doi.org/10.1017/cha.2015.21

Article type: Original Research

PUBLISHED 23 July 2015

Volume 40 Issue 3

Healing from Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse: The Role of Relational Processes between Survivor and Offender

Janice Paige and Jennifer Thornton

name here
Janice Paige1 *

name here
Jennifer Thornton2

Affiliations

1 Curtin University, Bentley, Western Australia

2 School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Bentley, Curtin University, Western Australia

Correspondence

* Janice Paige

Contributions

Janice Paige -

Jennifer Thornton -

Part of Special Series: Interpreting Neuroscience, Creating Evidence - a Collection of Australian Based Trauma Informed Research and Practicego to url

CITATION: Paige J., & Thornton J. (2015). Healing from Intrafamilial Child Sexual Abuse: The Role of Relational Processes between Survivor and Offender. Children Australia, 40(3), 1973. doi.org/10.1017/cha.2015.21

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Abstract

The research aim was to discover the circumstances, if any, in which contact with the parent who had abused them, could help survivors of intrafamilial child sexual abuse (ICSA) to recover from the inherent relational trauma. Thirty-five (31 female and 4 male) participants were recruited from across Australia and New Zealand to speak about their experience of post-abuse contact. The research methodology was primarily qualitative, and analysed in a contextual framework. In the Pre-Contact stage, themes such as the need for empowerment versus the fear of the response, linked to motivations for and against contact. Emotional reactions, and issues of acknowledgment and apology were core themes in the Contact stage. Post-contact themes related to evaluation of the overall experience. The majority of participants believed that their contact experience had helped more than hindered their recovery. Participants articulated the need for more public education about the complexity of ICSA, more options for dealing with the crime, and access to non-judgmental professional help for all the family at disclosure. The emergent themes provide a valuable guide for future research, policy and practice and perhaps most importantly, insight into the needs of victims and their recovery processes.

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