NCJ Number
129202
Date Published
1990
Length
163 pages
Annotation
In this novel, a 16-year-old girl named Mandy struggles with her memories of being sexually molested by her mother's male friend when she was 8 years old and her family's refusal to talk about what happened.
Abstract
The sexual abuse experience affected the girl to the extent that she continually suffered from diarrhea and menstruation irregularities. In addition, she was extremely hesitant to establish any kind of relationship with boys because her mother told her that boys would always take advantage of her. Mandy's mother took her to the doctor who found nothing physically wrong. The doctor recommended that Mandy and her family see a psychiatrist to identify the trauma she was encountering. Her mother and father did not get along, and her father opposed family counseling. Mandy's mother took her anyway, but it was some time before the truth emerged. Mandy blamed her mother for letting the sexual abuse happen and then for not discussing it or attempting to explain why it happened. After several sessions with the psychiatrist, Mandy began to deal with the problem and her mother eventually acknowledged the situation. From the point at which real communication was initiated, the family's problems started to be resolved.