TITLE: Christianity
and Child Sexual Abuse: The Survivor's Vhoice Leading to Change.
AUTHOR: Kennedy,
M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 2000
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse Review
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Let's
Balance the Scales for Disabled Children, London (United Kingdom).
SOURCE: 9(2):
pp. 124-141; John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.,
Chichester, West Sussex (United Kingdom)., 2000; p. 447
ABSTRACT: The
British Children Act of 1989 states that due consideration should be given to
the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background. Children who have been sexually abused and who
grow up in families with strong Christian beliefs have additional concerns not
readily identified by the child protection worker or therapist. Drawing upon 10
years' work experience, this paper aims to present the views and struggles of
adult Christian women and men who have been sexually abused. Much of what is
presented can be applied to other faith communities, since the difficulties lie
sometimes with patriarchal communities, with male deities and with tenets of
belief that can hinder the child from disclosing. Beliefs such as Honor thy father
and they mother, abstinence from sex before marriage, and forgiveness of all
have significant impact on survivors. 31 references and 2 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: sexual
abuse; disclosure; sequelae;
adults abused as children;
religion; cultural
identity; cultural factors; churches role
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.wiley.com
TITLE: Revisiting
Home Visiting: Summary of a Workshop.
AUTHOR: Margie,
N. G. (Editior).; Phillips, D. A.
(Editor).
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
SOURCE: National
Academy Press, Washington, DC., 1999;
29 pp.
ABSTRACT: Practitioners,
policymakers, and researchers attended a workshop sponsored by the Board on
Children, Youth, and Families of the National Research Council to review
research about the effectiveness of home visitation programs. Attendees
discussed the wide variation in goals for home visiting services, from
increasing the competence of parents to preventing child abuse and facilitating
home-school-community partnerships. There are also differences within programs,
as providers customize services to meet the needs of families. Evaluations of
home visitation programs are difficult because of the disparity and the lack of
appropriate outcomes measures for program goals. Meeting participants
identified the characteristics of suitable outcomes measures and reviewed
lessons learned about family engagement, staffing, cultural and linguistic diversity, domestic violence and substance abuse, and
maternal depression. Other issues regarding service delivery were also
discussed, such as impact on the community, team approaches, and collaboration
with child care providers. Recommendations for the development of home visiting
programs and policy include the creation of a research agenda that considers
various approaches and the elements of effective service delivery; evaluations
linked with knowledge about child development and parenting; and dissemination
of the findings of evaluation research. 8 references and 1 table.
KEY TERMS: child
welfare research; home visitation
programs; therapeutic
effectiveness; program evaluation; personnel needs; cultural differences;
spouse abuse; substance abuse
PUBLICATION TYPE: Technical
Report
TITLE: Legislation
Mandating or Authorizing the Creation of Multidisciplinary/Multi-Agency Child
Protection Teams (Current through December 31, 1999): Colorado.
INST. AUTHOR: U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES;
NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT INFORMATION; NATIONAL CENTER FOR PROSECUTION OF CHILD
ABUSE
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Investigations
Number 15
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children's Bureau; NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
INFORMATION 330 C Street, SW,
Washington, DC, 20447, (703) 385-7565
Outside Metropolitan Area: (800) FYI-3366; NATIONAL CENTER FOR PROSECUTION OF CHILD ABUSE 99 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 510,
Alexandria, VA, 22314, (703) 739-0321
SOURCE: In:
Authorization for Multidisciplinary Team
KEY TERMS: Statute; Colorado;
Agency; Child; child abuse or neglect; Creation;
Department; evaluation; Legislation; Multi-Agency;
Multidisciplinary/Multi-Agency;
neglect; services; treatment
PUBLICATION TYPE: Statutes
INTERNET URL: http://www.ndaa-apri.org
TITLE: Legislation
Regarding Termination of Parental Rights (Current through December 31, 1999):
Minnesota.
INST. AUTHOR: U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES;
NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT INFORMATION
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1999
JOURNAL TITLE: Permanency
Planning Number 38
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Administration for Children and
Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children's
Bureau; NATIONAL CLEARINGHOUSE ON CHILD
ABUSE AND NEGLECT INFORMATION, 330 C Street, SW; Washington, DC, 20447; (703)
385-7565, Outside Metropolitan Area: (800) FYI-3366
SOURCE: In:
Termination of Parental Rights
KEY TERMS: Statute; Minnesota;
abandonment; Agency; Child;
circumstances; conduct; Failure;
Family; Indian child; Indian;
infant; jurisdiction; juvenile;
Legislation; neglect; Parent;
parental rights; Parental; Placement;
professional; relationship; Rights;
services; sibling; subdivision; Termination; treatment
PUBLICATION TYPE: Statutes
INTERNET URL: http://www.calib.com/nccanch
TITLE: A
Multicultural/Multimodal/Multisystems Approach to Working with Culturally
Different Families.
AUTHOR: Gopaul-McNicol,
S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Howard
Univ., Washington, DC.
SOURCE: Westport,
CT, Praeger Publishers, 1997; 156 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
book is divided into four parts. Part I examines historical and contemporary
perspectives of the influence of culture on an individual's functioning. This
section also serves notice to the mental health field regarding the need for an
ethical mandate to examine alternatives to traditional assessment and
counseling techniques. Part II explores intellectual assessment issues with the
culturally different. Educational and visual motor assessments are evaluated
for their applicability with culturally diverse clients. Ways of misassessing
and misdiagnosing the personality of culturally different individuals are
discussed. Best practices in report writing for the linguistically and culturally different client are
examined. Part III offers treatment interventions with a focus on salient
issues to be aware of when counseling the culturally different. Major treatment
approaches in counseling the culturally different are examined and the
MULTI-CMS (Multicultural/Multimodal/Multisystems) model for treatment is
explored in detail. Two case studies of linguistically
and culturally diverse families are presented. Part IV offers training
suggestions for mental health workers with an emphasis on the major
competencies needed for developing one's multicultural skills. Finally, a
vision for the mental health field of the future is proposed via a multisystem
interdisciplinary approach. Bibliography and index. (Author abstract modified)
KEY TERMS: mental
health services; cultural
differences; measures; evaluation
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.greenwood.com
TITLE: Transcultural
Child Development: Psychological Assessment and Treatment.
AUTHOR: Johnson-Powell,
G. (Editor).; Yamamoto, J.
(Editor).; Wyatt, G. E. (Editor).; Arroyo, W. (Editor).
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Harvard
Medical School, Boston, MA.
SOURCE: New
York, NY, John Wiley and Sons, 1997;
378 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
book is written for mental health professionals who need to understand
individual development and treatment issues for children of different ethnic,
racial, and cultural backgrounds. Chapters in part I describe the social,
cultural, and historical forces which have produced the United States' diverse
communities. The many ways in which culture affects symptom formation and its
associated meaning in psychiatric disorders are discussed. The main portion of
the book focuses on individual ethnic groups, addressing not only the
established minorities but also newer immigrant groups. The full list includes:
Puerto Rican, Central American, Middle Eastern, Asian Indian, Native Hawaiian,
Hmong, West African, Mexican, and Micronesian children, as well as Filipino
Americans, Korean Americans, Chinese Americans, African Americans, and children
from the former Soviet Union. Clinicians experienced in the treatment of
children from specific cultural backgrounds discuss each culture and its
relationship to the mainstream culture of the United States. The focus of these
discussions is on how these groups' cultural relationships may contribute to,
alleviate, mask, or create a false impression of psychological disorders in
children. Each chapter provides cultural data about the specific group and
describes the help-seeking behavior as well as patterns of adaptation that
children from these diverse backgrounds present. The final chapter provides
guidelines to the diagnostic assessment and treatment of culturally and linguistically diverse children. The book provides
mental health professionals with an understanding of the biological,
psychological, social, and cultural factors that influence the development of
children from other cultures. Index.
KEY TERMS: psychotherapy; psychopathology; ethnic groups; child
psychology; cultural differences; child development; cultural competency
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.wiley.com
TITLE: Commentary
on Talking About Feelings (Aldridge and Wood, 1997).
AUTHOR: Harris,
P. L.; Jones, D. P. H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1997
JOURNAL TITLE: Child
Abuse and Neglect
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Oxford
Univ., (United Kingdom). Dept. of Experimental Psychology.
SOURCE: 21(12):
pp. 1217-1220; Elsevier Science Ltd.,
New York, NY., December 1997
ABSTRACT: This
critique examines the conclusions made by Aldridge and Wood (1997) about the
ability of children to describe their feelings and emotions about traumatic or
painful situations. Aldridge and Wood based their assertion that children are
unable to discuss their feelings on a review of the literature and analyses
from an interview study. However, the critique suggests that their arguments
are flawed and that their literature review was incomplete. Aldridge and Wood
failed to consider recent research that demonstrated the linguistic capabilities of children and their use of words to
describe feelings. In addition, the interview study conducted by the researchers
may have inadvertently affected the answers given by the children to questions
about various scenarios. Future research should be designed with the knowledge
that children may appraise situations differently than adults do, may
misinterpret the interviewer's question, and may tend to focus on only one
element of an emotional situation although if asked, could answer about more
aspects. 10 references.
KEY TERMS: competency; child witnesses; emotions; language
development; interviews; psychological interviews; child abuse research; research methodology
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
TITLE: Interviewing
Children In and Out of Court. Current Research and Practice Implications.
AUTHOR: Saywitz,
K. J.; Goodman, G. S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: California
Univ., Los Angeles. School of Medicine.
SOURCE: In:
Briere, J., Berliner, L., Bulkey, J. A., Jenny, C., et al. (Editor). The APSAC
Handbook on Child Maltreatment. Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Publications, Inc.,
January 1996; pp. 297-318
ABSTRACT: This
chapter reviews literature on child witnesses. Research concerning the memory
and suggestibility of children is highlighted, focusing on findings about free
recall and open-ended questions, specific and leading questions, and trauma and
memory. Findings on the language and communication abilities of children as
they relate to children's testimony are presented, including findings
concerning linguistic complexity, word choice and grammatical
construction, the content of legal questions, and the comprehension abilities
of children. Studies on the legal knowledge of children are reviewed. Results
of efforts to improve the quality of children's testimony and reduce their
stress are presented, focusing on the effectiveness of innovative questioning
techniques, court preparation schools, and investigative process reforms. The
need for and use of special court procedures is discussed. Research suggests
that children of different ages require different interview techniques, so
guidelines for interviewing preschool children, school-age children, and
adolescents in forensic settings and for presenting their testimony in court
are provided. 106 references.
KEY TERMS: interviews; child witnesses; memory; suggestibility; testimony;
preschool children; school
children; adolescents
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.sagepub.com
TITLE: Native
Language and Family-Centered Practice.
AUTHOR: Soto, L.
D.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
JOURNAL TITLE: Family
Resource Coalition Report
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Pennsylvania
State Univ., University Park.
SOURCE: 14(3-4):
pp. 8-10; Family Resource Coalition of
America, Chicago, IL., Fall-Winter, 1995-1996
ABSTRACT: This
article examines the repression of native languages in the United States. The
history of linguistic repression in the United States is
briefly reviewed. The benefits of native language preservation for children and
their families are identified, including providing background knowledge that
makes English more comprehensible, enhancing the development of literacy,
providing cognitive flexibility, and promoting a sense of biculturalism. The
impact of linguistic and cultural repression on family support
program participants in one community is discussed. Suggestions offered by
these bilingual families that may help professionals who advocate on behalf of
families are presented. The need to implement family-centered practices that
create collaborative and democratic climates within communities is stressed. 11
references and 1 photograph.
KEY TERMS: family
centered services; culture; family support systems; communication; myths
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.frca.org
TITLE: Handbook
of Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, and Educational
Applications.
AUTHOR: Suzuki,
L. A. (Editor).; Meller, P. J.
(Editor).; Ponterotto, J. G. (Editor).
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: New
York Univ., NY. Dept. of Psychology.
SOURCE: San
Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996;
748 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
book presents information on psychometrics, assessment, and evaluation as they
relate to the application of testing and assessment in multicultural
environments. Part 1 addresses general issues in multicultural assessment,
principally the challenges of using assessment and testing strategies in
culturally appropriate ways and on ethical concerns in using assessment tests
with minorities. Part 2 focuses on the use of tests and procedures to assess
social and emotional functioning of minority group members. Contributors
identify sources of controversy in the assessment of ethnic and cultural
minorities, address psychometric and other issues, examine the multicultural
usage of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2, and explore
multicultural issues in the use of projective methods for personality
assessment. Part 3 discusses cognition and educational assessment with racial
or ethnic minority groups, including issues related to intellectual assessment
across cultures; the use of curriculum-based measurement with diverse learners,
nonverbal ability measures with multicultural populations, and achievement
testing with culturally and linguistically diverse students; multicultural concerns
relevant to neuropsychological assessment; and the multicultural implications
of performance-based assessment. Part 4 examines emerging issues in assessment
related to multicultural considerations in the areas of language, family
systems, qualitative, and racial and ethnic identity assessment. Contributors
also discuss the multicultural assessment of alcohol and other drug use, the
assessment of culturally diverse infants and preschool children, and the
assessment of the multicultural competence of counselors and clinicians. The
book concludes with an examination of present trends and future directions in
multicultural assessment. Numerous references, 9 figures, 13 tables, and 6
exhibits.
KEY TERMS: psychometrics; cultural sensitivity; multicultural; ethics; cultural
differences; personality tests; psychological tests; intelligence tests
PUBLICATION TYPE: Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.josseybass.com
TITLE: Persistant
Issues in Multicultural Assessment of Social and Emotional Functioning.
AUTHOR: Moreland,
K. L.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Fordham
Univ., New York, NY.
SOURCE: In:
Suzuki, L. A., Meller, P. J., and Ponterotto, J. G. (Editors). Handbook of
Multicultural Assessment: Clinical, Psychological, and Educational
Implications. San Francisco, CA, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996; pp. 51-76
ABSTRACT: In
this chapter examining issues in the multicultural assessment of social and
emotional functioning, the author identifies sources of controversy in the
assessment of ethnic and cultural minorities, such as the Euro-American model
of science, instrument universality or cultural sensitivity, assimilation or
pluralism, cultural or socioeconomic status, group personality or individual
differences, and racism. He considers psychometric issues relevant to
multicultural assessment, including functional, conceptual, linguistic, and metric equivalence; reliability; validity; and bias.
Test administration and interpretation issues are discussed. Assessors need to
be aware of the methods they can use at the interpretation phase to overcome
their own bias and the variables that can moderate the interpretation of
personality data, such as acculturation and value orientation. The author
concludes by making recommendations for practice. 94 references.
KEY TERMS: personality
tests; cultural sensitivity; psychometrics; minority groups;
multicultural
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
INTERNET URL: http://www.josseybass.com
TITLE: Language
Comprehension and Expression Among Adolescents Who Have Experienced Childhood
Physical Abuse.
AUTHOR: McFadyen,
R. G.; Kitson, W. J. H.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Aberdeen
Univ. (Great Britain).
SOURCE: 37(5):
pp. 551-562; New York, NY, Elsevier
Science, Inc., 1996
ABSTRACT: The
present study compared the expressive and receptive language abilities of 20
adolescents who had experienced physical abuse as children with the abilities
of a closely matched control group of 20 adolescents who had not experienced
maltreatment. All of the participants were residents of special schools,
referred for a variety of behavior problems and under a treatment plan for
family reunification. In addition, all subjects were from families of lower
socioeconomic status and in good physical health. Instruments included the
Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and a linguistic
analysis of a 10-minute discussion. Comprehension abilities of the two groups
(as measured on a standard test) did not differ significantly. There were also
no significant differences in expressive vocabulary. The syntactic expression
of the abused group was significantly more impaired than that of the non-abused
group. The abused used significantly less self-related language and also had a
significantly greater tendency to engage in self- repetition. The two groups
did not differ significantly, however, on several other aspects of functional
communication. Explanations of the results are offered. It is also suggested
that there are individual differences in the types of problems experienced by
the physically abused group. 61 references and 7 tables. (Author abstract
modified)
KEY TERMS: adolescents; child development; language development;
verbal ability; sequelae; child abuse research
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.elsevier.com
TITLE: Linguistic and Socioemotional Influences on the Accuracy of
Children's Reports.
AUTHOR: Carter,
C. A.; Bottoms, B. L.; Levine, M.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
JOURNAL TITLE: Law
and Human Behavior
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: State
Univ. of New York, Buffalo. Dept. of Family Medicine.
SOURCE: 20(3):
pp. 335-358; New York, NY, Plenum
Publishing Co., June 1996
ABSTRACT: A
basic but largely neglected issue in research on the reliability of children's
testimony is the impact of certain questioning tactics (e.g., use of legalese
and socioemotional intimidation) on the accuracy of children's reports. In the
present study, 60 5- to 7-year-old children were interviewed about a
standardized play event with free-recall cues and detailed questions that were
specific or misleading. Linguistic complexity of questions (complex or
simple) and socioemotional context of interview (supportive or intimidating)
were varied between subjects. Results indicated that children were
significantly less accurate in reporting the event when questioned with
complex, developmentally inappropriate questions rather than simple questions,
yet children rarely voiced their comprehension failures. In addition, children
interviewed by a warm, supportive interviewer were more resistant to misleading
questions about the event than were children interviewed in an intimidating
manner. Theoretical interpretations and implications for investigative
interviewing and policy are discussed. 74 references and 3 tables. (Author
abstract)
KEY TERMS: child
witnesses; competency; interviews;
testimony; courts
responsibility; child development; lawyers role; investigations
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.plenum.com
TITLE: Memory
Systems and the Psychoanalytic Retrieval of Memories of Trauma.
AUTHOR: Brenneis,
C. B.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
JOURNAL TITLE: Journal
of the American Psychoanalytic Association
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Wisconsin
Univ., Madison.
SOURCE: 44(4):
pp. 1165-1187; American Psychoanalytic
Association, New York, NY, 1996
ABSTRACT: This
article presents a psychoanalytic perspective of the issues of recovered
memories of childhood trauma. Based on trauma research, the concept of a
special traumatic memory has evolved. Overwhelming psychic experience is
thought to generate a defensively altered state of consciousness (specifically
dissociation), which encodes memory in unassimilated visual, somatic, and
behavioral, rather than linguistic modes. Analytic revocation and
interpretation of the original layered states of consciousness then permits the
transformation of early traumatic memory into later explicit memory. Examined
from the vantage point of contemporary cognitive research and theory,
underlying flaws may be found in these propositions when they are extended to
patients without explicit memory of trauma: first, dissociation is a
chameleonlike process, perhaps as closely associated with suggestibility as
with trauma; second, state-dependent learning does not adequately account for
the absence of explicit memory; and third, implicit memory does not map onto
explicit memory in any direct or simple fashion. Consequently, the clinical
application or current propositions about traumatic memory to patients without
explicit memory of trauma may warrant considerable caution. Provisional guidelines
are offered for estimating the validity of retrieved memories of trauma. 68
references. (Author abstract)
KEY TERMS: psychoanalytic
theories; memory; repression;
psychoanalysis; adults abused as
children; trauma; dissociation; validity
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.analyticpress.com/home.html
TITLE: A
National Adoption Strategic Plan.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
JOURNAL TITLE: Roundtable
SOURCE: 10(2):
pp. 1-5; Spaulding for Children,
Southfield, MI. National Resource Center for Special Needs Adoption., 1996
ABSTRACT: This
article presents excerpts from the National Adoption Strategic Plan. The
preamble identifies the services that the child welfare system must provide to
ensure appropriate and timely targeting of adoptive placements. Other sections
describe the plan, the mission of the Adoption Network Partners, and the vision
of the plan. Adoption goals contained in the plan are presented, including
increasing the number of adoptions for special needs, minority, and older
children, as well as children in sibling groups; minimizing trauma and
improving healthy development; considering cultural, ethnic, and racial factors
in adoption decision making; and decreasing the length of time children are in
out-of-home care. Other goals concern increasing the number of prospective
adoptive families; providing holistic, culturally, and linguistically relevant services; providing access to
all necessary information to meet the needs of the adopted child; and
increasing public awareness about adoption.
KEY TERMS: waiting
children; adoption services; networking;
special needs; child placement
PUBLICATION TYPE: Journal
Article
INTERNET URL: http://www.spaulding.org
TITLE: Post-Adoption
Issues in Intercountry Adoption.
AUTHOR: Selman,
P.; Wells, S.
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1996
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Newcastle
Univ. (England). Dept. of Social Policy.
SOURCE: In:
Phillips, R. and McWilliam, E. (Editors). After Adoption: Working With Adoptive
Families. London (England), British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering,
1996; pp. 192-210
ABSTRACT: This
chapter highlights the special needs of British adoptive parents and
intercountry adopted children. The needs of children adopted from abroad may
include dealing with health, linguistic,
and behavior and emotional problems. It is vital that health progress be
monitored and parents are given all the medical support that their children
need. Attachment disorders may also have to be dealt with. Children in a
transracial adoption may be coping with a loss of their birth country, identity
problems, and a lack of background information about their origins. Next, the
chapter discusses British adoptive parents' experiences of adopting from
abroad. Access to post adoption services is vitally important as many service
agencies in Britain have limited experience of the problems of adopted children
and often no experience in foreign born adoptees. The chapter ends with a case
study in intercountry adoption. Numerous references.
KEY TERMS: intercountry
adoption; post adoption services; adoptive parents; great britain; case
studies; identity; language development; attachment disorder
PUBLICATION TYPE: Chapter
in Book
TITLE: Sexual
Abuse in Nine North American Cultures: Treatment and Prevention.
AUTHOR: Fontes,
L. A. (Editor).
PUBLICATION YEAR: 1995
AUTHOR AFFILIATION: Purdue
Univ., West Lafayette, IN.
SOURCE: Newbury
Park, CA, Sage Publications, Inc., April 1995;
323 pp.
ABSTRACT: This
book assesses cultural strengths and challenges and attempts to identify ways
cultural norms can be used to protect children from sexual abuse or to enhance
their recovery from sexual abuse. Sexual abuse is often mishandled by
professionals working with minority clients because of cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, racism, and homophobia. The
introduction discusses ways that culture can contribute to a context for understanding
the prevention, occurrence, and detection of sexual abuse and recovery from
sexual abuse. Chapters explore the issue of sexual abuse as it relates to
various groups bound by common beliefs, history, and practices, including
African Americans; Puerto Ricans; Asian, Pacific Islander, and Filipino
Americans; Cambodians; Jews; Anglo Americans; Seventh Day Adventists;
homosexuals; and lesbians. Chapters include discussions of cultural and
treatment issues and provide case studies. The final chapter considers the
issue of matching clients and service providers for ethnicity, the impact of
biases on child protective work involving ethnic or minority populations, and
the use of culturally diverse treatment teams. Numerous references.