS OF A MEANINGFUL DATA BASE WHICH WILL SOON ACCUMULATE SUFFICIENT INFORMATION TO JUSTIFY THEORETICAL AND ETIOLOGICAL WORK BASED ON RELIABLE SAMPLES. THE 72 INFORMATION CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO WHICH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM ALIGNS EACH CASE INCLUDE TYPE OF CASE (INTRAFAMILIAL, EXTRAFAMILIAL, ADULT MOLESTED AS CHILD, ETC.); EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF PERPETRATOR; FACTORS LEADING TO MOLESTATION, COERCION METHODS, RELATION OF VICTIM AND PERPETRATOR; ETHNIC STATUS; AGE DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION; AND DURATION OF MOLESTATION. THE IMPACT OF FAMILY THERAPY AT CSATP WAS ASSESSED BY MEANS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE LISTING 44 DEPENDENT INDEXES OF CHANGE, ADMINISTERED TO RESPONDENTS FROM 51 CASES AND DIVIDED INTO 3 MATCHING GROUPS THAT DIFFERED ONLY WITH RESPECT TO THE DEGREE OF THERAPY. THE RESULTS WERE OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE, WITH THE MAJORITY OF VICTIMS FREE OF NERVOUS OR PSYCHOSOMATIC SIGNS. CLIENTS DISPLAYED IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS AND FAMILY AFTER THERAPY. RECIDIVISM WAS NONEXISTENT. IN ADDITION, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES IN TWO CALIFORNIA COUNTIES DIFFERING IN ORIENTATION BETWEEN JUDICIAL AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES WERE COMPARED. IT WAS FOUND THAT WITH THE JUDICIAL PROCESS EMPHASIS, THE SYSTEM MIGHT BE MISSING AS MANY AS 37 PERCENT OF THE POTENTIAL CASES. THE CSATP TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT WORKERS DEALING WITH CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE IS DESCRIBED, AND CSATP PRACTICES ARE ASSESSED AS A NATIONAL MODEL FOR SIMILAR PROGRAMS ELSEWHERE. FIGURES, TABULAR DATA, A BIBLIOGRAPHY, AND AN INDEX ARE PROVIDED. (MRK)