Additionally, Rankin (2003) stated that art interventions begin with self-management, then proceed with safety planning, telling the trauma story, grieving traumatic losses, self-concept and world view revision and finally ends with self and relational development. Treatment progress and outcomes will vary from patient to patient, as therapy is an individualized process.
Although the amount of empirical research regarding art therapy is limited, the use of art therapy has been confirmed as a means for victims to express how they feel and find some closure. Art therapy has also become a type of intervention that is used in combination with other interventions. With this understood, the preceding section of this discussion will focus on play therapy as an intervention.
Play Therapy
Play therapy is a long-established and highly effective treatment method used in working with children who are experiencing various conflicts, contrasting role expectations, or dissociated feelings (Weber, 2009). These concepts are enacted in play, and brought to conscious awareness by the therapist's comments (Weber, 2009). Play therapy is a very heterogeneous type of therapy that permits the therapist and patient to have a freedom of expression that is different from that of traditional counseling. Clinicians who utilize play therapy use a variety of props and settings when meeting with clients. Some of the items used include anatomically correct dolls, puppets, stories, sand boxes, toy cars and trucks, games, and various forms of art (Gil, 1991).
According to Crenshaw and Hardy (2007) the purpose of play therapy is to assimilate what goes on around the child into his or her present scheme of knowledge and assisting the patient in mastering self and the environment. Play therapy is also designed to assist the victim in overcoming the situation, increase relatedness and express feelings. As with other types of intervention, play therapy is also designed to improve self-esteem.
Like art therapy, play therapy is often yields high levels of success with children because it allows them the ability to express themselves in a form more conducive to their cognitive and developmental abilities. Traumatized children had more intense play, play disruptions, repetitive play, avoidant play behavior, and negative affect. Now that the research has examined art therapy and play therapy, the intervention known as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be examined.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
As one might assume, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) offers a combination of strategies from cognitive and behavioral theories. According to Nicholaichuk and Yates (2002), this treatment approach is based on the premise that cognitive and affective processes and behavior are linked, and that cognitions, affect, and behavior are mutually influential. The National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapist offers a simple explanation for CBT: according to McGrath et al. (1998), CBT typically includes targeting deviant sexual behavior and interests and a wide range of social skills/relational deficits. In addition CBT addresses the issue of cognitive distortions, which permit the offender to justify, rationalize and/or minimize the offending behavior (McGrath et al., 1998).
As it pertains to the use of CBT in addressing the issue of child sexual abuse, the United States Department of Health and human services has developed and implemented a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy intervention specially designed for Child Sexual Abuse. According to a report published by the government agency
"Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse (CBT-CSA) is a treatment approach designed to help children and adolescents who have suffered sexual abuse overcome posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other behavioral and emotional difficulties. The program emphasizes the support and involvement of no offending parents or primary caretakers and encourages effective parent-child communication. Cognitive behavioral methods are used to help parents learn to cope with their own distress and respond effectively to their children's behavioral difficulties. This CBT approach is suitable for all clinical and community-based mental health settings and its effectiveness has been documented for both individual and group therapy formats ("Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse")."
This particular program is designed to assist abuse victims from the ages of 3 to 18 who suffer from post traumatic stress disorder ("Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse"). The program can be used in private or public clinics ("Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse"). The program has proved to be a successful intervention fro children of all races and ethnicities regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds. In most cases those that participated in the program were treated at medical school campuses and public clinics. However, this particular intervention has been implemented by therapist in community setting ("Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse").
The report...
Child sexual abuse is a topic that has attracted must attention in the current years. Studies estimate that up to 33% of women and at least 20% of men are victims of child sexual abuse (Misurell & Springer, 2013). Sexual abuses excluding touch are often not reported. This suggests that the number of individuals who could be sexually abused in their childhood may even be greater. As a high percentage
rational (the importance of the study) and research question 2) method -participants (ethnic race, gender, age), measures (tests used and evaluation), procedures 3) references. 15 sources are used. APA. Child sexual abuse, CSA, is said to occur when children experience sexual contact with an adult or an older child through coercion or deceptive manipulation at an age and stage of development at which the child does not posses sufficient maturity
2003). In addition Fergusson, Horwood, and Lynsky (1997) also examined the extent to which exposure to CSA was associated with increased rates of sexual risk-taking behaviors among 520 young women (aged 18) in New Zealand. Retrospective reports of CSA indicated that females who experienced sexual abuse (intercourse) were 4.4 times more likely to engage in sexual activity and be pregnant, 9.3 times more likely to have had five or more
Child Abuse "Although it is extremely important when interviewing children about alleged abuse to determine whether the abuse was single or repeated… we have little information about how children judge the frequency of events… [and] overall children were very accurate at judging the frequency of a single event, but much less so for repeated events." (Sharman, et al., 2011). Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reports that in the year 2010
Child Abuse and Sexuality There has been increasing awareness about stopping sexual child abuse, which has now become an important public health concern (Hammond, 2003; Whitaker, Lutzker, & Shelley, 2005). In 2005 more than 83000 cases related to child sexual abuse have been listen in the state-based reports, that have been accumulated by the office of Child Abuse and Neglect (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [U.S. DHHS], 2007). Majority
Childhood Sexual Abuse Exordium Claims that homosexuality can be caused by child sexual abuse (CSA) are controversial. These claims have been made by a number of researchers, and have weak links to data that may support them (Brady, 2008). In short, it is very difficult to determine if there is actually a link between CSA and homosexuality. It is important not only to further study whether there is a true link between
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