Predicting Treatment Attrition for Child Sexual Abuse Victims

Abstract

Sexually abused children drop out of treatment more frequently than children receiving services for other issues. While researchers suggest that chaotic family dynamics may lead to inflated attrition rates in this population, other factors that potentially contribute to treatment attrition are virtually unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between child and parent characteristics with attrition for sexual abuse victims (N ¼ 132) and their nonoffending caregivers. Results indicate that children with parents who confirmed past or current intimate partner violence were 2.5 times more likely to prematurely terminate from treatment.

Case Study of a Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (CYAC) in a Canadian City

“…Trauma events can have a significant and cumulative impact on the lives of children. If not addressed in a timely manner, these effects of trauma can carry into adulthood (DeLorenzi et al, 2016;McPherson et al, 2012;Radford et al, 2013;Schneider et al, 2007;Turner et al, 2006;Vanderzee et al, 2016). Child Advocacy Centres (CACs) can be a helpful aid to reduce the impact of trauma in that they are introduced into the child's life as soon as the abuse is reported.…”

“…1998; Hanson & Lang, 2016;Kenny et al, 2017). The mental health effects of trauma can be experienced in childhood and further in adulthood as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, suicidal behaviour, post-traumatic stress symptoms or disorder (PTSD), dissociation, drug and alcohol abuse, sexualized behaviours and poor academic performance (DeLorenzi et al, 2016;Kenny et al, 2017;McPherson et al, 2012;Radford et al, 2013;Schneider et al, 2007;Turner et al, 2006;Vanderzee et al, 2016).…”

“…Literature suggests that a child's trauma can effectively be addressed through evidencebased therapies like trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT) or parent-child interaction therapy, noting that it is imperative for referrals to be made as soon as possible (DeLorenzi et al, 2016;Vanderzee et al, 2016). Hubel et al (2014) found that the use of cognitive behavioural group therapy with abused children within CACs was associated with significant decreases in depression, loneliness, anxiety, and post-traumatic stressors (As cited in Herbert & Bromfield, 2015).…”

“…seek psychological services see some improvement in their symptoms (Cohen, Mannarino, Berliner & Deblinger, 2000;Deblinger, Lippmann & Steer, 1996;DeLorenzi et al, 2016;Mannarino, Cohen, Deblinger, Runyon & Steer 2012).…”

“…There is also a body of literature that suggests there is a high risk of therapy attrition in child abuse victims (DeLorenzi et al, 2016;McPherson et al, 2012). Attrition rates have been linked to various factors including: minority status, low income, financial stressors, less severe or less chronic levels of abuse, lower education, the presence of several mental health issues, the caregiver's emotional reaction to the disclosure, parental depression and whether or not the caregiver is currently or has previously experienced abuse themselves (DeLorenzi et al, 2016;McPherson et al, 2012). (Himes, 1993, p.3).…”