Abstract

In childhood sexual abuse cases, the non-abusing parent (usually the mother) is often seen as colluder, helpless bystander or victim. These negative views may be based on misconceptions about incestuous families and can lead to treatment bias and neglect of the other ‘victims' of abuse. Mental health professionals and support agencies should ensure that the needs of the non-abusing parent are met as well as those of the victim and perpetrator.

Highlights

  • Negative views of the mother after childhood sexual abuseIn childhood sexual abuse cases, the non-abusing parent (usually the mother) is often seen as colluder, helpless bystander or victim

  • The 'cost' of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) to mental health services is great both in emotional and financial terms

  • The image of mothers of incest victims often accepted by professionals, police and the criminal justice system is frequently negative. These mothers are often blamed for not protecting their children from trauma, implying that they are responsible for the incestuous activity between the abuser and child because of sexually depriving or rejecting their husbands. (Sirles & Lofberg, 1990)

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Summary

Negative views of the mother after childhood sexual abuse

In childhood sexual abuse cases, the non-abusing parent (usually the mother) is often seen as colluder, helpless bystander or victim. The image of mothers of incest victims often accepted by professionals, police and the criminal justice system is frequently negative. These mothers are often blamed for not protecting their children from trauma, implying that they are responsible for the incestuous activity between the abuser and child because of sexually depriving or rejecting their husbands. Kalichman et al (1990) looked at attributions of blame by professionals when confronted with cases of CSA They found that when the father denied that the abuse had occurred, mothers were blamed more; the mother was viewed as a collaborator or responsible for not protecting her daughter. Since there is little research in this area and much of this is based on small clinical samples, there is urgent need for further studies

Characteristics of the incestuous family
What happens to the mother after disclosure
Relationship between mother and daughter
External views of mother
Clinical implications
Findings
Conclusions

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