ABSTRACT

Despite increased recognition of the high incidence of child sexual abuse, little attention has so far been paid to the women on whom children primarily depend for care adn protection - their mothers. Informed by theory and research on other situations involving loss, secrecy and moral dilemmas, as well as the rapidly accumulating knowledge of child sexual abuse, Mothers Surviving Child Sexual Abuse offers a new analysis of mother's reactions and resposes, presenting a fresh perspective on a shocking porblem for practitioners and policy-makers involved in child protection, as well as students and lecturers of social work and social studies and women's studies.

chapter |19 pages

Child sexual abuse and mothers

The issues

chapter |11 pages

The study

Aims and methods

chapter |22 pages

Loss

The meaning of child sexual abuse to mothers

chapter |27 pages

Finding out

The discovery process

chapter |31 pages

Working it out

The context and process of response

chapter |11 pages

Conclusions