ABSTRACT

This practice-oriented book provides a model of intervention for sexually abused children. Its approach is that intervention strategy should be based on child-generated information. Models of intervention based on adult-generated information are ineffective - simply because children do not have the cognitive capability of utilising such strategies to prevent or stop abuse. In contrast, therapeutic strategies presented in this text emphasising child-generated information enable the clinician to assess and understand the vulnerability of sexually abused children in regards To Their Cognitive Level Of Understanding And Their Emotional Reactions.; The book guides mental health professionals to: acquire information about what and how children think about adults, in general, and perpetrators in particular; inventory children's own strategies for responding to perpetrators; document children's underlying logic for the strategies they identify; and use the information provided by children to guide the selection of treatment and prevention techniques.; After the introduction of the topic, the book moves on to a discussion of the correlates of child sexual abuse. Information on a systematic research endeavour examining victim vulnerability is then presented, as well as children's responses to perpetrators. Other chapters focus on the Burkhardt child- generated model of sexual abuse intervention and procedures for assessment. Finally, the appendix provides a description of educational and psychological materials on child sexual abuse which can be used for prevention and intervention.