Services for adults who have experienced child sexual assault: Improving agency response

Gibbons, Jill

doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(96)00070-6

Cited by 15 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…634, 635). Survivors of childhood abuse especially may attend a variety of non-specialised counselling services across their lives and utilise the services of psychiatrists without reaching recovery by old age (Gibbons, 1996(Gibbons, , p. 1759. Thus, it is expedient to assess therapeutic approaches from a variety of perspectives to identify features of counselling best suited to their needs.…”

Section: Counselling For Older People and Its Application To Older Sementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thorough specialised training of counsellors in areas such as sexual violence (Dale et al, 1998, p. 155;Gibbons, 1996Gibbons, , p. 1760Gibbons, , 1761 and ageing (McCullough, 1995) is vital with older women. In recognition of the entrenched nature of sexual violence for many older women, McCullough (1995) suggests that training for counsellors working in this field includes thorough understanding of family contexts where abuse occurs, trauma, and the processes that apply to development of issues when processing trauma memories.…”

Section: Preferred Characteristics Of Counsellorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Such reports emphasise the need for workers to specifically enquire at intake about sexual violence histories (Jacobson and Richardson, 1987, p. 911), which does not appear to be widely practised (Gibbons, 1996(Gibbons, , p. 1759.…”

Section: E Feedback On Components Of Counsellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It appears that, in the days before specialised sexual violence counselling was provided, psychiatrists' apparent lack of knowledge about sexual violence appeared to be the norm rather than the exception for this group, despite W8 reporting excellent support and therapy by her psychiatrist. Feedback about a need for training applied to all practitioners working with sexual violence issues (McFerran, 2009, p. 5;Gibbons, 1996Gibbons, , p. 1761. 'One of the most important things for me would be to know that, no matter what I told you, how bad it was, or how ugly or dirty it was … that you would still accept me.…”

Section: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Using female counsellors in the area of sexual violence has often been advocated (Gibbons, 1996(Gibbons, , p. 1759(Gibbons, , 1761 The solidarity and empathy offered by a counsellor of the same gender was highly valued by W4 who summed up many participants' feelings when she said:…”

Section: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

It's never too late. Older women and sexual violence: The search for therapeutic solutions

Westerman¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This research aims to explore older women's perspectives on the factors contributing to their survival and recovery from sexual assault experiences in earlier life. A sample of older female survivors was recruited from counselling agencies where they had named sexual violence as an issue in their counselling. Drawing on the analysis of the women's perceptions of their experience, the study aims to identify appropriate counselling approaches for supporting survival and recovery for older women who are survivors of sexual assault. It is acknowledged that such approaches would address both the long-term histories and the complexity and severity of related issues that would lead to resolution of outstanding sexual violence issues by old age. The importance of this study lies in the intersection of several areas of experience that rarely appear to have been examined for their interrelationships but are relevant to understanding both the experiences of older survivors and in turn service provision for this group. The most significant reason for women reaching old age with lingering issues appears to be related to the passing of long time periods since their unresolved sexual violence experiences occurred.Accumulating impacts across many years of life tend to culminate in trauma effects which may be challenged by fresh issues related to ageing. Recovery trajectories for these women are complicated by the statistically high rate of revictimization and the accumulated impacts of sexual violence in a number of areas, as well as increasing trauma effects that may result from suppression of memories for many years as a coping mechanism, as they weathered the aftermath of multiple instances of sexual violence. Recovery may have been delayed or old issues retriggered by revictimization and the physical, emotional, psychological, sexual, economic, spiritual and interrelational impacts remaining unresolved in the absence of counselling to appropriately address this issue.In the era of currently older women's youth when they first experienced victimization, the social norms and attitudes regarding sexual matters made it unacceptable to discuss this topic or the 3 related, shame-filled experiences of childhood abuse or adult sexual assault. Their violation frequently remained a secret within the family. Lack of knowledge about this phenomenon meant that women often blamed themselves and did not connect subsequent psychological or emotional issues with childhood experiences or those occurring in their youth. They were effectively silenced about their victimization.Many older survivors have availed themselves of the services of psychiatrists or counsellors many times across life for various issues that these professionals mostly did not recognise as related to earlier sexual violence. Not until the 1980s, when these women were already adults, did specialist sexual assault counselling commence in Australia. Despite this, apparently little knowledge about these services was available from mainstream medical practitioners and ...

show abstract

Section: Counselling For Older People and Its Application To Older Sementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Preferred Characteristics Of Counsellorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: E Feedback On Components Of Counsellingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Amentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

It's never too late. Older women and sexual violence: The search for therapeutic solutions

Westerman¹

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Identifying violence among women patients attending family practices: the role of research in community change

Romito

Marchi

Turan

et al. 2004

Community & Applied Soc Psy

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Violence against women has serious consequences. Although victims use health facilities more frequently than others, violence is still not recognized in most services and in the larger community. This study had three aims: (1) to estimate the prevalence of violence among women patients in primary care, (2) to evaluate the feasibility of asking all women about violence, and (3) to make violence visible, and thereby initiate a process of professional and community change on the issue of violence against women. The study was carried out in a small Italian town, at the initiative of a local family doctor. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among patients of six family practices and 444 women responded to a self-administrated questionnaire. Five per cent of respondents experienced physical or sexual violence in the last year, and 25% had experienced it in the past. Nineteen per cent had experienced psychological violence in the last 12 months. Risk factors for current violence were: younger age, being pregnant or with young children, being separated or divorced, or lack of stable employment. Most women were in favour of being asked about violence by their doctor.The study's results were disseminated in public meetings, with good press coverage. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the visibility of victims of violence, the development of a training course for health professionals, and the creation of the first women's group in the town. Along with advocacy work, the group has prepared a booklet on violence addressing women, and is now raising funds to start an 'anti-violence' telephone line. Overall, the study has become a tool for change within the health services and the community.

show abstract

The prevalence and management of trauma in the public domain: An agency and clinician perspective

Hanson¹,

Hesselbrock

Tworkowski

et al. 2002

The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This descriptive study surveyed the ways in which trauma survivor needs have been addressed within the public mental health system in one sector of Connecticut. Information was obtained about the prevalence of traumatic history among consumers, the existence of policy related to trauma, trauma screening and cross-referral mechanisms, and trauma-related supervision and education. The study maps current service system functioning related to the provision of trauma-specific services at both the agency and the clinician level. The study data indicate a need for service enhancement and increased service system collaboration and integration to permit access to a full range of trauma interventions. The data also indicate a need for increased clinician education and supervision specific to trauma both across agencies and among individual clinicians.

show abstract

Services for adults who have experienced child sexual assault: Improving agency response

Cited by 15 publications

References 29 publications

It's never too late. Older women and sexual violence: The search for therapeutic solutions

It's never too late. Older women and sexual violence: The search for therapeutic solutions

Identifying violence among women patients attending family practices: the role of research in community change

The prevalence and management of trauma in the public domain: An agency and clinician perspective

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About