An Integrated Approach to Treating Non-Offending Parents Affected by Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

Childhood sexual abuse has been associated with a number of serious physical and psychological consequences throughout childhood and into adulthood for both child victims and their families. This article describes the preliminary outcomes of a pilot group program to treat non-offending parents of sexually abused children. This group program is integrative in its approach, combining elements of trauma-focused cognitive–behavioral and psychoeducational/supportive interventions to treat non-offending parents of sexually abused children. This study also focuses on outcomes in terms of parental posttraumatic distress and general family functioning. A small group of non-offending parents was recruited from a local child advocacy agency. Parents attended the 12-week group program and outcomes such as parent post-traumatic stress and family dysfunction were examined. Measures of overall satisfaction and intervention feasibility were also examined at the end of the group intervention. Favorable outcomes included a decrease in parent self-report of posttraumatic stress and select aspects of family dysfunction. Seventy-five percent of parents completed the group program. Satisfaction questionnaire responses demonstrated highly favorable perceptions of the group's content, leaders, and helpfulness. This study served as an initial step in the development of larger family-focused interventions involving parallel parent and child groups and focused family sessions. Outcomes may begin to shed some light on the need for more parent- and family-focused interventions in families that have been affected by sexual abuse.

KEYWORDS:

• Sex abuse
• non-offending parent
• group treatment

The PACT Program is a collaborative effort between the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the New York Center for Children. Acknowledgment is given to Christine Crowther, MA, Sarah Anders, LCSW, and Lisa Sanders, LCSW, for their support in the implementation of the pilot study. Special acknowledgment is also given to Cassandra Leslie of the National Children's Advocacy Center for her guidance and contribution to the development of the group curriculum. In addition, the authors wish to extend appreciation to Erica Lander, PsyM, for her assistance in the final revisions of the manuscript.