The Incidences of the Sexual Abuse - Lab Report Example

A multi layered intervention Plan for Natasha and her Family Student’s Name Code + Course Name Professor’s Name University Name City, State Date Family Analysis Natasha’s family is facing serious issues with child sexual abuse as evident by the actions of her mother’s 19 year old half-brother. The family is also facing serious family conflict issues with Natasha and Emily- Natasha’s younger sister exhibiting rebellious behaviour with their mother in the last couple of months. In addition, there are issues with an absentee father who seems to be highly preoccupied with his demanding job at the expense of taking care of his family. The extended absence of their father coupled with the occasional absence of their mother has led to their vulnerabilities and consequent sexual exploitation. The fact that Natasha has not reported the incidences of her sexual abuse by her mother’s stepbrother is also an indication that there is no effective communication between the children and their parents as well as low or poor monitoring. Natasha’s case may be a classic case of traumatic sexualisation. As a result, the child may comprehend sexual abuse and human sexuality to be similar such that the child begins to demonstrate problem sexual behaviour (Berk 2014, p. 124). Consequently, the victim of child sexual abuse may not be in a position to recognize and perceive the fact that he or she is being sexually abused such that they fail to report cases of sexual abuse. This is most certainly the reason why Natasha and her sister Emily are in conflict with their mother. Notwithstanding, there are no indications of parental drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence or issues to do with mental health problems which are most often associated with child sexual abuse and child abuse generally (Scott 2009, p. 27). This somehow reduces the complexity of managing this case albeit to the extent that absence of these factors eliminates the possibility of compounding and exacerbating the current problems. A multi-layered plan According to the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (2009), an initial approach to providing effective treatment to a child who is a victim of sexual abuse should take into consideration the child’s comorbid circumstances, age as well as the particular circumstances surrounding his or her situation at presentation for management. It is incontestable that the sexual abuse of children most often takes place within their immediate families as well as in a social and cultural context (Winkworth 2006, p. 27). Consequently, this necessitates the need for the formulation of a multi-layered intervention plan that will be appropriate not only for the victims of child sexual abuse, but also for their family members, the perpetrator of the act as well as the community as a whole. This intervention plan takes into consideration issues to do with the particular factors that allowed for the perpetration of the heinous act, the conflicts between mother and daughters, evidence of problem sexual behaviour exhibited by Natasha at school. It will incorporate the report of Winkworth (2006, p. 33) who identifies recognition of the time considerations, developmental needs of children as well as the need for collaboration in formulating a child-centred intervention program for children. In addition, the plan recognizes the fact that the primary aims of treatment of victims of child sexual abuse are to help with effective coping and dealing with the effects of the act as well as minimize the risk for future exposure to repeated sexual abuse (Mudaly & Goddard 2006, p. 74). Safety and Wellbeing Plan The first intervention will entail ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Natasha as well as her two younger siblings. According to (Mudaly & Goddard 2006, p. 53), all child sexual abuse victims experience emotional trauma albeit to varying degrees. Such trauma affects the victims’ overall functioning, behaviour and hampers effective parent-child relationships (Scott 2009, p. 21). This will entail ensuring complete separation between Natasha’s mother’s half-brother by seeing to it that he does not come into contact with her and the younger sisters. This intervention plan is not only targeted at the known risk of child sexual abuse but also capable of acting as a protective strategy to enhance overall child outcomes. This will require that I explain to Julie the reasons for taking such measures so she does not perceive it to be an attempt at alienating her side of the family. This will reduce the risk factor as well as provide a protective barrier against continued sexual abuse of Natasha and guard against the possibility of the offender attempting to abuse Emily. Natasha will also have to be counselled on engaging in problem sexual behaviour particularly in circumstances where there is a possibility for her to be subjected to criminal charges and maybe prosecution. She needs to be aware that her problem sexual behaviour needs to change due to the possibility that it may be causing psychological harm to fellow students. Parenting Program The second intervention will focus on instituting parenting programs to help address the current conflicts that have become manifest in the mother child relationships. This is based on the fact that the role of parents in influencing the developmental outcomes children is are at the heart of ensuring better child development and consequent functioning (Frizzell & Barrow 2007, p. 24). The program will include parent education, skills training and parental support aimed at enhancing their knowledge, attitude, positive discipline methods and behaviour regards child development through various developmental stages. This intervention recognizes the fact that late childhood and early adolescent stages in a child’s development are critical due to their influence on future developmental prospects due to a combination of physiological, psychological, neurological as well as sociological changes (Berk 2014, p. 33). As such, children are particularly vulnerable to various exposures to negative developmental risks. Furthermore, according to Berk (2014, p. 29), it is at the adolescent stage that child-parent relationships begin to change due to factors such as the need for greater autonomy and a desire to be free from parental control and supervision thereby resulting in heightened levels of conflicts. Notably, this intervention is grounded on the social learning theory whose focus is on behaviour change approaches. It will be modelled along the positive parenting program commonly referred to as the Triple P program (Tally 2007, p. ). This will involve requiring Julie and Kevin to attend parenting sessions aimed at educating them on how to nurture and raise their children in a manner that facilitates positive child-parent bonding and resiliency as well as preclude sexual and other forms of child abuse. Specifically, Kevin and Julie will be provided with information on parenting behaviour modification strategies and activities such as role play and modelling under my guidance as the facilitator of the intervention. This is particularly underpinned by Tully (2007) who indicates that the transitory period from childhood to adolescence is particularly prone to significant changes between parent-child relationships. Particularly, Natasha being Julie’s first child, she needs to be informed of the need and benefits of forging mutual relationships with adolescents by maintaining positive communication with her daughters to enhance their transition as well as overall parent-child relationship outcomes. Kevin will also be taught on the benefits of balancing between the need to be there for his children and the demands of his job in a manner that does not put any of the demands at jeopardy. Information will be provided on various constructive and effective parenting behaviours and attitudes with the potential to enhance parent-child relationships and positive behaviour change among the children. At the commencement of these sessions, my objective will be to gain a better understanding of the circumstances of the parents and the children so as to guide other interventions in a manner that is sensitive to the needs of the children and the parents and the whole family as a whole. My expected outcome of the effective parenting sessions will be to build the capacity of the parents to ensure they support their children’s resilience in the face of their recent experiences at the hands of their mother’s step-brother. Emphasis will be on encouraging Kevin and Julie to ensure heightened monitoring and supervision of their children so as to be in a position to identify various issues affecting them and respond to them in an appropriate and timely manner. As Tully (2007) states, effective parenting programs go a long way in ensuring positive child and adolescent behaviour and capacity building for parents to support the development of their children. Initially, the intervention plan will be a self-directed parenting program where both Kevin and Julie will be required to participate in a parenting skills improvement plan capable of enhancing overall family functioning and quality of life for the children and parents. School Based Intervention The third intervention will be a child-focused program that will be delivered at the school in close collaboration with the teachers. It is typical to deliver child-focused intervention plan outside the family environment since schools are the immediate primary settings outside of the family environment where their developmental outcomes are shaped (Tally 2007). The need to use this intervention is informed by Frizzell, J & Barrow D (2007) who states that research findings have demonstrated substantial levels of efficacy of delivering school-based interventions in the management of child sexual abuse. The intervention plan will focus on teaching the children on problem solving skills and emotional regulation in a manner that enforces protective factors instituted in the home. The children will be exposed to skills-based programs that will impart various life skills capable of protecting them from sexual abuse within and without the family setting. The program will also incorporate cognitive-behavioural change programs to address the notable problem sexual behaviour and truancy at school and rebellion both at home and school. Besides, mentoring the children, involving them and encouraging them to participate in extra-curricular activities as well as after-school behaviour change activities will be factored in. A school-based intervention plan will be effective in addressing poor and tapering classroom performance in addition to enhancing behaviour and psychological outcomes (Tully 2007, p. 18). The school-based intervention plan will also involve the parents to enhance its efficacy as there is evidence that parent involvement in school-based intervention plans enhances child outcomes. As an out of home based intervention plan, this intervention will ensure that children develop a sense of security, belonging and affection. It will ensure that child abuse victims develop good self-esteem, efficacy and control regards their behaviour and relationships with other community members (Scott 2009, p. 20). Therapy for the Victim Therapy for Natasha will focus on building resilience to enable her get through the difficult experience due to sexual abuse by a close family member. The objective will be to ensure her emotional well-being and adaptation by using an ecological approach. Particularly, it will be important to ensure that she is placed in a support network at home and school as well as in her local community. Her parents will be encouraged to spend as much time as possible with her as well as encourage her friends to ensure positive experiences for her. Focus will be on building her emotional awareness and empathy for others in a manner that will address her current conflict relationship with her mother as well as her problem sexual behaviour. Her mother will also be encouraged to develop a positive and secure attachment with her so as to address her emotional and social development. How the family dynamics will influence the plan Family dynamics have greater influences on a child’s ability to disclose cases of sexual abuse (Lonne et al. 2009, p. 56). Particularly, victims of child sex abuse may develop feelings of betrayal, stigmatization and powerlessness in a manner that may inhibit reporting of sexual abuse cases (Arnold et al. 2008). Feelings of betrayal are common where those who should be protecting children fail to do so and particularly when those who perpetrate the vice are members of the victim’s family (Scott 2009, p. 14). This is underpinned by the security theory that holds that lack of familial security may hinder children from trusting family members with the consequence of emergence of strained relationships (Bretherton 1992, p. 762). Feelings of powerlessness occur when children are threatened against disclosing cases of sexual abuse by offenders (Arney and Scott 2013, p. 110) such that they are discouraged from seeking early assistance. Finally, stigmatization as it relates to feelings of shame and guilt as well as pressure not to report incidences of sexual abuse among victims either from family members or offenders undermines their ability to disclose sexual abuse cases. This is particularly so in cases where the offender is a family member such that the family may want to protect him or her against criminal conviction. Since Natasha’s sexual offender is her mother’s half-brother, there is a possibility that the family may want to protect him thereby hampering efforts to institute an effective intervention plan for her. How political dynamics will influence the plan There are also various legal and political dynamics that will influence the success of this intervention plan. For instance, Lonne et al. (2009, p. 117) states that any actions and decisions involving children need to take into consideration provisions set out in the Children and Young People Act 1999. For instance, Children and Young People Act 1999 Section 12 requires that to ensure the safety of the child, removal of a child from his or her family set up should be prioritized where necessary with the first option being placing them with a family member. In addition, Lonne et al. (2009, p. 123) states that the law requires that any actions taken should take into consideration aspects such as culture, religion and traditional values of the family as a whole and the victim of child abuse in addition to the best interests of the child. As such the plan will take into consideration these factors to ensure compliance to the law and enhance its efficacy in bringing desirable outcomes. Challenges posed by reconciling statutory obligations, requirements and constraints with ethics and knowledge base of Social Work Based on the fact that it is family members who are at the greatest risk of abusing children, such legislation although well intentioned raises serious ethical issues. Nonetheless, an option can be to consider a family setting that has minimal risk factors for sexual abuse. According to the Australian Association of Social Workers (2010), social workers operate in an environment characterized by interrelationships between different individuals as well as with their sociocultural environments. Moreover, it is inevitable that social workers will encounter various ethical constrains in the course of their professional practice (Arney and Scott 2013, p. 17). This necessitates the need to comply with the code of ethics and professional codes of conduct to ensure desirable outcomes are achieved. Some of the ethical challenges that I may encounter in this case include the relationship with the client, colleagues as well as supervisors. There may be cases whereby I will be uncertain as to what comprises my professional responsibilities in a particular case as well as anxiety and burnout. In some situations, there is a possibility that I will not be able to discern the difference between personal and professional roles and responsibilities as a case worker. Another challenge will be the possibility of confronting a situation of moral indecision due to emotional distress. Addressing the Challenges In order to address these challenges, I will try as much as possible to ensure that I operate within the precincts of quality practice. I will ensure that I operate within the principles and guidelines that underpin professionalism through ensuring that I refer to the social work code of ethics. This will entail determining what ought to be done in a manner that minimizes harm while maximizing outcomes for the client. I will also ensure that I act within legal constrains in a manner that appeals to social work code of ethics. Focus will be on ascertaining the facts in a manner that discounts personal biases and accommodates appropriate ethical premises. Reference List Arney, F & Scott, D (Eds.) 2013, Working with Vulnerable Families: A Partnership Approach. Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press. Arnold, L, Maio-Taddeo, CM, Scott, DA & Zufferey, C 2008, "Professionals Protecting Children: Child Protection and Social Work Education in Australia" Australian Centre for Child Protection. Australian Association of Social Workers 2010, Code of Ethics, Australian Association of Social Workers. Berk, L.E. (2014), Development through the lifespan, Pearson Education. Bretherton, I 1992, The origins of attachment theory: John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, Developmental Psychology, 28 (5), 759-775. Frizzell, J & Barrow D 2007, “Good practice in child and family welfare services for Aboriginal children, young people and families”, Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare, Melbourne. Mudaly, N & Goddard, C 2006, The truth is longer than a lie: children's experiences of abuse and professional interventions, Jessica Kinglsey, London. Mullighan, EP 2008, Children in state care, Adelaide, Children in State Care Commission of Inquiry. Scott, D. (2009) "Think child, think family": How adult specialist services can support children at risk of abuse and neglect, Family Matters, 81; 37-42, Australian Institute of Family Studies Australian Association of Social Workers AASW, 1999. Code of Ethics, Association of Social Workers. Canberra. Tully, L 2007, Early intervention strategies for children and young people 8 to 14 years. New South Wales (NSW) Department of community Services. Australia. Winkworth, G 2006, Principles of child centred practice: timely, developmentally appropriate, participatory and collaborative. A report of the Institute of Child Protection Studies, ACU National for the ACT Department of Disability Housing and Community Services. Read More

Safety and Wellbeing Plan The first intervention will entail ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Natasha as well as her two younger siblings. According to (Mudaly & Goddard 2006, p. 53), all child sexual abuse victims experience emotional trauma albeit to varying degrees. Such trauma affects the victims’ overall functioning, behaviour and hampers effective parent-child relationships (Scott 2009, p. 21). This will entail ensuring complete separation between Natasha’s mother’s half-brother by seeing to it that he does not come into contact with her and the younger sisters.

This intervention plan is not only targeted at the known risk of child sexual abuse but also capable of acting as a protective strategy to enhance overall child outcomes. This will require that I explain to Julie the reasons for taking such measures so she does not perceive it to be an attempt at alienating her side of the family. This will reduce the risk factor as well as provide a protective barrier against continued sexual abuse of Natasha and guard against the possibility of the offender attempting to abuse Emily.

Natasha will also have to be counselled on engaging in problem sexual behaviour particularly in circumstances where there is a possibility for her to be subjected to criminal charges and maybe prosecution. She needs to be aware that her problem sexual behaviour needs to change due to the possibility that it may be causing psychological harm to fellow students. Parenting Program The second intervention will focus on instituting parenting programs to help address the current conflicts that have become manifest in the mother child relationships.

This is based on the fact that the role of parents in influencing the developmental outcomes children is are at the heart of ensuring better child development and consequent functioning (Frizzell & Barrow 2007, p. 24). The program will include parent education, skills training and parental support aimed at enhancing their knowledge, attitude, positive discipline methods and behaviour regards child development through various developmental stages. This intervention recognizes the fact that late childhood and early adolescent stages in a child’s development are critical due to their influence on future developmental prospects due to a combination of physiological, psychological, neurological as well as sociological changes (Berk 2014, p. 33). As such, children are particularly vulnerable to various exposures to negative developmental risks.

Furthermore, according to Berk (2014, p. 29), it is at the adolescent stage that child-parent relationships begin to change due to factors such as the need for greater autonomy and a desire to be free from parental control and supervision thereby resulting in heightened levels of conflicts. Notably, this intervention is grounded on the social learning theory whose focus is on behaviour change approaches. It will be modelled along the positive parenting program commonly referred to as the Triple P program (Tally 2007, p. ). This will involve requiring Julie and Kevin to attend parenting sessions aimed at educating them on how to nurture and raise their children in a manner that facilitates positive child-parent bonding and resiliency as well as preclude sexual and other forms of child abuse.

Specifically, Kevin and Julie will be provided with information on parenting behaviour modification strategies and activities such as role play and modelling under my guidance as the facilitator of the intervention. This is particularly underpinned by Tully (2007) who indicates that the transitory period from childhood to adolescence is particularly prone to significant changes between parent-child relationships. Particularly, Natasha being Julie’s first child, she needs to be informed of the need and benefits of forging mutual relationships with adolescents by maintaining positive communication with her daughters to enhance their transition as well as overall parent-child relationship outcomes.

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