Abused Boys

A long overdue book by a psychologist who has extensive clinical experience treating male victims of child sexual abuse, it explodes the myth that sexual abuse of male children is rare, or that the consequences are less serious than for girls. Hunter examines the physical and emotional impact of abuse on its victims and the factors affecting revovery. With personal case histories of victims and their families, this is a powerfully written and meticulously researched book that is a landmark in the field of child sexual abuse literature.

More than one in six boys in the United States is sexually victimized by the age of 16. Yet in the growing professional literature on child sexual abuse, few books focus specifically on the experience of victimized boys and men. This much-needed volume examines how sexual betrayal affects boys and the ways they carry this hurt into adulthood. Blending psychoanalytic understanding with insights from trauma-oriented theory and practice, Richard B. Gartner presents effective strategies for meeting the unique therapeutic needs of men with sexual abuse histories. Filled with evocative clinical material, the book draws readers into the direct experience of these clients, the therapists who work with them, and the constantly shifting relational world they inhabit.

A groundbreaking therapeutic model to assist practitioners treat sexually abused children effectively is presented in this pragmatic volume. While the model is applicable to both male and female children, the author focuses on boys. In so doing, Friedrich cites pertinent gender and sociocultural issues that are critical to understanding boys, an understanding which is in turn essential for the provision of adequate and effective individual, group and family therapy.

This easy-to-follow manual presents techniques for working with groups of children who have been sexually abused. It begins with an overview of the theory and literature of group therapy with children and then offers seven sections on psycho-social skill building techniques, trust building, self esteem, identifying and expressing feelings, healing the inner child, relationships, boundary setting, and prevention skills.

Praise for the first edition: `Ann Cattanach writes with enormous empathy and warmth, and with a refreshing lack of sentimentality ... [This] is an unpretentious and optimistic book, and a very positive addition to recent publications.' - British Association of Play Therapists `I would recommend the book to anyone working in this field... This is a well presented, clear and easy-to-read book, providing a balanced mixture of factual information and case material.' - British Journal of Occupational Therapy `What impressed me so much about this work was Cattanach's knowledge of children and their inherent strengths as well as their vulnerabilities... This practical and easy to apply book is recommended for anyone who works with abused children and would like further insight as well as practical and informative advice on healing the traumatized child.' - Trauma and Loss: Research and Interventions `Her accounts of the way in which play is used to make sense of traumatic experiences are full of insight and often moving. All aspects of the work are covered... This is an exceptional volume...goes far beyond a mere text book.' - Therapy Weekly This second edition of Ann Cattanach's highly commended book explores the use of play therapy with abused children as a way of helping them heal their distress and make sense of their experiences through expanding their own creativity in play. The book provides practical ways of starting play therapy with abused children and explains how the child can use this process for healing. Models of intervention are described with consideration given to the particular needs of the child and the work setting of the therapist. Suggestions include short and medium term interventions, individual/group and sibling work. This edition provides new case study material, up-to-date information on relevant legislation on children's rights and welfare and recent developments in research in the field. This book is essential reading for professionals working with abused children, as well as those interested in the use of creative therapies.

Designed for professionals in the field of child maltreatment, this authoritative book presents a compelling theoretical framework that guide's assessment of children and adolescents who have been sexually abused and their parents. The book is designed to make it easier for clinicians to select a number of measures or procedures across three dimensions that have considerable clinical relevance – attachment, dysregulations, and self-perception. Psychological Assessment of Sexually Abused Children and Their Families features in particular the assessment of sexually aggressive children and an extensive set of interview formats, checklists, and other forms that clinicians will find especially useful in evaluating children and their families. The book is also richly illustrated with case studies.

Traumasexuality concerns the lives of men who were sexually abused as boys. Everyone finds sexual abuse very upsetting. However, if you ask the question what makes it so bad, very few people can say anything sensible about it. Once you have read this book, you will be an expert in this subject. You will acquire new insights and have a precise vocabulary for naming the details. In these times everyone knows you can contract lung cancer from smoking. But in the past, we did not know that, and smoking was cool. My intention, through this book, is that everyone learns that you suffer mental paralysis as a result of sexual abuse. The terms traumasexuality and mental paralysis provide a new perspective on the damage caused by sexual abuse. Men who have been sexually abused, only see when they reflect on their lives how the abuse has determined every facet of it. This book provides a detailed answer to what happens to a boy at the moment he is sexually abused by an adult. In just a matter of seconds he is dealt a whole range of shocks. Read about the influence that this moment has on the rest of their lives. How the sexual imprint of the perpetrator can be seen in Traumasexuality and the paralytic power of the perpetrator in the Mental Paralysis. As a partner, you sometimes do not realise that with a sexually abused man you have entered a triangular relationship with him and his perpetrator. You can do a lot as a partner. But read here what you must avoid doing. Processing sexual abuse is possible. This is hopeful, but it demands a lot of work. The entire process is explained here with all the obstacles you may encounter. You have to banish the perpetrator's control, otherwise you will carry a trauma with you your entire life that is sexually attractive.

`This book is a practical and supportive guide for the professionals facing this traumatic subject. [It] is easily readable' - Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health `Therapeutic Work With Sexually Abused Children locates the practice experience of the authors within a rigorous theoretical framework and is a readable and useable guide to the complexities of helping children and adolescents who have suffered the trauma of sexual abuse' - Youth & Policy `It is refreshing to find child therapists ready to engage with sexually abused children by incorporating trauma theory and research, addressing child protection and seeing themselves as part of a team that includes the carers. The authors provide an overview of phases of treatment, theoretical considerations and essential skills. They emphasize the importance of relationship and explore its impact on the therapist. Their approach is creative and child-centered. Case vignettes, poems and exercises promote empathy with the child's perspective. There is a useful chapter on cultural issues and the needs of children in alternative care... this is an excellent primer for the child's helping network' - Community Care `This is an excellent book for workers seeking to respond more effectively to child victims of abuse' - David Pearson, Caring Magazine Therapeutic Work with Sexually Abused Children is a creative and practical guide for professionals working directly with those who have suffered sexual abuse and for their carers. The trauma of sexual abuse experienced in childhood can be severe and enduring. Therapeutic support is offered to help both the child and the family cope with psychological or emotional difficulties both currently and in later life. Therapists must be able to respond effectively to the child victim in a sensitive and timely way which prioritizes the needs of each child. Drawing on their experience as practitioners, the authors explore the reactions which children commonly experience following abuse and examine the tasks of the therapist in responding to them. This book explores the counselling of children who have been abused rather than adult survivors of child abuse. The book will benefit from the combined experiences of one US author and one UK author.