ABSTRACT
Conjoint interviews with the parents of the abused child may be used to assess the quality of their relationship. In cases of parent-child incest, the evaluation of the marital couple must address the degree to which the non-abusing parent can confront the denial of the abusing parent and the degree to which the non-abusing parent is dependent on the abusing parent. For eventual partial or complete family re-unification, the non-abusing parent must be able to confront the abusing parent, ask him to leave the house and then later decide whether to work towards permanent separation or family reunification, whichever is the preferable option. To be able to follow this route there must be sufficient differentiation within the marriage, at the time of disclosure, for the non-abusing parent to be able to confront the abuser. In cases of extrafamilial abuse, the evaluation of the marital couple focuses on the degree to which parents can work together in supporting the abused child. In cases of sibling abuse, there is the additional issue of the capacity of the parents to work as a team in confronting the abuser’s denial, setting limits on his behaviour and yet not scapegoating him or ostracizing him from family life.
