This issue, containing a special report on abuse, contains stories by sexually abused youth and an abusing parent. The stories emphasize the difficulty children have being believed when they finally decide to share their problems; the difficulties they have getting help; and the fact that, even if the abuse is stopped, there are no simple, happy…

Examines the issue of role confusion for medical professionals who must deal with both parent and child in cases of incest. Pediatricians generally act as child advocates and tend to believe the child's story if there is conflicting information, yet are expected to render a neutral expert opinion. Family physicians may become enmeshed in denial…

Comments on the negative reactions expressed in a previous article concerning reactions to sex offenders. Control, not comprehension, of the offender's behavior is the primary purpose of treatment. Sadistic and retaliatory fantasies by the therapist may indicate the need for further training. (JPS)

Child sexual abuse continues to be a problem despite efforts towards prevention. The burden of protecting children still falls mainly on women, yet society's general attitudes take away from women the tools they need to do this job. Mothers of sexually abused children have been blamed for their daughters' abuse because of their emotional…

Suggests that Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres" is a faithful and a "profoundly subversive" revision of Shakespeare's "King Lear." Argues that the terms in which the novel have been most frequently praised, no less than the case made for banning it, raise important questions about the relationship between the novel's…

Distills the essence of Freud's thinking about incest, placing it within the context of childhood sexuality. Discusses clinical and research implications concerning the relationship between sexual trauma and emotional disturbances. Raises questions requiring further investigation. (NH)

Notes that marital and family therapists working with families when child sexual abuse is disclosed or suspected face ethical confusion that may not be clearly addressed by professional codes of conduct or legal statutes. Discusses ethical dilemmas commonly encountered in family sexual abuse cases and provides recommendations for ethical decision…

The reported low incidence of child sexual abuse in Hong Kong is discussed in terms of cultural taboos, low level of awareness among professionals, and cultural attitudes of absolute authority of parents over children. Three case reports reflect the impact of these influences. (DB)

Addresses the therapist's reactions to clinical work with sex offenders. Focuses on the particular experiences of one case, and discusses the female therapist's responses to the male client that may be the result of other experiences. Explores some reactions and difficulties that professionals may encounter in work with sex offenders. (JPS)

Object relations theory offers the most viable explanation of the dynamics of sexually abused individuals by allowing for the conceptualization of an individual, whose earlier object relations left him barren, lonely, or neglected, as having a predisposition or vulnerability to abuse. Children with adequate nurturing experiences react negatively…

Provides a critical discussion of current research on the efficacy of family and group interventions for child sexual abuse victims. Treatment goals and components are described, followed by a review of relevant empirical studies. Suggestions are presented for improving the methodology of future sexual abuse intervention research. (JPS)

The recovery process for victims of childhood incest is a dynamic one that involves integration of traumatic material into the personality. Reliably and validly measuring the coping or recovery process that is facilitated by therapeutic interventions is a first step in understanding the treatment process and in creating effective and efficient…

This review of cultural attitudes and case studies proposes that the incidence of sexual abuse of male and female children by women is underestimated and that the changing roles of men and women in Western societies may lead to an increase in such abuse. (Author/DB)

Examines problems related to child sexual abuse assessment and intervention methods, especially in instances of intrafamilial offenses. Discusses the benefits of alternative strategies in use today, and the adaptations that child welfare workers, social workers, and other professionals have made to enhance intervention effectiveness. Suggests that…

Examines the emotional and situational factors that influence the child victim's role in sexual assult by adults, and the social implications of blaming the victim. (Author/CM)