Creative Responses To Child Sexual Abuse: Challenges and Dilemmas

by Sue Richardson

Despite heightened media attention and the increase in professional knowledge about child abuse, many children are still being failed by the system. This book addresses indepth the acute practice dilemmas concerning children who despite the climate of increased awareness, multi-disciplinary cooperation and legislative and procedural change, cannot easily be protected.

Drawing on lessons from the major inquiries into child sexual abuse in the 1990s and using attachment theory as a theoretical framework, the contributors (who include mothers and survivors as well as a range of professionals) give guidelines for working with the children - in particular those who, unable to disclose their experience themselves, are the most difficult to support.

Illustrated throughout with case material and informed by the experiences of survivors themselves the book presents a model for well managed and resourced, flexible and integrated intervention with children, their families, and the community that will enable professionals and families to work together to break the 'cycle of abuse'.

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2001