NCJ Number
228465
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: July-August 2009 Pages: 455-474
Date Published
August 2009
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This study examined and identified factors in the thinking of non-offending parents and therapists that influence the patterns of parental involvement seen in therapy for sexually abused children.
Abstract
The study found and identified a range of factors influencing the patterns of parental involvement, offering some insights into the effects that these patterns of parental involvement might have on the outcomes of therapy. In the literature about therapeutic help for sexually abused children, it is the relationship between the therapist and the child that is the main focus, not the role of parents. However, there is evidence that parents are influential in children's recovery from sexual abuse with reason to suppose that support for parents may be a key factor. This study was about the involvement in therapy of non-offending parents. The study investigated the work of a team of therapists who sometimes included such parents in therapy sessions with children. It sought to understand what factors were influencing the degree and pattern of parental involvement and to understand what effect these patterns of parental involvement were having on the process and outcomes of therapy. Tables and references