ABSTRACT

Government ministers and inquiry reports have laid great stress on the special skills required to work with abusing families. It would be a mistake to see these as separate and distinct from those required to work with other groups of clients. Time and again child abuse situations have become dangerous when the case has been allowed to drift. Workers need persistence and the skill of keeping going. Workers in the field of child protection must have the belief that authority can be used constructively. Confrontation is a vital tool especially in handling sex abusers. Cognitive distortions have to be challenged. Because sex offenders manipulate, rationalize and minimalize, workers have to be authoritative about what has to be worked on and faced. Child protection workers have to have a good look at themselves. There are some workers who are natural loners.