Child Sexual Abuse and Adult Offenders: New Theory and Research
Already published in this series, in association with CEDR
(Series Editor Robin Lovelock)
Changing Patterns of Mental Health Care A case study in the development of local services Jackie Powell and Robin Lovelock
Partnership in Practice The Children Act 1989 ed. Ann Buchanan
Disability: Britain in Europe An evaluation of UK participation in the HELIOS programme (1988-1991) Robin Lovelock and Jackie Powell
The Probation Service and Information TechnologyDavid Colombi
Visual Impairment; Social Support Recent research in context Robin Lovelock
Workloads: Measurement and ManagementJoan Orme
Living with Disfigurement Psychosocial implications of being born with a cleft lip and palate Poppy Nash
Educating for Social Work: Arguments for Optimismed. Peter Ford and Patrick Hayes
Dementia Care: Keeping Intact and in Touch A search for occupational therapy interventions M. Catherine Conroy
Suicidal Behaviour in Adolescents and Adults Research, taxonomy and prevention Christopher Bagley and Richard Ramsay
Narrative Identity and Dementia A study of autobiographical memories and emotions Marie A. Mills
In preparation
Community Approaches to Child Welfare International perspectives ed. Lena Dominelli
Social Work in Higher Education Demise or development? Karen Lyons
Valuing the Field Child welfare in an international context ed. Marilyn Callahan
First published 1999 by Ashgate Publishing
Reissued 2018 by Routledge
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Copyright Christopher Bagley and Kanka Mallick 1999
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ISBN 13: 978-1-138-61572-4 (hbk)
ISBN 13: 978-1-138-61573-1 (pbk)
ISBN 13: 978-0-429-46294-8 (ebk)
Dr. Chris Atmore is Lecturer in Feminist Theory, Cultural and Media Studies in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, Monash University.
Dr. Christopher Bagley is Professor of Social Work Studies, University of Southampton.
Dr. Lee C. Handy is Professor of Counselling Psychology, University of Calgary.
Shirley Jackson is Lecturer in Social Work Studies, University of Southampton.
Dr. Kanka Mallick is Senior Lecturer in Education, Manchester Metropolitan University.
Dr. Susan McIntyre is a Social Work Consultant in Calgary, Alberta.
Dr. Guy Pelletier is Psychologist at Foothills Hospital, Calgary, Alberta.
Dr. Colin Pritchard is Professor of Psychiatric Social Work, University of Southampton.
Elaine Sharland is Lecturer in Social Work Studies, University of Southampton.
Dr. Julia Stroud is Lecturer in Social Work, Brunei University.
Graham Tuson is Lecturer in Social Work Studies, University of Southampton.
Loretta Young is Senior Social Worker at Alberta Childrens Hospital, Calgary.
Kanka Mallick and Christopher Bagley
Introduction
This volume contains chapters from Canada, Australia and Britain on the complexities of understanding, preventing and treating child sexual abuse and associated family dysfunctions, including emotional and physical abuse. The themes are diverse, reflecting the wide range of studies now undertaken in the field of child sexual abuse (CSA), ranging from policy analyses to clinical studies of outcomes. These two kinds of studies may in fact be complementary, since potential harms wrought by CSA may well influence how policies are formulated for addressing CSA and associated problems. Indeed, the idea that CSA is a social problem has a theoretical underpinning.
This book carries the words new theory in its title. No chapter is directly theoretical, but in all there are implicit theories: Atmore on the sociology of knowledge; Pelletier and Handy on the hypothetical factors which may influence clinical outcomes for CSA victims; Bagley and Young on the potential for group therapy in the light of a theoretical model built on prior empirical work; Pritchard and Stroud on theories about the possible influences on those who assault and kill children; Bagley on the moral action required to prevent the exploitation of children and adolescents by prostitution; and McIntyre on a qualitatively derived classification of adolescent prostitution in the light of theoretical reasoning about patriarchy. Indeed, the assumption of the editors that theory guides empirical research, and that empirical research generates both working models and new theories which can be put to further test is itself an ideological, theoretical position.
New Perspectives on Child Sexual Abuse
Research on child sexual abuse is now in its third generation phase. The first phase involved historical and clinical studies (e.g. Meiselman, 1978; Rush, 1980) drawing attention to the neglected problem of CSA. The second phaseinvolved statistical studies which, whilst informative, were generally descriptive in nature (e.g. Finkelhor, 1984). The third phase has involved both a great volume of studies, and studies using multiple measurements and complex statistical designs (see Bagley and Thurston, 1996a and 1996b, for review and summary). Major, well-conducted studies (e.g. Wyatt et al., 1993) have sometimes reached the surprising conclusion from non-clinical, community samples that CSA was only harmful for long-term mental health survey when it was combined with other family dysfunctions. The chapters by Pelletier and Handy, and Bagley, Young and Mallick in this volume have confirmed through community mental health surveys, and controlled clinical studies, that this is in fact the case. It follows that child protection and prevention work on behalf of children should focus on those factors associated with CSA which do indeed potentiate or cause psychological harm. Aggressive, punitive interventions which lead to offender suicide (as outlined in the chapter by Bagley and Pritchard) are not amongst those rational and humane interventions.
As the chapters by Sharland and Jackson and Tuson show, social workers intervening for families in which CSA is revealed face multiple pressures and dilemmas in acting in the childs best interests. This is an ideological and procedural minefield, with pressures on social workers to act simultaneously against the monsters - the paedophiles who prey on our children; and to act in ways which provide a smooth transit of the child into a family which is supporting and non-abusive.
