U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS IN ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: A COMMENTARY

NCJ Number
145103
Journal
Journal of Child Sexual Abuse Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (1992) Pages: 129- 132
Author(s)
J N Thomas
Date Published
1992
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Deeply held values of child sexual abuse victims, their families, and their treatment providers can have profound effects on the therapeutic/intervention process.
Abstract
Often, the values among these parties clash. Therapists should acknowledge that clients who have a different cultural background will be influenced as such, but also should be careful not to stereotype them. An understanding that people differ in their perception of the problem, its causes, and its solutions, will positively impact on clients' responses to treatment intervention. The author reviews two cases--one in which cultural differences led to dissatisfaction on the part of the client family, and frustration and poor judgment on the part of the clinician. The second case, in which a 13-year-old girl who was pregnant by her father had accepted incest as a normal phenomenon, illustrates the reality that experience, regardless of culture, may significantly affect people's conceptions of what is normal. 5 references