According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2015), trauma is an emotional response to a terrible event, which can lead to difficulties with emotional regulation, social relationships, and the development of physical symptoms. Traumatic experiences may include physical or sexual abuse, neglect, experiencing or witnessing violence,…

It is sad to know that many of the child negligence and child abuse cases, which are being frequently encountered in the society today, still remains unknown. This perhaps is due to lack of information on the part of the administrators, school counselors and other related bodies in the management of such cases. In this study, 50 school counselors…

Abused children experience high rates of behavior, emotional, and learning problems but infrequently receive treatment. Most services provided to abused children and their families are not based on any clear evidence that they work. A number of evidence-based treatments (EBTs), demonstrated to be safe and effective in treating a range of…

As the school year begins, staff at the National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) would like to offer all school personnel (including educators, administrators, counselors and support staff) the opportunity to use their many resources for schools! Their resources were created to highlight issues related to trauma, to explain how trauma can…

Objective: To identify child characteristics, factors related to the therapy referral, and caregivers' psychological and social variables that predict sexually abused children's beginning therapy following a therapy referral. Method: Investigators abstracted data from case records of 101 families whose children were referred to a Children's…

Featuring in-depth case presentations from master clinicians, this volume highlights the remarkable capacity of traumatized children to guide their own healing process. The book describes what posttraumatic play looks like and how it can foster resilience and coping. Demonstrated are applications of play, art, and other expressive therapies with…

Fifty women who were sexually abused as children were interviewed regarding their perceptions of helpful and hindering counseling behaviors. The critical incident technique was the methodology used. One major category that emerged from the data was Approach to Power and Control. This category comprised eight subcategories: (1) flexibility with…

Art therapy in conjunction with cognitive behavioral therapy reduces symptoms and enhances the potential for positive outcomes for sexually abused children in trauma-focused treatment. This article presents a treatment model that utilizes specific art therapy interventions to facilitate treatment, based on research on the effectiveness of combined…

Methods of coping with childhood sexual abuse were retrospectively studied with 54 adult women who had been sexually abused in childhood. "Denial" and "emotional repression" were the coping methods most commonly employed. Analysis suggested that avoidant/emotion suppressing strategies were associated with poorer adult psychological adjustment.…

Seven functional uses of anatomical dolls in sexual abuse evaluations of young children are identified: comforter, icebreaker, anatomical model, demonstration aid, memory stimulus, diagnostic screen, and diagnostic test. The relevancy of criticisms is shown to vary greatly by doll use. The continued, informed use of anatomical dolls in sexual…

The House-Tree-Person test is based on the premise that unconscious aspects of the personality are exposed through the person's drawings of familiar items. Children who have experienced sexual abuse are often hesitant to respond to direct questioning about this experience. Researchers have studied the H-T-P to determine if these children produce…

This study of 136 children (aged 2 to 10 years) found that children referred for medical evaluation of sexual abuse will use sexually explicit behavior to demonstrate what has happened to them with nonanatomical dolls as frequently as when they are interviewed with anatomically detailed ones. (Author/DB)

This book provides a framework for understanding the dimensions (scope, taxonomy, philosophy) and dynamics (individual, familial, societal) of pedosexual behavior, particularly child sexual abuse. It focuses on the implementation of integrated intervention strategies for any professional facing these issues. It attempts to provide comprehensive…

Adolescents (n=161) who had unwanted sexual experiences with a single perpetrator were compared with 97 adolescents who had unwanted sexual experiences with more than one perpetrator. Results suggest that sexual revictimization by multiple perpetrators is not uncommon and that these children and adolescents have more difficulties with…

The Doorways training program was designed by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Safe Schools Program (Safe Schools) to enable teachers, community members and students to prevent and respond to school-related gender-based violence (SRGBV). This booklet, "Doorways II: Community Counselor Reference Materials on…