From Freud to Feminism: Gendered Constructions of Blame Across Theories of Child Sexual Abuse

ABSTRACT

Most theories of child sexual abuse are, to some degree, gendered, with nonoffending mothers bearing the burden of blame, ideologically and legally, for the transgressions of predominantly male offenders. This article explores the social construction of blame for child sexual abuse via critical analyses of evolving theoretical perspectives on maternal culpability for the inception and maintenance of abuse dynamics. Drawing on selected conceptual and research knowledge that supports and refutes anecdotal claims, this synthesis of the literature culminates in the proposal of an evidence-informed, feminist-grounded, multitheoretical child sexual abuse framework that disrupts dominant mother-blaming discourse and guides socially just and ethically responsive policy, practice, and research.

KEYWORDS:

• child sexual abuse
• theoretical issues
• gender issues
• nonoffending mothers
• mother-blame discourse
• feminism

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Delphine Collin-Vézina and Ann Fudge Schormans for their helpful early reviews.

Disclosure of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Corry Azzopardi

Corry Azzopardi, PhD, Division of Pediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children; Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Ramona Alaggia

Ramona Alaggia, PhD, Associate Professor; Factor-Inwentash Chair in Children’s Mental Health; Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Cross-appointed to the Women and Gender Studies Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.

Barbara Fallon

Barbara Fallon, PhD, Associate Professor; Canada Research Chair in Child Welfare; Factor-Inwentash Chair in Child Welfare; Associate Dean, Research; Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.