NCJ Number
127488
Date Published
1990
Length
288 pages
Annotation
Increasing public awareness of incest and child sexual abuse has focused attention on children who suffer from the unwanted sexual attention of family members, friends, neighbors, and youth leaders, but little research has been specifically directed at retrospective treatment intervention with adult survivors of child sexual abuse.
Abstract
This book on adult survivors is organized into three sections. The first section, theoretical in orientation, presents theories of incest and child sexual abuse. It also considers long-term psychological effects of abuse and the impact of abuse on children and adult survivors. The second section, practical in its approach, describes various treatment models that have been adopted with some success by clinicians in the treatment of adult survivors of child sexual abuse. It also discusses how to detect abuse, techniques that are specifically helpful to survivors, the value of group therapy as an adjunct or alternative to individual counseling, and recurring themes and topics that are particularly pertinent to survivors. The third and final section looks at the role of the counselor in the therapeutic dyad and how the counselor can empower the survivor to take control of his or her life by relinquishing dependency on the therapeutic relationship. Appendixes include a resource list of agencies, self-help groups, and organizations working in the area of child sexual abuse along with a list of books and other materials for use by counselors to familiarize themselves with child sexual abuse. 317 references and 3 tables