NCJ Number
163327
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1996) Pages: 191-201
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
Current thinking suggests that little productive work can be undertaken with families where serious physical or sexual abuse of children has occurred in the absence of a clear acceptance of responsibility for that abuse.
Abstract
This means that children may be removed from their families due to perceived risks, with the associated disadvantages of local authority care. Alternatively, children may be left in the same environment where serious abuse has occurred and little or no work has been undertaken with the family. Either of these approaches fails children, especially those who have made clear and believable allegations in the hope of effecting change and protection. A pilot project in Bristol, England, is described that involved families where the alleged abuser disputed responsibility for child maltreatment. Key to the project's approach were the support of nonabusing caregivers and children and the concerns of professional agencies. The project had two main phases; the first phase looked for structural change in the organization of family life, while the second phase asked caregivers to role play a similar hypothetical family where child abuse had been established. The project enabled difficult issues associated with abuse to be addressed and provided an opportunity for caregivers to express thoughts and feelings to their partners regarding abuse. 27 references