Counselling and support issues for mothers and fathers of sexually abused children

Abstract

The needs of mothers and fathers in the aftermath of child sexual abuse disclosure are often overlooked. A group of parents from New South Wales, Australia, were asked about the assistance that they received in the aftermath of the child sexual abuse investigation, particularly focusing upon their experience of counselling and needs for information and emotional support. They highlighted the different reactions and needs of mothers and fathers and drew attention to problems with isolation, the exacerbation of marital conflict, the exclusive nature of individual counselling for the child, and problems in finding support in the statutory context.