NCJ Number
117022
Date Published
1988
Length
8 pages
Annotation
A 16-week play therapy group for sexually molested children, aged 6 to 11, was established in Humboldt County, Calif.
Abstract
The group consisted of five girls who had been molested by their fathers or stepfathers. The girls knew each other through previous participation in an activity group. The children were told that the group was designed to help them talk about their incest experiences. Art projects provided the girls an opportunity to express feelings about themselves and their families. Early role playing permitted the children to exhibit infant regressive behaviors, later dramas and role plays included scenarios of counseling and court. Horseplay with the therapists gave the girls a chance to express aggression and experience their bodies on many levels. During these activities major themes focused on paternal abandonment, criminal justice system involvement, the need for nurturing, and the desire for safety and boundaries. While parents initially were resistant to the play group, they eventually became more comfortable. Through their participation in the program, the girls learned they were not unique in having been molested and that the experience was one that could be shared and need not be kept secret. Since the initial group, an additional 17 children, including 4 boys, have participated with beneficial results in similar weekly meetings.