NCJ Number
141162
Journal
Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (March 1993) Pages: 115-131
Date Published
1993
Length
17 pages
Annotation
This article describes a structured, short-term treatment model for sexually abused preschool children (ages 3-6 years) and their primary (nonperpetrator) caretakers.
Abstract
The model, called structured parental counseling-child psychotherapy (SPC-CP), is based on the authors' clinical work with more than 200 sexually abused preschoolers. The SPC-CP is based on several assumptions that the authors have found to be valid in many cases of sexual abuse that involve preschool victims. One assumption is that many sexually abused preschoolers do not experience ongoing, severe abuse; second, most symptoms that are displayed by preschoolers are amenable to behavioral interventions; third, improving parental support and child management skills is a key element in decreasing psychological difficulties in preschoolers. SPC-CP consists of parallel individual sessions with the child and her primary caretaker. This treatment approach is not applicable, however, if the primary caretaker is the child's alleged perpetrator. The treatment is generally designed for 8 to 12 weekly sessions. Play is used in a structured way. Dolls, puppets, or clay figures are used to communicate specific ideas, and the therapist actively directs and structures the content of the play themes. The SPC-CP intervention is designed to target specific difficulties that many sexually abused preschoolers and their parents experience. Parental issues may include ambivalence in belief of the child regarding the abuse, ambivalence toward the perpetrator, attributions regarding the sexual abuse, and fear regarding irreversible damage to the child or inability to protect the child. Child issues may include safety education and assertiveness, identification of appropriate and inappropriate touching, and fears and anxiety related to the abuse. Appended weekly behavior record, 7 notes, and 19 references