Partners of survivors of abuse: A men's therapy group.

Barcus, Robert A.

doi:10.1037/h0087830

“…In order to assist the spouse in dealing with the changes in the homeostasis of the couple's system at any stage of therapy, it is recommended that he attend a psychoeducational group for spouses of CSA survivors (Barcus, 1997;Davis, 1991). For the husband who is initially in the rescuer/sane position within the marriage, timing of group participation is not crucial.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In extreme, but not necessarily rare, cases the survivor may become unable to relate to the children or, contrarily, may react to them only with anger. In some families, the husband has to take over full responsibility for the house and children for at least part of the duration of the healing process (Barcus, 1997).…”

Section: During the Trauma-work Stagementioning

confidence: 99%

When the wife was sexually abused as a child: marital relations before and during her therapy for abuse

Oz¹

2001

Sexual Relationship Ther.

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These days, more than ever before, adult women are undertaking therapy with the speci c purpose of coming to terms with a traumatic childhood in which sexual abuse played a major part. Before therapy, most manage to reach some kind of balance in their lives-in their families of origin, at work, in their families of procreation. Upon revelation of the secret and on opening up the subject of their childhood sexual abuse, that fragile balance is upset. During the therapeutic process the abuse survivor confronts her pain and fear, and this task draws energy previously invested in day-to-day functioning, at work and at home or, in more severe cases, in merely getting through the day. This inevitably affects the couple's relationship. This paper describes the impact of therapy for childhood sexual abuse: (1) on the functioning of the adult woman survivor as an individual and as a marital partner; (2) on the spouse's sense of well-being within the relationship; and (3) on the marital system. Three brief, illustrative case examples are presented, and suggestions are made regarding the timing and type of intervention with marital issues.

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“…Marital relations in the female CSA survivor 291 to take over full responsibility for the house and children for at least part of the duration of the healing process (Barcus, 1997).…”

Section: During the Trauma-work Stagementioning

confidence: 99%

When the wife was sexually abused as a child: Marital relations before and during her therapy for abuse

Oz¹

2001

Sexual and Relationship Therapy

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These days, more than ever before, adult women are undertaking therapy with the speci c purpose of coming to terms with a traumatic childhood in which sexual abuse played a major part. Before therapy, most manage to reach some kind of balance in their lives-in their families of origin, at work, in their families of procreation. Upon revelation of the secret and on opening up the subject of their childhood sexual abuse, that fragile balance is upset. During the therapeutic process the abuse survivor confronts her pain and fear, and this task draws energy previously invested in day-to-day functioning, at work and at home or, in more severe cases, in merely getting through the day. This inevitably affects the couple's relationship. This paper describes the impact of therapy for childhood sexual abuse: (1) on the functioning of the adult woman survivor as an individual and as a marital partner; (2) on the spouse's sense of well-being within the relationship; and (3) on the marital system. Three brief, illustrative case examples are presented, and suggestions are made regarding the timing and type of intervention with marital issues.

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“…As a result, both partners suffer because neither has the permission to express their feelings directly or honestly. Barcus (1997) asserts that most male partners generally suffer si-Iently, vaguely aware of some ill-defined malaise, yet unable or unwilling to articulate it. I n complying with the cultural expectation of a real man who suffers silently in our culture, their feelings of sorrow, pain, and frustration are often denied or suppressed as they endeavor to maintain their lives.…”

Section: Ismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As a result, the children may, unwittingly, become objects of the displaced emotions by bulk parents. Barcus (1997) reported that in addition to holding full-time jobs, the men in his group often found themselves Compensating €or the survivor's parenting deficits or becoming the primary parent €or extended periods of time. Because the men may not have been initially well bonded to their children, and this is not a role that they were prepared to handle, their parenting skills became another source of contention between thc couple.…”

Section: Ismentioning

confidence: 99%

Vicariously Traumatized

Bloom

¹

,

Lyle

²

2001

Journal of Couples Therapy

2

0

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This article suggests that male partners of female sexualabuse survivors may become vicariously traurnatizcd in long term relationships with childhood abuse survivors. Drawing parallcls to the symptornology of PTSD and the process of transmission, this article theorizcs that highly cunflictual home environments may be sufficient to cause distrcssing psychological and behavioral changes in fdmily rncmbcrs. In these relationships, male partners suffer dccrcrncnts in self-esteem, power, isolation, and scxual adequacy similar to other sufferers of PTSD. No empirical information is presentcd, but implications for counseling "dual trauma" couples is includcd. [Alrick c o p w uimifuble jor II fee from The Huworlh Docii1~7etit Orlivery Jervice: 1-800-342-9678. E-mud uddress: Websile: ~h~~p:IIWww.Huwor.tliPress.cotnr 0 2001 by Tlie Haworlli PI-ess. Iiic. All righis reserved.] , TX 78228. [I lnworth cn-indexing cnlry iiotc]: "Vicariously 71'raumalizcd: Male Partiicrs of Sexual Abuse Siirvivors." Bloom, Audrey Diane, and Randall ILylc. Cn-pul>lished simulloiicously iii Jurirrid u/ Currylrs T h n p y (The I-laworlli Press. Inc.) Val. 10. No. I. 2001. pp. 9-28; a n d The A h l m ofMrrr: 7inirnln Bcge/s 7 m I l ! ?~ (rd: Barbara .lo Brutlien) Tlie Haworth I'rcss, Inc., 2 W . pli. 9-28 Single or multiple copics 0 1 this article are availnblc for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service [I-XIllJ-342-91i78, 9:OO a.m. -5:UO pm. (ESI').

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Partners of survivors of abuse: A men's therapy group.

Cited by 13 publications

References 27 publications

When the wife was sexually abused as a child: marital relations before and during her therapy for abuse

When the wife was sexually abused as a child: marital relations before and during her therapy for abuse

When the wife was sexually abused as a child: Marital relations before and during her therapy for abuse

Vicariously Traumatized

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