NCJ Number
165902
Date Published
1996
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This chapter discusses the treatment of sexually abused children and their supportive adults, as well as the treatment of those who commit sexual abuse; strategies for preventing child sexual abuse are also addressed.
Abstract
The author first reviews treatments geared toward aiding the abused child and his/her supportive adult, most often the mother. The topics discussed in this section are crisis help, diagnostic evaluation, adjunctive treatments, and individual long-term psychotherapy. Adjunctive treatments include family group therapy, conjoint supportive adult-child therapy, individual therapy for the supportive adult, peer group therapy, group therapy for the abused child and the supportive adult, self-help groups, environmental alterations, and pharmacotherapy. Another section of the chapter describes treatment modalities available for people who commit sexual abuse. This section notes that behavior modification treatments show more promise than individual psychotherapy. Such treatment involves learning control over deviant patterns of sexual arousal. Also, broad- based group therapy work for adult and adolescent offenders that provides education in sexual matters, social skills, and propriety in adult relationships has proven beneficial. A third section of the chapter examines treatment programs that offer multiple modalities to abused children, adults who abuse children, and their families, most often in one physical location. The discussion of prevention provides overviews of rationales for prevention, programmatic contents and locales, and some opinions of sexually abusive persons regarding the prevention of abuse. A concluding legal commentary focuses on issues related to victims, other family members, and offenders, as well as guidance for mental health professionals and practitioners. 41 references