Meta-Analytic Investigation of Therapy Modality Outcomes for Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents: An Exploratory Study

• NCJ Number: 218017
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: February 2007 Pages: 125-141
• Author(s): Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin; Amy M. Brausch; Brad S. Montgomery
• Date Published: February 2007
• Length: 17 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study investigated the independent effects of different treatment elements on a number of secondary problems related to childhood and adolescent sexual abuse, and investigated a number of different moderators of treatment effectiveness.

Abstract

Children referred to treatment for sexual abuse might have a wide range of problems or might not present any clinically significant issues. When a therapist is attempting to decide what therapy to use for a sexually abused child, the choice of therapy modality should depend on the child’s main presenting secondary problem. The present meta-analysis suggests that the effectiveness of different treatments will vary across secondary problem outcomes. Therapist should also pay attention to the ethnicity of the child, as well as the child’s relationship with the perpetrator, as these issues moderated the effectiveness of treatment. The results indicate that psychological treatment after childhood or adolescent sexual abuse tended to result in better outcomes than no treatment. Play therapy seemed to be the most effective treatment for social functions and cognitive-behavioral, abuse-specific, and supportive therapy in either group or individual formats was most effective for behavior problems. Many factors play a role in determining the effectiveness of child sexual abuse therapy. With the development of meta-analysis techniques, researchers have begun to examine the effectiveness of child sexual abuse treatments across studies. Meta-analysis represented an important first step in the secondary analysis of the effectiveness of child sexual abuse therapy. This study conducted a meta-analysis to (1) include data on both individual and group therapeutic interventions for child sexual abuse; (2) investigate the independent effects of different treatment modalities on several secondary problems related to child sexual abuse; and (3) examine a number of different moderators of treatment effectiveness, including abuse characteristics, child characteristics, and study quality. Tables, references