Premium
A Balancing Act: A Family Perspective to Sibling Sexual Abuse
Author(s) -
Keane Michael,
Guest Andrea,
Padbury Jo
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
child abuse review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1099-0852
pISSN - 0952-9136
DOI - 10.1002/car.2284
Subject(s) - statutory law , context (archaeology) , general partnership , intervention (counseling) , child sexual abuse , sexual abuse , sibling , child protection , psychology , perspective (graphical) , public relations , poison control , medicine , criminology , suicide prevention , psychiatry , political science , nursing , developmental psychology , law , medical emergency , artificial intelligence , computer science , paleontology , biology
This article will focus on responding to harmful sexual behaviour by young people towards their siblings and other young children in their family network. It will explore a framework for practice of engaging children and their families following disclosure of sexual abuse, developed by the Sexual Abuse Counselling and Prevention Program at the Children's Protection Society (CPS) in Melbourne, Australia. This article will detail statutory and policy frameworks that provide a context for therapeutic intervention. This particularly applies to consideration of the separation of young people from their families, and where this occurs, to the matter of their reunification with their families. The CPS is particularly exercised by the challenge of achieving a balance in individual safety and the wellbeing of all family members. The article will look at examples of work in which balancing the best interests of different family members which at times are in potential if not actual conflict poses a challenge to counselling staff. The article will provide ideas and approaches to consider for those programmes that walk this difficult journey with families. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ‘This article will detail statutory and policy frameworks that provide a context for therapeutic intervention’Key Practitioner Messages In working with sibling sexual abuse, therapeutic work should equally consider the needs of the victim and the offending sibling. Joint work with all family members can contribute to creating a safe environment, which promotes family healing. Safety planning needs to occur in partnership with parents and statutory bodies.‘Safety planning needs to occur in partnership with parents and statutory bodies’