58 research outputs found
The risk of telling : a dyadic perspective on romantic partners' responses to child sexual abuse disclosure and their associations with sexual and relationship satisfaction
Essai prĂ©sentĂ© Ă la FacultĂ© des arts et des sciences en vue de l'obtention du grade de Doctorat en psychologie clinique (D. Psy.)Les survivants dâagression sexuelle Ă lâenfance (ASE) doivent souvent composer avec les consĂ©quences Ă long terme de ce trauma. Toutefois, il existe une grande variabilitĂ© quant aux impacts individuels de lâASE. Certains auteurs croient que la rĂ©ponse obtenue lors du dĂ©voilement de lâASE aux proches du survivant, pourrait ĂȘtre lâun des dĂ©terminants de cette variabilitĂ©. Cependant, le dĂ©voilement Ă lâĂąge adulte, notamment au partenaire amoureux, a Ă©tĂ© peu Ă©tudiĂ©. La prĂ©sente Ă©tude examine les associations entre les rĂ©ponses des partenaires amoureux au dĂ©voilement, tels que perçues par les survivants, ainsi que la satisfaction sexuelle et conjugale des deux membres du couple, auprĂšs dâun Ă©chantillon de 70 couples de la communautĂ© ayant rapportĂ© une ASE et lâayant dĂ©voilĂ©e Ă leur partenaire. Les participants ont complĂ©tĂ© des questionnaires auto-rapportĂ©s en ligne. Les rĂ©sultats dâanalyses de trajectoire au sein dâun modĂšle « Actor-Partner Interdependence Model » (APIM) indiquent que les rĂ©ponses de « soutien Ă©motionnel » de la part des partenaires durant le dĂ©voilement, telles que perçues par les survivants, Ă©taient positivement associĂ©es Ă leur propre satisfaction sexuelle ainsi quâĂ celle de leur partenaire. Les rĂ©ponses de « stigmatisation/se sentir traitĂ© diffĂ©remment » de la part des partenaires, telles que perçues par les survivants, Ă©taient associĂ©es Ă une moins bonne satisfaction conjugale, Ă la fois pour les survivants et leurs partenaires. Les rĂ©sultats suggĂšrent que les rĂ©ponses des partenaires au dĂ©voilement dâune ASE, tels que perçues par les survivants, peuvent avoir un impact positif autant que nĂ©gatif sur la satisfaction conjugale et sexuelle des deux partenaires.Survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) often experience adverse trauma-related long term consequences, which vary widely among survivors. Some authors argued that this variability might be explained in part by the response of others to survivorsâ disclosure of the CSA. However, disclosure during adulthood has received little empirical attention, in particular, disclosure to a romantic partner. Among 70 community couples who reported CSA and disclosure to their partner, this study examined associations between survivorsâ perception of partner responses to their disclosure, and both partnersâ sexual and relationship satisfaction. Participants completed self-report questionnaires online. Results of path analyses within an actor-partner interdependence model indicated that survivorsâ perceived partner responses of emotional support to disclosure were associated with their own and their partners' higher sexual satisfaction. Survivorsâ perceived responses of being stigmatized/treated differently by the partner were associated with their own and their partnersâ poorer relationship satisfaction. Findings suggest that survivor-perceived partner responses to the disclosure of CSA can have both a positive and a negative impact on the sexual and relationship satisfaction of both partners
Parents' experiences of their child's disclosure of sexual abuse
A childâs disclosure of sexual victimisation is a difficult experience for parents, and has been associated with traumatisation, disbelief, denial, self-blame and clinical difficulties. To date, most studies on parentsâ responses have been quantitative assessments of the psychological impact of disclosure on parents. A paucity of research has qualitatively explored mothersâ experiences of their childâs disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) and fathersâ experiences have been even further neglected. The current study seeks to characterise parentsâ experiences of their childâs disclosure of CSA and to uncover the process-oriented nature of parental responses. This qualitative study, using a grounded theory approach to analysis, involved interviews with 10 mothers and four fathers, whose children (3 to 18 years) had experienced sexual abuse. Three themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme â making sense of the abuse in retrospect â captured the process through which parents sought to make sense of their childâs disclosure, focusing on why their child had not disclosed the abuse to them earlier, and how they had noticed something was wrong but misattributed their childâs behaviour to other factors. The second theme â negotiating parental identity as protector â reflected how parentsâ identity as a protector was challenged, their perception of their world had been forever altered, and they now experienced themselves as hypervigilant and overprotective. The final theme - navigating the services â pertained to parentsâ struggle in navigating child protection and police services, and feeling of being isolated and alone. These findings highlight the need for empathy and parental support following child disclosure of sexual victimisation
In whose best interest? A Canadian case study of the impact of child welfare policies in cases of domestic violence
North American child protection systems have been experiencing an era of sweeping child welfare reform over the last decade. Despite the breadth of these changes, legislative and policy impacts are rarely evaluated to ascertain whether changes are resulting in the outcomes they were designed to achieve. Using a participatory research framework, 70 participants from relevant service sectors and service recipients from a large urban centre in Canada, were interviewed about legislation in cases of children exposed to domestic violence. While most stakeholders noted the "spirit of the Act" to be well-meaning and based on a credible body of child research, there were serious concerns cited with the implementation and impact of policies that resulted from this piece of child welfare legislation. Reluctance of abused women to disclose or seek services for their families, isolation between helping professionals from different sectors, increased demand for services, increased surveillance of mothers, and decreased accountability of perpetrators were predominant themes identified. These data strongly suggest that response models be tested as pilot studies, rigorously evaluated and fully implemented only when there are assurances that appropriate and adequate services are available to meet the complex needs of the communities they are designed to serve. & copy; The Author 2007. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
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