NCJ Number
59096
Date Published
1979
Length
207 pages
Annotation
FINDINGS FROM A STUDY FOCUSING ON THE HANDLING OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES IN FLORIDA ARE PRESENTED; TYPES OF CASES, BROAD TASKS PERFORMED BY PROFESSIONALS, AND SPECIFIC TREATMENT METHODS EMPLOYED ARE EMPHASIZED.
Abstract
A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO THE STUDY OF SUCH CASES WAS IMPLEMENTED FOR THE EIGHT SOUTHEASTERN STATES; RESULTS FROM THE FLORIDA SAMPLE ARE PRESENTED HEREIN. THE SURVEY OF PUBLIC AGENCIES HANDLING THE CASES WAS CARRIED OUT AS PART OF A LARGER STUDY OF PUBLIC AGENCY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. QUESTIONNAIRES WERE SENT TO STAFFS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. PARTICIPATION IS PRESENTED BY 47 OF FLORIDA'S COUNTIES. THE SAMPLE INCLUDED 146 RESPONDENTS WITH EXPERIENCE IN WORKING WITH CHILD SEX ABUSE CASES. THE GENERAL OBJECTIVES OF THE SURVEY WERE TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF SEXUAL ABUSE CASES HANDLED BY PUBLIC AGENCY WORKERS, TO DETERMINE THE NATURE OF THE TASK PERFORMED AND TASK RELATED TRAINING NEEDS, AND TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT TO WHICH WORKERS FELT QUALIFIED TO DELIVER SERVICES. SURVEY RESULTS SHOWED THAT OVER THREE-FOURTHS OF THE EXPERIENCED WORKERS HAD ENCOUNTERED MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF SEXUAL ABUSE CASE WHEN CONSIDERING THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE OFFENDER TO THE VICTIM. PARENTS OR OTHER CLOSE RELATIVES ARE MOST OFTEN THE PERPETRATOR IN REPORTED CASES OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. UNLIKE THE RAPE VICTIM, THE SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILD IS GENERALLY SUBJECT TO ABUSE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. THE MOST PREVALENT AGE OF ABUSED CHILDREN IS BETWEEN 10 AND 14 YEARS. THE COMMON FEATURES OF THE MOST DIFFICULT CASES ENCOUNTERED INVOLVE A FATHER-DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP, AN ENDURING OR HABITUAL RELATIONSHIP, ACTUAL PENETRATION, AND THE YOUNG ADOLESCENT. WORK IN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES HAS BEEN PRIMARILY RELATED TO INITIAL HANDLING AND CASE PROCESSING; LESS THAN 50 PERCENT OF THE WORKERS HAD PERFORMED BROAD TREATMENT TASKS. CLEARLY, WORKERS VIEW TREATMENT IN SUCH CASES TO BE THE MAJOR RESPONSIBILITY OF SOME OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCE. FEW WORKERS PERFORMED TASKS FOCUSING ON FAMILY REHABILITATION OR INVOLVING THE SPOUSE OF THE ABUSER. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT TRAINING BE PROVIDED TO WORKERS IN THE SPECIALIZED AREA OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE, THAT THE NEEDS OF ALL PARTIES IN THE SITUATION BE ASSESSED AND MET, AND THAT TREATMENT BE PROVIDED THROUGH AN IDENTIFIED PRIVATE COUNSELING AGENCY THAT IS EXPERIENCED IN SUCH CASES. STATISTICAL TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED IN THE STUDY. (LWM)