Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract:

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive problem that significantly impacts many youth and their families. CSA has been associated with a variety of internalizing and externalizing problems for sexually abused youth. However, the effects of CSA are rarely limited to victims, and nonoffending caregivers and siblings often experience distress following the disclosure of abuse. Due to the heterogeneous symptom presentation exhibited by victims of CSA, and the potential impact of CSA on the entire family, it is important for clinicians to use assessment strategies that are multi-method, multi-symptom, and multi-informant. Similarly, treatment planning for sexually abused youth is complicated by the diverse impact of CSA on families, and psychosocial interventions often include victims of CSA as well as nonoffending family members. While several psychosocial interventions exist for CSA, most have not been rigorously examined. However, CSA treatments typically