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Engaging Nonoffending Mothers of Sexually Abused Children

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Handbook of Child Maltreatment

Part of the book series: Child Maltreatment ((MALT,volume 14))

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Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a significant public health problem in the United States. Adverse childhood experiences (ACE), of which sexual abuse is one, influence health and well-being throughout life. A consequence of sexual abuse is the possibility of developing various biopsychosocial problems. Children’s disclosure of sexual abuse and their capacity for recovery are associated with the support they receive from their caregivers. Not surprisingly, nonoffending caregivers demonstrate a broad range of responses to their children’s disclosure. By definition, they have not sexually abused or directly participated in the abuse of their children. However, nonoffending caregivers, especially mothers are often scrutinized by social service agencies and the judicial system for contributing to the abuse of their children or for failing to protect their children from harm. Parenting a sexual abused child comes with many challenges. Yet, when caregivers have their own unresolved histories of childhood abuse, they often lack the internal coping strategies to adequately manage their child’s abuse. Nonetheless, child protection professionals effectively engaging caregivers is integral to successful investigation and intervention with child victims of sexual abuse. Implications for future research, practice, and policy are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Norfolk State University, School of Social Work, Norfolk, VA, USA

    Viola Vaughan-Eden

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  1. Viola Vaughan-Eden
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Correspondence to Viola Vaughan-Eden .

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  1. Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA

    Richard D. Krugman

  2. Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Jill E. Korbin

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Vaughan-Eden, V. (2022). Engaging Nonoffending Mothers of Sexually Abused Children. In: Krugman, R.D., Korbin, J.E. (eds) Handbook of Child Maltreatment. Child Maltreatment, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82479-2_28

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-82479-2_28

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