Survivors of Childhood Abuse: Their Reported Experiences with Professional Help
| Autor: | M. Joanne Loughlin, Naomi I. Rae-Grant, Ralph A. Brown, Sally Palmer |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2001 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Mental Health Services Child abuse Sociology and Political Science Poison control Suicide prevention Interpersonal relationship Injury prevention Social Work Psychiatric Humans Child Abuse Vicarious traumatization Child Aged Aged 80 and over Ontario Social work Data Collection Middle Aged Patient Acceptance of Health Care Mental health humanities Patient Satisfaction Child Preschool Female Psychology Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | Social Work. 46:136-145 |
| ISSN: | 1545-6846 0037-8046 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/sw/46.2.136 |
| Popis: | This article analyzes the self-reports of 384 adults who responded to a survey of people abused physically, sexually, or emotionally by family members in childhood. Most of the respondents sought help as adults from social workers and other mental health professionals for the long-term effects of their abusive experiences. This article analyses the reports of their help-seeking experiences against a backdrop of the reports of clinicians and researchers on working with survivors, as reported in the literature. Although survivors of childhood abuse often are described as having difficulty relating to professionals, these respondents persisted in seeking help and tended to report at least one experience with professional services that was very helpful. Their self-esteem and family functioning in adulthood was associated with having had a very helpful professional or service provider. The findings describe the responses most valued by survivors, as well as their views of the limitations of available services. Key words: abuse; counseling; mental health; professionals; survivors Social workers in a broad range of agencies and institutions find themselves working with people whose interpersonal relationships are affected adversely by the aftereffects of childhood abuse. It is important to be aware of how professional helpers are perceived by survivors to maximize the types of responses they find most helpful. Research indicates that service providers often find it stressful to treat survivors, because of their resistance to change, their ways of relating to helpers, and the nature of the work. Survivors often have difficulty taking control over their own lives and may have used self-destructive behavior, such as substance abuse, to cope with their feelings (Beutler & Hill, 1992; Briere, 1992; Herman, 1992; Valentine & Feinauer, 1993). Many survivors fit the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, and professionals who work with this group have noted their distrust of authority figures, "the intensity of [their] engagement with caregivers, the sometimes overwhelming nature of th eir demands for care, and the strong emotions and conflicts that they provoke in others" (Herman, Perry, & van der Kolk, 1989, p. 490). The nature of work with survivors is particularly stressful when it involves listening to detailed descriptions of very painful, often horrific, events; it also may involve helpers re-enacting with survivors their earlier experiences of trauma and betrayal--this time in a safe and constructive relationship (Pearlman & Saakvitne, 1995). Therapists who are new to this work have shown evidence of vicarious traumatization (Pearlman & MacIan, 1995). The literature evaluating treatment of survivors gives little attention to survivors' subjective views of their treatment experiences (Beutler & Hill, 1992). One study that did seek the survivors viewpoint, from 37 women who sought counseling about incest, found that they valued counselors who encouraged disclosure, were calm, and showed empathy and concern (Josephson & Fong-Beyette, 1987). The participants also identified negative reactions by counselors, which included discomfort, minimizing the importance of the incest, rushing them, ignoring the disclosure, expressing anger, or showing excessive interest in sexual details. Anecdotal reports show the value placed on validation--"Good therapists were those who really validated my experience and helped me to control my behavior rather than trying to control me" (Herman, 1992, p. 133) and on willingness to listen--"These therapists sound like they have all the answers, but they back away from the real shitty stuff" (Herman, p. 138). Similar desires to be validated and to not be controlled were found in a study of 40 adult women in Northern Israel, who sought help from social workers when male partners were abusing them. Content analysis of research interviews with these women revealed their perceptions of social workers' responses as "avoidance of direct handling of the violence. … |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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