Group Work with Sexually Abused Children

A Practitioner's Guide

"This is a well written and nicely organized book that can be both a helpful handbook for clinicians just starting to do group treatment for young victims of sexual abuse as well as a terrific resource for useful group treatment activities for the more experienced clinicians. It addresses important issues in the treatment of sexual abuse and offers suggestions and hints when using different activities, as well as discusses potential problems for each activity. The book is full of examples taken from actual groups and includes materials to use for both support and therapy groups for boys and girls, ages four to eighteen. As someone who has provided group treatment for many years, I found this to be a comprehensive book that successfully incorporates treatment issues for both children and their parents with great new and practical ideas for group treatment."

--Kerry J. Todd, MSW Children's Response Center, Bellevue, Washington

Group work is particularly effective with child sexual assault victims because it breaks down their feelings of isolation, builds social skills, teaches appropriate boundary settings, and helps them realize they are normal. 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 of psychosocial skill-building techniques: trust-building, self esteem, identifying and expressing feelings, healing the inner child, relationships, boundary setting, and prevention skills. It concludes with sample outlines for conducting 10-week groups and a bibliography of information on sexual assault. It is directed to mental health professionals who work with sexually abused children, school counselors and psychologists, workers in group homes, and advanced students in the mental health fields. It will also be helpful to early childhood educators and therapists working with any children, since many of the techniques can be utilized with children of divorce or in bereavement and general self esteem groups.