Publisher's Synopsis
Throughout the 1980s and now in the 1990s we are experiencing a dramatic increase in the reported cases of child sexual abuse. Child protection is now a complex concern and parents of victims must traverse a professional maze from the police through psychiatrists to the justice system, all specialists but with their own narrow focus.;Families endure shortcomings in the process because they want justice for their children. However, the outcome is sometimes that those accused of abuse remain free. Parents become angry; their confidence in themselves and society shattered. Their powerful emotions can be immobilizing and prevent them giving their children the vital support and stability they need.;To whom can parents turn for help? Increasingly, from sheer necessity, parents and child survivors turn to community, family and neighbourhood centres. Sometimes they create their own informal groups whose shared major task is the support of families during times of need. "Why My Child?" is for parents, counsellors and all professionals, para-professionals, volunteers and survivors. It has been written in consultation with support services in the United Kingdom, Australasia and Canada.;In a clear and sympathetic style, it provides wide-ranging information on the issues of child sexual abuse, and provides hints for caregivers of children showing emotionally disturbed behaviour. Suggestions on how to set up support groups are given, the grief process examined and therapeutic programmes for parents discussed.;Although writing about a subject many find difficult, Freda Briggs has brought international insights and her own expertise to provide a positive, readable handbook. She has published widely on child protection issues.
