Therapy for Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Existential Theory For Victims of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Incidence and Effects of Childhood Sexual Abuse

According to Allgeier and Allgeier (1992) between fourteen and twenty-one percent of Americans (mostly women) have suffered sexual abuse as children. Moreover, these figures are believed to be underestimates due to fears many people have about reporting the crime. Papalia and Olds (1992) report that the long terms effects of childhood sexual abuse are serious producing adults who are often fearful, anxious, depressed, angry, hostile, or aggressive. These people tend to suffer from low self-esteem. They do not trust people easily, and usually feel isolated and stigmatized. Commonly, there is sexual maladjustment.

Many therapeutic interventions have been used to assist people who suffered childhood sexual abuse, one of which is existential therapy. Existential therapy, according to Barocas, Riechman and Schwebel (1993) is a therapeutic phil

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eling, (2) mother-daughter counseling, (3) marital counseling, (4) father-daughter counseling, (5) family counseling, and (6) group counseling. He further states that humanistic/existential psychology is based on several assumptions about the treatment of father-daughter incest. Regarding these assumptions, it is assumed that incestuous behavior is a key factor in family organic balance and development, as well as only one of many symptoms in troubled families. It is also assumed that the behavior is not likely to occur when parents enjoy mutually beneficial relations, and is, in fact, only likely to occur when low self-concepts are linked to destructive behaviors. With respect to the treatment of the family, Giarretto (1980) states that developing a strong sense of self-identity and becoming aware that everyone can control his/her behavior and his/her life course are steps that follow being aware of conscious and unconscious personality and family characteristics. Another type of existential treatment has been discussed by Darongkamas, Madden, Swarbrick and Evans (1995). Specifically, the authors describe a time-limited, semistructured therapy group given to five women survivors of child sexual abuse. According to the aut
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Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page)

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