Speaking the Unspeakable: Exploring the Impact of Family Dynamics on Child Sexual Abuse Disclosures

2005 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramona Alaggia ◽  
Stacey Kirshenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Family Dynamics ◽  
Retrospective Data ◽  
Family Assessment ◽  
Indirect Communication ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Interview Method ◽  
The Impact

This qualitative study utilized the long interview method to identify a range of family dynamics that may affect a child's ability to disclose sexual abuse. It is estimated that 30% to 80% of victims do not purposefully disclose child sexual abuse (CSA) before adulthood. Retrospective data about disclosure processes were elicited through interviews with 20 male and female CSA survivors. Four major themes emerged suggesting that CSA disclosure can be significantly compromised when certain conditions exist: rigidly fixed, gender roles based on a patriarchy-based family structure; family violence; closed, indirect communication patterns; and social isolation. It is important to identify disclosure barriers in order to ameliorate them effectively, because when children are not able to disclose sexual abuse, the effects are potentially devastating. Results are discussed in relation to implications for practice with children and their families, including relevance of established models of family assessment.

The Impact of Child Sexual Abuse Discovery on Caregivers and Families: A Qualitative Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (21-22) ◽  
pp. 4189-4215
Author(s):  
Hiu-fai Fong ◽  
Colleen E. Bennett ◽  
Valerie Mondestin ◽  
Philip V. Scribano ◽  
Cynthia Mollen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Sexual Abuse Victims ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Nonoffending Caregivers

In this qualitative study with nonoffending caregivers of suspected child sexual abuse victims, we aimed to explore the perceived impact of sexual abuse discovery on caregivers and their families, and caregivers’ attitudes about mental health services for themselves. We conducted semistructured, in-person interviews with 22 nonoffending caregivers of suspected sexual abuse victims <13 years old seen at a child advocacy center in Philadelphia. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using modified grounded theory. Recruitment continued until thematic saturation was reached. We found that caregivers experienced significant emotional and psychological distress, characterized by anger, depressed mood, and guilt, after learning that their child may have been sexually abused. We identified four specific sources of caregiver distress: concerns about their child, negative beliefs about their parenting abilities, family members’ actions and behaviors, and memories of their own past maltreatment experiences. Some caregivers described worsening family relationships after discovery of their child’s sexual abuse, while others reported increased family cohesion. Finally, we found that most caregivers in this study believed that mental health services for themselves were necessary or beneficial to help them cope with the impact of their child’s sexual abuse. These results highlight the need for professionals working with families affected by sexual abuse to assess the emotional and psychological needs of nonoffending caregivers and offer mental health services. Helping caregivers link to mental health services, tailored to their unique needs after sexual abuse discovery, may be an acceptable strategy to improve caregiver and child outcomes after sexual abuse.

Father-perpetrators of child sexual abuse who commit suicide

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 144-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geraldine Walford ◽  
Marie-Therese Kennedy ◽  
Morna K. C Manwell ◽  
Noel McCune
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Sexually Abused ◽  
Attempted Suicide ◽  
Suicide Attempts ◽  
Recent Letter ◽  
The Family ◽  
Sex Offences ◽  
The Guardian ◽  
The Impact

Two cases of fathers who committed suicide following the revelation that they had sexually abused their own or other children, are described. The importance of being alert to the possibility of suicide and suicidal acts by family members following a disclosure, is emphasised. Improved liaison and co-ordination between agencies working with these families may enable vulnerable cases to be more readily identified and consequently offered appropriate support and treatment.The revelation that the father in a family has sexually abused his own or other children often precipitates a crisis within the family. The distress suffered by the children themselves and by their mothers is well documented. (Browne and Finkelhor, Hildebrand and Forbes). Goodwin reported suicide attempts in 11 of 201 families, in which sexual abuse had been confirmed. Eight of the attempts were made by daughter-victims. In three of the five cases of mothers who attempted suicide, the abuse was intrafamilial. The impact on father perpetrators, previously a less well researched field, has been receiving more attention of late. Maisch, in a sample of 63 fathers convicted of incest reported that two fathers subsequently committed suicide. Wild has reported on six cases of suicide and three of attempted suicide by perpetrators following disclosure of child sexual abuse. The Cleveland Inquiry Report mentions one father, charged with several sex offences, who committed suicide while awaiting trial. A recent letter to The Guardian newspaper (18th February 1989) by 11 local paediatricians in that area suggests that there are now two such cases of suicide committed by alleged perpetrators.

”It’s My Responsibility, But…” A Qualitative Study of Perpetrators’ Understanding of Child Sexual Abuse

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 240-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Stokka Kåven ◽  
Jana Kristin Maack ◽  
Anna Margrete Flåm ◽  
Mary Nivison
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Qualitative Study

Personality Disorders in Adult Female Child Sexual Abuse Survivors: Dimensions of Personality Pathology and Characteristics of Abuse

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052090313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Izdebska
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Child Sexual Abuse ◽  
Personality Disorders ◽  
Physical Contact ◽  
Personality Pathology ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Abuse Survivors ◽  
Sexual Abuse Survivors ◽  
Personality Organization ◽  
The Impact

The relationship between child sexual abuse (CSA) and later personality disorders (PDs) has been established in numerous studies. However, there are still a number of uncertainties about the specifics of this association. This study further explored the child sexual abuse survivors’ (CSASs) vulnerability to PDs by introducing the variable of personality organization (PO) and dimensions of personality pathology as conceptualized by Kernberg, and by including additional variables of CSA characteristics. It was hypothesized that in the CSA group, the occurrence of borderline personality organization (BPO) would be significantly higher than in the non-CSA group and that characteristics of abuse associated with its higher severity would prevail in individuals with BPO. The study group consisted of 329 women who completed measures of PO and experiences of CSA. The results were consistent with formulated hypotheses. Significantly more CSASs than those who did not experience CSA were characterized by close to BPO (cBPO). Moreover, CSASs group differed from the group without the CSA experience with regard to all BPO dimensions. The biggest difference between the CSA and the control group concerned the dimension referring to the difficulties in creating close, intimate relationships. With regard to CSA features, women characterized by cBPO, in contrast to those characterized by neurotic personality organization (NPO), significantly more often reported having experienced CSA more than once, involving physical contact, from more than one offender and from the offender they previously known. The findings of the study support the idea that the optimal treatment approach for CSASs should address both the personality structure and the specificity of the impact of CSA along with its characteristics.

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