Child Physical and Sexual Abuse: Guidelines for Treatment, Final Report

• NCJ Number: 200894
• Date Published: January 2003
• Length: 137 pages
• Grant Number(s): 1999-VF-GX-K010
• Sponsoring Agency: Office for Victims of Crime (OVC)
• Corporate Author: Medical University of South Carolina; Harborview Medical Ctr for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress
• Sale Source: Medical University of South Carolina
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Guideline
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Downloaded June 19, 2003.

Annotation

This document provides guidelines for the treatment of child physical and sexual abuse.

Abstract

Child victims of physical or sexual abuse very often have complicated histories of multiple victimization and trauma, and exhibit a variety of disorders, problems, and difficulties that may or may not be the direct result of abuse. This presents a real challenge for practitioners in the treatment field. The purpose of this project was to encourage the use of mental health treatment protocols and procedures that have a sound theoretical basis, good clinical-anecdotal literature, high acceptance among practitioners in the child abuse field, a low chance for causing harm, and empirical support for their utility with victims of abuse. These guidelines seek to present the best available information about the mental health treatment of cases of physical and sexual abuse in a concise and consistent format that can be easily used by practitioners and other interested professionals. A National Advisory Committee, comprised of nationally known clinicians, researchers, educators, and administrators, was assembled to develop these guidelines. The focus of the guidelines is on psychotherapeutic or psychosocial treatment modalities targeting problems with child victims, parent offenders, other family members, family relationships, and the family system to address mental health and psychosocial problems associated with physical and sexual abuse. The 24 treatment approaches described were selected based on certain criteria. They target abuse consequences in children, problems of parents or parent/child relationships significantly associated with maltreatment, or abusive behaviors of parents. Treatments are divided into three sections: child-focused interventions; parent, parent-child, and family focused interventions; and offender focused interventions. Each treatment protocol description consists of a brief description, theory and rationale, treatment components, treatment manuals or protocol descriptions, treatment outcome study references, common length of treatment, and classification rating. 318 references