Clinical Psychology in Ireland Volume Five: Empirical Studies of Child Sex Abuse

This volume presents results from a series of empirical studies conducted in the field of child protection in Ireland. These throw light of the epidemiology of child sexual abuse, profiles of survivors and perpetrators of child sexual abuse, and their families, and important treatment-related issues. The following broad conclusions may be drawn from this research. CSA victims were predominantly preadolescent girls, but boys were also abused. CSA survivors had suffered a range of different forms of abuse leading to a variety of psychological problems. Greatest adjustment problems were shown by survivors of coercive, violent, penetrative abuse. Both individual therapy and combined individual and group therapy can alleviate some of the psychological difficulties that arise from CSA. CSA perpetrators were predominantly male, and were rarely strangers. A proportion of perpetrators were adolescents some of whom were survivors of child abuse. Adolescent CSA perpetrators had significant adjustment problems. Theoretically coherent innovative interventions for adolescent CSA perpetrators are being developed. A parent support programme, that runs in parallel to group-based treatment for adolescent CSA perpetrators holds promise as a core element of a comprehensive family-oriented programme for adolescent CSA perpetrators.