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Essay Subject: Case study of sexual abuse of daughter by her mother's boyfriend, using Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Case study of sexual abuse of daughter by her mother's boyfriend, using Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development. Paper Introduction: This paper is an examination of a case study of a mother and her young daughter who are presenting for treatment, initially as a result of the daughter's alleged sexual abuse by the mother's boyfriend. The daughter is the primary patient, but her relationship to the larger system of which she is a part is relevant to the case and to the course of treatment. Using Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model provides the opportunity to examine the context of the child's case, the extent to which she is at risk for future problems, the suggested course of treatment, and the additional information needed to treat her and her mother effectively. This case offers an interesting example of many of the kinds of issues and questions faced by professionals dealing with child guidance psychopathologies and family contexts. 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. Ironically, a negativerelationship in one family system has caused another negative situation inthe succeeding generation. Interestingly, therapists' conclusions that Joanna was herselfsexually abused point to some relevant considerations that may helptreating both mother and daughter. Part of the reason Joanna did not believe her daughter and feltofficial intervention to be an intrusion was due to the fact that Carriehad begun exhibiting highly sexualized behavior several years before Jimcame into the family. New York: Guilford. This has caused an ecological transition (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), asituation in which "a person's position in the ecological environment isaltered as the result of a change in role, setting, or both" (p. C., Ringwalt, C. Thomas L. Development and Psychopathology, 9, 251-268. So there is a corresponding movement from an egocentric, self-centered view of the world to a decentered, more objective view that understands that many events happen without reference to the self (p. Susan Freinkel (1999, July)argues that family reconciliation is critical in lessening the destructiveeffects of dysfunction. In Carrie's case, as with most children,her closest attachment is to her mother; unlike some other cases, however,she did not have other important relationships that might have balanced orcounteracted some of the negative influences of this primary attachment.Her father was largely absent from an early age, and her grandmother, whomight have helped counteract some of Joanna's destructive connections, wasnot as involved in Carrie's life, in large part because of the antagonisticrelationship between Joanna and her mother. 252). Carrie expresses some of this aggression through hersexual acting-out. (1999). In J. (1997, Fall). For some parents, this is the result of alack of communication and an unwillingness to believe in the sophisticationor advanced knowledge of their own children. At the time of the referral, Joanna had been living with herboyfriend, Jim, for about a year. Attachment theory is especially relevant to understanding a case suchas Carrie's. This paper is an examination of a case study of a mother and heryoung daughter who are presenting for treatment, initially as a result ofthe daughter's alleged sexual abuse by the mother's boyfriend. However, the legal system, which is usually part of the nextlevel in, the exosystem, has intruded into a closer circle of Carrie's lifeand is attempting to rectify the personal violations of those close to her. DouglasDavies (1999) observes, "The younger the child the less he will be able tocope on his own and the more likely he will develop maladaptive patterns ofcoping in response to stress" (p. Childhood experience linked to laterillness. Child development: A practitioner's guide. Greenberg (1999) notes, "Attachment may contributeto later disorder . Health, 13(6),56-58. (1999, July). Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979) has proposed looking at the individualwithin the context of surrounding systems, what he calls the ecology of theindividual. Carrie's case is difficult and challenging, but it is not withouthope. Jonathan B. Several factors are present to raise thelife stress indicators for both Carrie and her mother, including theintervention of the courts and the counselors. 3). The single most significant attachmentrelationship in her life continues to be the one with her mother, and anyplan to reduce Carrie's risk must also include Joanna. 555-574. Carrie's situation is not completely without hope, and theindependence that she has been able to assert, even within her limitations,is a hopeful sign. Without such discovery and a systematic approach to confrontingthese early traumas, Carrie will probably not ever be able to function inan emotionally healthy way. Carrie can be helped without helping her mother, but herrisks will be reduced dramatically if Joanna's own psychopathologies can bedealt with effectively as part of treatment. L., Dufort, V., Ruina, E.,Stewart, P. The ecology of human development:Experiments by nature and design. Young and Rick Zimmerman (1998, November) note, "Parentsare largely ignorant of the extent to which their children are involved inmajor risk behaviors" (p. In order to succeed, however, Carrie will need the help of everyresource at her disposal. G. 26).Although traumatic for both Carrie and her mother, this ecologicaltransition should prove to be an important, positive step in thedevelopment of both individuals. Carrie has adapted to her abusive situation in ways that areclinically understandable but that, if continued, will impair her abilityto respond and react in socially acceptable and emotionally satisfyingways. H. Zeanah (1999) note, "Mostdisturbances are the manifestation in the parent of unresolved conflictsthat one or both of a baby's parents have with important figures from theirown childhood" (p. (1998, May 16). The courts ordered Joanna to move in with her mother and to begintherapeutic treatment for herself and her daughter, and order she deeplyresented. Carrie's position as a child of divorce also places her at increasedrisk. B., Browne, D. Sroufe, L. Clueless. Families that are culturally more prone to emotionalrestriction may choose withholding patterns as a method of coping; if thisis the case in Carrie's family, her choice to be overly expressive insteadmay be as much a cultural reaction as an emotional one. Her traumatic experiences have, in some ways, stunted heremotional growth and, in others, accelerated it beyond her years. However, with the help of the systems surrounding her, the professionalswithin the larger ecological world that makes up her complete environment,Carrie does have a chance to work toward developing a healthier personalityand a stronger ability to function within that world. For Carrie, her microsystem, the most immediate circle inwhich she operates, includes her mother. [by increasing] risk or [by buffering] the effectsof other risk factors" (p. L. Insome respects, her overt sexuality is also positive, since it representsCarrie's attempts to communicate, in her immature way, the traumas whichshe has been experiencing. Alan Sroufe (1997) notes that this process is natural andcomprehensible: Behavioral and emotional disturbance is viewed as a developmental construction, reflecting a succession of adaptations that evolve over time in accord with the same principles that govern normal development. L., & Zimmerman, R. A. Kotch and his colleagues (1997, November) note that abusein all forms in likely to continue in situations of higher life stress andlower social support (p. . Carrie is in the middle of preschool development, at least in termsof her age. Davies(1999) describes this period in typical development: The child evolves from an egocentric toddler with limited capacity for understanding the self and the world into a child of the middle years, who has much in common with adults, in that she can think logically, maintain self-control, and empathize with others . She shows some capacity forlearning by trying to bond with her therapist, although her attempts arechildish and inappropriate. Through hisabuse, Jim violated those expected behaviors, and Joanna's initial refusalto believe her daughter also disengaged the little girl from theprotections that the larger society is supposed to provide to theindividual. References Bhavnagri, N. In this respect, the judge'sorder that Joanna return to live with her mother, however well meaning, mayactually put both Joanna and Carrie at greater risk. Childhood Education, 74(1), 2-1 . Only when a school nurse discovered theabuse was any official action taken. The possibility exists that Jim was not the first toabuse Carrie, and one of the important pieces of information not yetobtained in this case is whether or not others took advantage of Carrie'svulnerability and began what may turn out to be a pattern of abuse muchearlier in her life. SandraG. (1999). Freinkel, S. These considerations may also explainsome of the current psychopathologies present in both individuals. Surrounding the mesosystem is the exosystem, the wider settings whichdefine Carrie's life, and the macrosystem, the cultural mores thatinfluence how she and those around her are expected to behave. Kotch, J. If she remains inJoanna's care and is not removed by the social welfare system or thecourts, she has at least another dozen years within a microsystem thatwill, if untreated, continue to place her at risk by giving her unhealthyexamples of coping. Her ability to share her secret with the school nurse,after her mother refused to listen to her, is a very positive sign. 2). Carrie continues to be at risk, both because of the severity of hertrauma and because of the ongoing dysfunction of her immediate microsystem. Carrie's therapistsshould meet with Joanna's mother to determine the potential danger inherentin being placed within what may be another destructive ecology. Boodman, S. Lieberman, A. Calling a family truce. Previously, her microsystem consisted primarily ofher mother and Jim. 56). . 1 26). New York: Guilford. (1998, November). (1997, November). The child had not told her mother atfirst because Jim had threatened her; when she did confide in Joanna, hermother dismissed her accusations. Contributions ofAttachment theory to infant-parent psychotherapy and other interventionswith infants and young children. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.),Handbook of Attachment, pp. She notes, "Absolving a parent who has committedemotional, physical, or even sexual abuse not only allows the relationshipto resume, it helps to fade many of the psychic scars - depression,anxiety, low self-esteem - left by such mistreatment" (p. At 5 and a half, Carrie is hardly likely to be able toassert an independent enough personality to escape her mother's destructiveinfluences, even if sexual abuse and the opportunities for such abuse areeliminated completely from her environment. While Carrie may berelieved to have her problems acknowledged and considered, the increasedpublic scrutiny is also likely to be more stressful than when she kept herabuse a secret. Part of her treatment will probably need to bebehavioral therapy that teaches her other, more effective and sociallyacceptable ways of seeking attention from adults within her immediatecircles. It is significant that therapists believe Joannato have been the victim of sexual abuse herself during her childhood. . Joanna, who married at 18, is divorced fromCarrie's father and estranged from him. Nevertheless, Carrie is very much at risk, and extensive work willneed to be done to assure her ability to reach a point of healthyfunctioning. Psychopathology as an outcome of development. 556). Just as a personality or the emergence of competence involves a progressive, dynamic unfolding in which prior adaptation interacts with current circumstances in an ongoing way, so too does maladaptation or disorder (p. (1997). Carrie isprobably still too young to undergo this process with her own mother, butJoanna needs to resolve some of her conflicts in her relationship with hermother, especially since the three are being forced by the court to livetogether during treatment. Something obviously happened toCarrie around this time, and discovering the exact nature of any earlytraumas will be important in helping her to deal more effectively withthem. Carrie's most obvious displays of psychopathology, her inappropriatesexual behaviors, began to appear at age 2, an age which most experts agreeis too early for the child to be expected to be able to effectively copewith trauma without help from primary attachment relationships. She appears to have discovered that this behavior hasan unsettling effect on the adults around her, and one such effect is toheighten the attention she receives, which is one reason that she continuesto behave in this way. (1999). Yet this stress can be countered by a rise in socialsupport, especially if Joanna can be convinced that this support isdesigned to help her, rather than criticize her. Another factor that will help in Carrie's treatment is to determinethe cultural background of the family. Some of the kindsof learned responses that determines adaptation and maladaptation areculturally determined, and therapists need to decide if any such situationsaffect Carrie's case. The first, most important step is toacknowledge that both have been, in fact, abused, and that this violationwas not the fault of either patient. Navaz Peshotan Bhavnagri and JanetGonzalez-Mena (1997, Fall) argue that cultural and racial background needto be part of the therapeutic evaluation process (p. Washington Post, 121(146), WH7. Yet Carrie also needs to learn attachment techniques that her motherhas been unable to demonstrate, in order to be able to eventually expressherself in socially appropriate ways and allow her to deal with the worldin a more psychologically satisfying manner. Davies (1999) writes, "Young children exposed to chronic angerbetween parents show behavioral and affective disorganization and increasedaggression" (p. Joanna has givenCarrie the only kind of childhood she knows. P., & Gonzalez-Mena, J. Carrie and her mother Joanna (both names are pseudonyms) have beenordered into treatment by the court after the social workers and judge ontheir case determined that Carrie's allegations of sexual abuse were true.When evaluation began, Carrie was 5 and a half years old, and Joanna wasapproximately 24 years old. WH7). Attachment theory studies the connection between a child'sclosest early relationships and his or her ability to develop a healthypersonality. Alicia F. For Joanna, this is theresult of an extreme case of denial and a considerable amount of hostility,probably due to her own unresolved conflicts, maladaptations, anddysfunction. Cassidy & P. As Mark T. Greenberg, M. F., & Zeanah, C. Boodman (1998, May) points out that childhood traumas and maladaptationsare frequently repeated in later generations; children of dysfunctionalfamilies tend to create dysfunctional families of their own that follow thepatterns they themselves learned growing up (p. One important relationship that will affect Carrie's treatment is therelationship between Joanna and her mother. Indicators in second- andthird-year cases of abuse. Archivesof Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 1137(1), 3-15.----------------------- 12 His molestation of Carrie had begunapproximately six months earlier. In J. Bylearning how to deal with her own abuse, she will eventually be better ableto help Carrie deal with hers. If Carrie's trauma did infact begin when she was 2, instead of shortly before her fifth birthday, asher mother now grudgingly believes, this critical fact could impairCarrie's ability to integrate this trauma and move beyond it. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment, pp.469-496. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UniversityPress. Currently, it also includes hergrandmother, since the two have been ordered to live with her, and hertherapist, Dr. Damon. Joanna is certainly not too oldto learn, but her development is much more fixed simply because it has goneon much longer than that of her daughter. T. Thedaughter is the primary patient, but her relationship to the larger systemof which she is a part is relevant to the case and to the course oftreatment. Davies, D. Attachment and Psychopathology inchildhood. Child Abuse and Neglect, 21(11), 1 25-1 39. . Bronfenbrenner, U. (1979). Using Urie Bronfenbrenner's ecological model provides theopportunity to examine the context of the child's case, the extent to whichshe is at risk for future problems, the suggested course of treatment, andthe additional information needed to treat her and her mother effectively.This case offers an interesting example of many of the kinds of issues andquestions faced by professionals dealing with child guidancepsychopathologies and family contexts. 56). Carrie does seem to have a greater capacitythan her mother to reach out for help, and this suggests that she may bebetter able than Joanna to benefit from a program of therapy, in partbecause such treatment is being started while she is still young enough tolearn new ways of thinking and behaving. NewYork: Guilford. For many, the microsystem also extends to include teachers,schoolmates, other family members, neighbors, and other individuals closeto the patient; for Carrie, however, many of these people appear to be alittle further away from the immediate sphere of influence, in whatBronfenbrenner terms the mesosystem. 55). Young, T. The culturalcontext of infant caregiving. W., & Jung, J. 227).Such a view is critical to the individual's ability to deal with sexualabuse, since the victim needs to be able to place blame entirely on theabuser and separate emotionally from the abuse. This is especially true because of Carrie's youth. 472). Lieberman and Charles H. Especially before Carrie began toconfide in anyone else, her immediate sphere of relationships was moreguarded and closed off because of her abuse. 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.