CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE.   Term Paper ID:19484 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Causes, short- & long-term effects, alcohol & drugs, impact on family & society, prevention & treatment.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Causes, short- & long-term effects, alcohol & drugs, impact on family & society, prevention & treatment. Paper Introduction: Child sexual abuse knows no boundaries of color, ethnicity or religion. It occurs in families of every socioeconomic level throughout the entire country. Surveys show that 16 percent of women in the U.S. have been sexually abused by a relative at least once in their lives (Goodwin, 1989). And, the true percentage of males who have been victims of abuse may never be known, since disclosing sexual abuse appears to be more difficult for men than for women (Brassard, Germain and Hart 1987). Across the United States, hundreds of prevention, intervention and therapeutic services exist to aid incest survivors, offenders, families and potential victims. However, experts acknowledge that these services can prove successful only if more is understood about the causes of child sexual ID abuse. Research has found that one of the main causes of child Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Child andFamily Behavior Therapy, 12, pp. Child Abuse: Implications for ChildDevelopment and Psychopathology. (1989). (199 ). Wolfe believes that this tendency towards violent behaviormay occur when the abuser's practices interfere with the child'sdevelopment of self-control. A father-daughter bond can form when a marriage is inturmoil. Suicidality is very common in victims of childabuse (Brown and Anderson, 1991). People whowere both sexually and physically abused as children often go on to abusetheir own children by means of intergenerational transmission (Wolfe,1987). Incest exhibits negative and/orineffectual parenting models to family members - models that can beimitated as evident in intergenerational abuse (Brassard, Germain and Hart,1987). Lawson and A.W. References Brassard, Marla R., Germain, Robert & Hart, Stuart N. Practitioners of this type of program teach parents how toperform daily activities while promoting healthy social development intheir children. Research on the effects of sexual abuse on the family is not aswidespread as studies on the individual. Goodwin, Jean M. Di Laela, David L. Whilemembers of abusive families give one another very little nurturance andsupport they still are unable to form substantive relationships outside thefamily (Brassard, Germain and Hart, 1987). Research has found that one of the main causes of child maltreatmentis the perpetuation of a cycle of violence and sexual abuse spanning acrossgenerations (Wolfe, 1987). Schools in particular are often active participants in thistype of primary prevention. 2 3-221. (1988). It is estimated that four million children in the United Stateslive with a combination of sexual abuse and alcoholism in their homes. 677-686. & Crittenden, Patricia M. & Gardner, D.M. In numerous studies, a large majority of chronic alcoholicsand heavy drug users have experienced child sexual abuse. In G.W. Sexual abuse can also affectfamily members' perception of role models. In 25percent of cases of reported child sexual abuse, there is a history ofincest in one or both parents (Goodwin, 1989). Correlates of sexual abuse among boys intreatment for chemical dependency. havebeen sexually abused by a relative at least once in their lives (Goodwin,1989). A large portion of current studies on child sexual abuse has alsofound a direct correlation between alcoholism and incest. 25-32. & Kozak,Christopher (199 ). An example ofsuch an association can be seen in a study where 44 percent of 118 femaledrug users at the Odessey Institute in New York City reported experiencingincest as children (Brassard, Germain and Hart 1987). Alcohol and other drugabuse in a gay/lesbian population: Related to victimization? Several types of approaches exist to treat incest survivors, theirfamilies and abusers. Research has found acorrelation between father-daughter incest and the breakdown of husband-wife relationships. Child abuse has also been found to be associated with substance abusein society. However, current research agreesthat child sexual abuse can have negative effects on the family. Surveys show that 16 percent of women in the U.S. Abusive parents often reportthat they were physically and/or sexually abused during childhood. Such treatment may focus onanger and stress management to combat an abuser's excessive anger, sexualarousal, self-control and in appropriate methods of coping (Wolfe, 1987).At the present time, there is a great number of preventive and interventiveservices and approaches being utilized today to fight incest. and Reppucci, N.D. Haugaard, J.J. (1987). And, the true percentage of males who have been victims of abusemay never be known, since disclosing sexual abuse appears to be moredifficult for men than for women (Brassard, Germain and Hart 1987). Mittenberger, Raymond G., Thiesse-Duffy, Ellyn, Suda, Kim T. However, although a vast amount ofresearch discusses suicide and the victims of abuse, not much is writtenabout the family members' responses to suicidality at the present. Lawson's (eds.) Alcoholism and SubstanceAbuse in Special Populations, pp. Child abuse affects society at large in a number of different ways.Current research is exploring the relationship between incest victims andthe tendency towards violence and crime. Survivors of child abuse, usually reared in alcoholichomes, often become alcoholics themselves (Morrison, 1989). Morrow, K. The sexual victimization of male children:A review of previous research. Yet research makes abundantly clear whatis perhaps the worst effect of child sexual abuse on society. Dembo, Richard, Dertke, Max, Borders, Scott, Washburn, Mark &Schmeidler, James (1988). Dimock, Peter T. Morrow and Sorell (1989)found that the type of sexual abuse experienced as a child was the mostpowerful predictor of depression levels in incest survivors. Many typesof preventive and interventive measures target different sectors of thepopulation, aiming for different goals. New York: PergamonPress. 361-368. Wolfe, David A. Child Abuse and Neglect, 12, pp.61-72. And, teachers can learn how torecognize potential incest and how to report abuse. Wolfe (1987) writes that thestrongest evidence for the correlation between abuse victims and violentbehavior may be acquired from studies on deliquent populations. Psychiatric morbidityin adult inpatients with childhood histories of sexual and physical abuse.American Journal of Psychiatry, 14, pp. There are countless examples to support this type ofeffect on the individual. Researchinto the juvenile courts have found that youths who have been sexuallyabused are more likely to commit violent crimes than non-abused delinquents(Wolfe, 1987). & Anderson, Bradley (1991). Inaddition, investigators have found that abused children have less positivesocial interaction than adequately reared children (Di Laela andCrittenden, 199 ). Wolfealso notes that members of abusive families speak very little to each otherand consciously avoid any kind of interaction or family activity. Wolfe (1987) writes that this program involves parent-child interaction such as play and expressing affection. InfantBehavior and Development, 13, pp.273-46 . Depression stemming fromincest can last or appear well into adulthood. Sexual Abuse: Incest Victims and TheirFamilies.. Annals of Clinical Psychiatry, 1, pp. The majority ofcurrent research has found that child sexual abuse occurs in families whereone or both of the parents are alcoholics and/or drug users. Preventive programs also exist which target populations which are "atrisk" or are in some way vulnerable to sexual abuse. (1989).Characteristics of child sexual abuse treatment programs. (1987).Psychological Maltreatment of Children and Youth. 53-67. Acrossthe United States, hundreds of prevention, intervention and therapeuticservices exist to aid incest survivors, offenders, families and potentialvictims. However, experts acknowledge that these services can provesuccessful only if more is understood about the causes of child sexual IDabuse. (199 ). Most of the currentresearch indicates that sexual abuse may have devastating effects on achild's psychological development. Intergenerational abuse is often found infamilies experiencing child sexual abuse. (1988). In addition, studies have found that manyfemale incest victims turn to prostitution in adulthood (Goodwin, 1987). The relationship between physical and sexualabuse and tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use among youths in a juveniledetention center. The Sexual Abuse ofChildren: A Comprehensive Guide to Current Knowledge andIntervention Strategies, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Wolfe (1987) writes that in homes where incest occurs, abusive parentsengage in a greater amount of negative behavior towards family members suchas threats, criticism and shouting than in non-abusive families. Adult males sexually abused as children:Characteristics and implications for treatment. The association of incest and substance abuse is particularlystrong in samples taken from deliquent populations (Dembo, Dertke, Borders,Washburn and Schmeidler, 1988). Schools can also attempt to preventincest by teaching children to identify signs of abuse (Brassard, Germainand Hart, 1987). Neisen, Joseph H. It occurs in families of every socioeconomic level throughoutthe entire country. Teaching prevention skills to children: The use ofmultiple measures to evaluate parent versus expert instruction. Morrison, James (1989). Inaddition, 26 percent of children living in alcoholic homes have been incestvictims (O'Sullivan, 1989). Vander Mey (1988) foundthat familial sexual abuse is more common when the father has sufferedsexual abuse as a child. Public awareness andinformational campaigns on sexual abuse can reach a large, variedpopulation through use of radio, television and print (Wolfe, 1987). Research has foundthat among adolescents suffering from chemical dependency, those who hadbeen sexually abused can be distinguished by more severe psychopathy,behavioral problems and environmental risk (Harrision, Edwall, Hoffman andWorthen, 199 ). Adolescent victims tend to react with more withdrawnbehavior than younger children (Brassard, Germain and Hart, 1987).However, effects of child abuse can grow more severe. Beverly Hills: SagePublications.----------------------- 1 In 5 percentof protective service cases, the father suffers from alcoholism (Goodwin,1989). 65-87. Alcoholism and abuse: The twin familysecrets. 151-168. Factors affectingself-esteem, depression and negative behaviors in sexually-abused femaleadolescents. Sexual abuse can break apart an already disintegrating family unit. There is ongoing research into the effects of child abuse on theindividual at all levels - school age, during adolescence and as an adult.Research shows evidence that psychological and behavioral problems plaguethe incest survivor at all ages. This is often done by helping children to distinguishappropriate versus inappropriate touching. O'Sullivan, C.M. (1989). Journal of Adolescent ChemicalDependency, 1, pp. Some programs target large general populations to reduce future abuse(Wolfe, 1987). Some survivorsalso turn to heavy drug use in adolescence and in adulthood. The father in such a situation can attempt to sexualize thisbond, further breaking down the marriage (Brassard, Germain and Hart,1987). Some of the problems experienced byschool-aged victims of abuse range from sleep disturbances, somaticcomplaints, sexually inappropriate behavior to multiple personalities.Studies have found that school-aged children tend to react to stressfulevents like child abuse by exhibiting negative social behavior orexperiencing academic difficulties (Brassard, Germain and Hart, 1987). The media is also usedas a tool in prevention and intervention. Investigators have found that children who have been sexually abusedtend to suffer from depression, feelings of hopelessness and lower self-esteem than non-abused children (Wolfe, 1987). Brown, George R. But perhaps the most devastating effect on theincest survivor is the compulsion to sexually abuse children as part of theintergenerational cycle of abuse. Wolfe (1987)writes that this approach utilizes more direct treatment such as supportgroups, stress-management training and classes teaching parental skills.One of the most recent programs directed to families 'at risk,' involves acombination of parental training with a strengthening of children's socialdevelopment. Other effects child abuse may have on the individual are sexualcompulsiveness, dysfunctional relationships and masculine identityconfusion (Dimock, 1988). 273-3 3. (1989). Sexualabuse seems to impair relationships outside the home as well. Neisen andSandall (199 ) found that out of 2 1 inpatients in a drug rehabilitationcenter, nearly 5 percent reported experiencing sexual abuse duringchildhood. Second Edition. Keller, R.A., Cicchinelli, L.F. These are groups ofpeople who may have a history of intrafamilial incest or substance abuse.Programs which target this population tend to focus more on educating andinforming the individual rather than the general public. Brent & Sorell, Gwendolyn T. Journal of InterpersonalViolence, 3, pp. Sexualabuse can sever an already splintered marriage. & Sandall, Hilary (199 ). Harrison, Patricia Ann, Edwall, Glenace E., Hoffman, Norman G.,Worthen, Mark D. Vander Mey, B.J. Chicago: Yearbook Medical Publishers. Child molestation reported by women withsommatization disorder. Unfortunately, researchers point out thatalthough prevention and intervention programs have proven to increaseknowledge and awareness of incest, there is a lack of data supporting suchprograms' ability to prevent abuse (Haugaard and Reppucci, 1988, Wolfe,1987, Miltenberger, Thiesse-Duffy, Suda and Kozak, 199 ). Female incestsurvivors who experienced coitus in childhood suffered higher levels ofdepression, lower self-esteem and inflicted greater numbers of self-injurous behavior than women who experienced non-coital sexual contact.Depression can go beyond feelings of despondency into self-injurious andeven suicidal behavior. 351-378. It is noteworthy to point out thatchildren - not just adult incest survivors - often exhibit suicidalbehavior (Goodwin, 1989). (1988). 55-61. (1987) write that treatment programs involvingthe entire family have emerged only recently. The International Journal of the Addictions, 23, pp. Many victims inflict pain upon themselves bycutting their bodies, banging their heads, pulling out hair or peelingtheir skin (Goodwin, 1989). Although studies have found that more than 88percent of treatment programs focus on victims of abuse and their families(Keller, 1987), most of the current research discusses treatment primarilyin terms of punishment and rehabilitation for the intra- and extrafamilialoffender. One of the most negative effects child abuse has on the family is thevictim's suicide attempts and suicide. Other types ofintervention exist through private, non-profit and government agencies.Such entities offer educational programs, legal and medical assistance,abuse hotlines and literature. Brassard et al. Dimensions ofmaltreated children's home behavior: A factor analytic approach. ChildAbuse and Neglect, 13, pp. Journal ofPsychology and Human Sexuality, 3, pp. Research has also shown a direct link between victims of incest andchemical dependency. Child sexual abuse knows no boundaries of color, ethnicity orreligion. Schools can disseminate information on incestthrough parent educational programs. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51, pp. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.