NCJ Number
175072
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Dated: 1998 Pages: 87-103
Date Published
1998
Length
17 pages
Annotation
An exploratory study sought to determine public attitudes in Alabama toward intervention options for child sexual abuse victims, offenders, and families in cases where the perpetrator and victim were in the same family.
Abstract
The study examined the public's willingness to support strategies of victim protection, offender, control, and treatment services in various types of child sexual abuse intervention strategies. The 464 participants were selected by means of a random sample of telephone numbers and were interviewed by telephone. They answered questions designed to elicit their opinions about child protection; offender control; and the treatment of victims, offenders, and families. Results were contrary to the researchers' expectations in that they revealed support for a variety of intervention strategies. Participants generally supported established, adversarial intervention strategies, but they had mixed reactions to several of the diversion program strategies. Findings suggested that policy makers may have to compromise to obtain public support when designing and implementing intervention programs for intrafamilial child sexual abuse. Fortunately, political partisanship does not seem to be a factor in the public's acceptance of intervention strategies; this finding may make it politically feasible to develop alternative intervention programs. Tables and 41 references (Author abstract modified)