Overview of Services to Sexually Abused Children and Their Families in New South Wales (From National Symposium on Victimology Proceedings, P 249-253, 1982, P N Grabosky, ed. - See NCJ-90209)

• NCJ Number: 90222
• Author(s): E Lennon
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: Australian Institute of Criminology; National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: Australia

Annotation

This paper examines the historical context of services to sexually abused children in New South Wales (Australia), services as they now exist, what has been learned in the past few months, and suggestions for future development.

Abstract

The historical context of services to child victims of sexual assaults in New South Wales involves two developing strands: the growth of help centers for adult victims of sexual assault and the development of community awareness, legislation, and services to children who have been physically abused. Existing services for sexually abused children include (1) a number of help centers at pediatric hospitals, (2) the services of professionals developing special skills to help sexually abused children and their families, (3) the police child mistreatment unit, and (4) 'Montrose,' which provides some specialist and after-hour crisis services to the child victim and his/her family. The past few months have tended to show that the criminal justice system that deals with cases of child sexual abuse often inflicts psychological harm on the victim, as he/she comes to feel disbelieved, morally inferior, and in some cases of incest, responsible for the disintegration of the family and the punishment of a loved family member. Future development should focus on services that offer a range of options for the child and family, such as individual counseling, play therapy, family therapy, group programs for victims and family members, and self-help groups. Programs for offenders should also be developed, relying upon a close liaison with the criminal justice system.