Working with perpetrators of child sexual abuse: Issues for social work practice

INTRODUCTION: This article focuses on the problem of risk instrumentalism in social work and the way it can erode the relationship-based nature of practice and with it, the kinds of critical reflexivity required for remedial interventions to keep children safe.METHOD: By exploring the relationship between the process of grooming and the condition known as Stockholm syndrome, the article seeks to address this problem by offering some concepts to inform a critical understanding of case dynamics in the sexual abuse of children which can explain the reluctance of victim-survivors to disclose.FINDINGS: Beginning with an overview of the development of actuarial risk assessment (ARA) tools the article examines the grooming process in child sexual abuse contexts raising the question: “Is grooming a facilitator of Stockholm syndrome?” and seeks to answer it by examining the precursors and psychological responses that constitute both grooming and Stockholm syndrome.CONCLUSION: The article identifies the underlying concepts that enable an understanding of the dynamics of child sexual abuse, but also identifies the propensity of practitioners to be exposed to some of the features of Stockholm syndrome.

Download Full-text

Using biographical narrative interviewing methodology to research adults’ experiences of disclosing childhood sexual abuse

Social Work and Social Sciences Review ◽

10.1921/swssr.v22i1.1503 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

pp. 64-82

Author(s):

Joseph Mooney

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Social Work ◽

Childhood Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Protection ◽

Life Experience ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Hidden Population ◽

Narrative Approaches ◽

Narrative Interviewing

Disclosure of sexual abuse can be a process rife with barriers, setbacks and trauma. Those who have experienced sexual abuse in childhood tend to delay disclosure, possibly until adulthood, and can be silenced by structural, societal and personal barriers. Those who do disclose are often referred to as the ‘tip of the iceberg’, highlighting the potentially large hidden population who never come forward. This paper is drawn from a wider study which presented narratives of adults who have disclosed their experiences of childhood sexual abuse to social work services in the Republic of Ireland. In Irish child protection policy such disclosures are called ‘retrospective disclosures’. Recent reports by Irish State bodies have shown that those who have reported their childhood experiences to child protection authorities have not always received the response they would have hoped for (Office of the Ombudsman, 2017; Health Information and Quality Authority, 2016). Since the ‘narrative turn’ in social work research a rich body of work has been produced which explores the use of narrative approaches to address pertinent issues affecting social work practice. Biographical Narrative Interviewing Methodology (BNIM) is one such approach to narrative research and focuses on the presentation of voice and life experience. This paper presents the BNIM data collection process as it was used in the wider study and justifies the rationale for using such a methodology as a means of conducting research on a sensitive topic with a population that are too often silenced. This paper presents how an awareness of the socially constructed environment, the dynamics of abuse and the use of appropriate methodologies can bring such silenced and marginalised voices to the fore.

Download Full-text

Sexual abuse in childhood: Psychosocial outcome and implications for social work practice

Child Abuse & Neglect ◽

10.1016/0145-2134(86)90066-9 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 564

Author(s):

Tony Baker

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Social Work ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Psychosocial Outcome

Download Full-text

Healing through Connection: An Aboriginal Community Designed, Developed and Delivered Cultural Healing Program for Aboriginal Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse

The British Journal of Social Work ◽

10.1093/bjsw/bcz059 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (4) ◽

pp. 1059-1080 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Carlina Black ◽

Margarita Frederico ◽

Muriel Bamblett

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Aboriginal People ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Aboriginal Community ◽

Culturally Informed ◽

Short Films ◽

Cultural Healing ◽

Participant Observer

AbstractThe wrongs experienced by Aboriginal people have caused life-long and intergenerational impacts that demand culturally grounded healing approaches, yet this is not experienced by Aboriginal people in mainstream services. This article details a culturally informed approach by sharing the findings of a Cultural Healing Program (CHP) designed, developed and delivered by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation. The program was for Aboriginal survivors of institutional child sexual abuse who had also experienced cultural abuse having been forcibly removed from their families as children and in the process disconnected from their communities, culture and land. This study of the development, implementation and evaluation of the CHP included a review of literature, interviews with survivors and facilitators, pre- and post-participant surveys, facilitator journals, participant–observer reflections and short films exploring impacts. The study drew upon the experiences of the survivors and facilitators to identify outcomes of the program. Connection with culture and the collective approach were key to healing for all survivors. The paper identifies key learnings that can inform social work practice and discusses implications regarding program design and implementation.

Download Full-text

In Defense of Mothers of Sexual Abuse Victims

Families in Society The Journal of Contemporary Social Services ◽

10.1606/1044-3894.698 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 79 (4) ◽

pp. 358-369 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Jacqueline Corcoran

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Social Work ◽

Empirical Work ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Social Conditions ◽

Empirical Literature ◽

Mother Blaming ◽

Sexual Abuse Victims ◽

Maternal Reaction

This review synthesizes the clinical and empirical literature on mothers of sexual abuse victims. Evidence is cited that maternal reaction is crucial to a child's recovery from sexual abuse. Also explored are those variables involved in a mother's belief in her child's account and the supportive actions she is able to take to protect her child. The more recent empirical work challenges earlier clinical discussions of maternal culpability in cases of sexual abuse perpetration; however, certain societal biases and oppressive social conditions that contribute to “mother-blaming” and that also interfere with a mother's ability to protect her children have been neglected. These biases and social conditions, as well as suggestions for social work practice, will be explored.

Download Full-text

Zimbabwe’s poverty and child sexual abuse

Children Australia ◽

10.1017/cha.2020.41 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 45 (4) ◽

pp. 222-228

Author(s):

Noel Garikai Muridzo ◽

Victor Chikadzi

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Sexual Abuse ◽

Child Protection ◽

Work Practice ◽

Social Work Practice ◽

Related Factors ◽

Study Approach ◽

The Past ◽

Standards Of Living ◽

And Migration

AbstractChild sexual abuse (CSA) is a serious scourge that affects all countries globally. While there are myriad factors contributing the prevalence of CSA in Zimbabwe, poverty is arguably one of the major underlying issues and root causes of most of these factors. Over the past two decades, Zimbabwe has gone through an unprecedented economic meltdown; fewer resources are being channelled towards child protection leading to the decline in standards of living for children. Consequently, children are left vulnerable to poverty which exposes them to the risk of CSA. This paper discusses a number of poverty-related factors that are contributing to CSA in Zimbabwe. A qualitative study approach was adopted, and data were collected from 38 participants and four key informants who were selected using theoretical and purposive sampling, respectively. In addition, 300 court files of CSA cases were also reviewed. Notwithstanding other circumstances leading to CSA, findings showed that poverty-related vulnerabilities, such as adverse living conditions, rurality, child labour and migration, exposed children to CSA. The paper ends by discussing the policy and social work practice implications and recommendations in view of the findings.

Download Full-text