Abuse Flashcards
How many people have ‘abused’ a child?
55% have slapped/spanked a child 31% have pushed/grabbed/shoved 10% have hit a child with an object 3% have thrown an object at their child <1% have kicked or hit (closed fist) child, threatened with a knife or gun or used said item on child
What are the 4 types of abuse?
Physical
Emotional
Neglect
Sexual
Child Abuse DSM
Child maltreatment and neglect: Non accidental physical injury
Child sexual abuse: Sexual act involving a child that is intended to provide sexual gratification to a parent, caregiver or someone who is responsible for the child
Child psychological abuse: non accidental verbal or symbolic acts by a childs parent or caregiver that has the potential to result in significant psychological harm
Child neglect: any confirmed or suspected egregious acts or omission by a childs parent or caregiver that deprives the child of age-appropriate needs
Who are the perpetrators of abuse?
95% male and 95% known to the child
Step fathers 7 times more likely than biological fathers to abuse daughter
Approx 25-30% by an adolescent
Approx 30-40% of abusers were abused as children (physical and sexual)
Signs of abuse in children
Less intimate with peers More aggressive and angry Destruction of toys Non compliant Rarely express positive emotions Sexualised behaviour Poor school performance Depression
Abuse can lead to
Aggression towards partners Delinquency Academic failure Drug abuse Mental illness Risky sexual behaviour
Legal requirements for psychologists
You report to the NSW body
-Manditory notification of
Physical sexual abuse
Parents are ok to beat each other up but not in front of children
Medical neglect or physical neglect
Psychological harm caused to a child by witnessing domestic violence
-Reports are made to the department of family of community services
First intervention for abuse
-Make the child safe
Usually means removal (however not forever, just temporary)
May mean removal of the offender
-Preferred outcome
The family remains intact
Get the child safe, and the family functional
Assessing the situation and the perpetrators
The perpetrator
-The extent of the offenders sexually abusive behaviour
-The degree to which the offender takes responsibility for the sexual abuse
-The number and severity of the offenders other problems, for example:
Substance abuse, violent behaviour, mental illness, mental retardation
The non-offending parent: Essentially- can they protect the child
- Reaction to knowledge about the sexual abuse (are they going to protect the child?) - Quality of relationship with the victim - Level of dependency on the offender (are they like ‘I can’t live without the perpetrator so I’ll do anything to stay with them’, or are they independent’) - The number and severity of other problems
Group therapy
- Treatment of choice for victims, siblings of victims, mothers of victims, offender and adult survivors.
- May be fixed duration, open ended, long-term ect
- Particularly good with adolescents: Being able to speak to your peers is the best for adolescents (better than talking to a counsellor), and hearing others stories is highly beneficial.
Individual therapy
Appropriate for victim, offender and mother of victim
-Major part is building therapeutic alliance
Dyadic therapy
Used to enhance and/or repair damage to the mother-daughter relationship, the husband wife relationship and the father-daughter relationship
Kids find it very difficult to walk away from abusive parents- they continue to go back and seek relationship
What are treatment issues for abuse?
Low elf esteem
Increased risk of future sexual abuse (children somehow give our signals…)
Issues with trust (therapist needs to create a circumstance in which the children can trust an adult again, perhaps with teachers, other family members?)
Emotional: they feel responsible for breaking the family apart, and guilty
Behavioural: sexualised behaviour, children who have been sexually victimised may masturbate excessively and openly, or sexually interact with other people. Teach them to masturbate privately
They may be aggressive, run away, self-harm, criminal activity, suicidal behaviour, hyperactivity
Cognitive reactions to sexual abuse: help them understand the meaning of abuse. (there is coercian and a lack of understanding between parties, ie. the victim knows less) Teach them about appropriate and inappropriate touching, why adults are sexual with them, whats wrong with it ect
Protect from future victimisation- strategies for saying no
Institutions and questionable care
Orphanages Group cottage homes Foster care Homes for children with disabilities Juvenile detention centres
The key take home messages from this report
In every form of care, sexual abuse was the norm, NOT the exception. If you’re ever working with someone who was in care, just assume they were abused.
i.e. you don’t get to eat tonight until you do your chores
