Efficacy of a Group Therapy for Sexually Abused Adolescent Girls

Abstract

The effects of a group therapy program for teenage girls reporting child sexual abuse were evaluated by means of a pretest/ post-test design with a control group. The psycho-educational intervention consisted of an average of 20 weekly two-hour meetings. Results of the repeated analyses of variance (ANOVA) revealed a significant improvement in youth participating in the therapy when compared with the control group on measures of post-traumatic stress, internalizing and externalizing behavior problems, coping strategies, relationship with the mother, and sense of empowerment. The findings suggest that the group therapy offered by the Centre d'Intervention en Abus Sexuels pour la Famille (CIASF) was effective in reducing symptoms for sexually abused teenagers.

The effectiveness, acceptability and cost-effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for maltreated children and adolescents: an evidence synthesis

“…They draw heavily on social learning and cognitive theory to conceptualise and address maladaptive patterns of behaviour and beliefs that have developed as the result of exposure to abuse or neglect. We identified 17 [151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168] studies that assessed the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions. …”

“…Participants from all 17 [151][152][153][154][155][156][157][158][159][160][161][162][163][164][165][166][167][168] studies were recruited from a wide range of mainly government agencies, including child protection agencies, 157,160,[166][167][168] Family Services, 153,164 Family Sexual Abuse Action Centre, 163 Children's Justice Centre, 162 social services agencies, 151,154,156 local residential homes, 165 the authors' own clinics and local agencies 155 and community and shelter outreach centres. 152 Noether et al recruited participants from mothers who participated in a national, 'longitudinal study of women with histories of violence and co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders' 158 (p. 827).…”

Interventions for families victimized by child sexual abuse: Clinical issues and approaches for child advocacy center-based services

“…However, many studies have noted the impact of a non-offending caregiver's own immediate and long-term psychological distress on potentially diminishing their support toward their child (e.g., Regehr, 1990;Tourigny, Hébert, Daigneault, & Simoneau, 2005). Elliott and Carnes (2001) proposed that inadequate support by non-offending parents may be due to several factors, including an initial lack of help during the initial crisis of disclosure and difficulty accessing services.…”

“…Critical elements of group therapy for this population include the opportunity to reduce the sense of stigma and isolation by creating a positive and safe environment to foster mutual self-disclosure, increase socialization, understand that CSA is a relatively common and shared experience, and provide the ability to learn by modeling positive coping strategies of other group members (Heflin et al, 2000;Silovsky & Hembree-Kigin, 1994;Sturkie, 1994;Tourigny et al, 2005;Wanlass, Moreno, & Thomson, 2006). By focusing on the child, group therapy can address feelings of being damaged, responsibility, blame, guilt about the abuse, shame, and secrecy (e.g., Silovsky & Hembree-Kigin, 1994) and thereby serve as a buffer as feelings and issues can be discussed without as much disclosure as is common in individual therapy (Avinger & Jones, 2007).…”

“…There are many group treatments that have been developed specifically for CSA victims (e.g., Avinger & Jones, 2007;Corder et al, 1990;Deblinger et al, 2001;Friedrich, Luecke, Beilke, & Place, 1992;Gagliano, 1987;Grayston & DeLuca, 1995;Grosz et al, 1999;Reeker & Ensing, 1998;Stauffer & Deblinger, 1996;Tourigny et al, 2005;Zaidi & Gutierrez-Kovner, 1995). Given the multitude of group treatments for CSA victims, the following section discusses general treatment approaches, modalities, and considerations, rather than providing an exhaustive list.…”