Assessment and Treatment of Sexually Abused Children and Adolescents

These papers on child and adolescent sexual abuse address the psychological consequences, psychological assessment techniques, and clinical issues in group therapy with sexually abused girls. In the first paper. H. Elizabeth King discusses the psychological consequences of sexual assault and incest on minors particularly in regard to family dynamics; the victim's age, cognitive development, and affective problems; and the effects on long term interpersonal relationships. Next, Carol Webb considers the psychological assessment of sexually abused adolescents in the context of a clinical study of 14 abused girls. Results of the study are presented in which the differences between this population and "normals" in objective, projective, cognitive, and affective processes are addressed. Differences between incest victims and those individuals with a one-time-only occurrence of sexual abuse are discussed also. In the final paper, Ann Hazzard explores the effects of group therapy over time with the same group of sexually abused girls, focusing on the benefits of interaction, and the sharing and fulfillment of dependency needs. The clinical issues in such therapy and the counseling format are discussed, as well as therapeutic strategies which were found to be effective in helping such girls deal with their feelings. Long term themes and issues, e.g., relationships with mothers, trust, and sexual concerns, are described. The paper concludes with the results of pre- and post-tests administered to 5 out of the original 14 girls who attended at least 5 group therapy sessions. (BL)