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Listening to the child victim of abuse through the process of therapy: A case study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 February 2016

Neerosh Mudaly  and
Chris Goddard
Neerosh Mudaly
Affiliation:
Australians Against Child Abuse, PO Box 525, Ringwood, Vic 3134. Email: bnmudaly@infoxchange.net.au
Chris Goddard
Affiliation:
Child Abuse & Family Violence Research Unit, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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Abstract

When a child has been abused by his or her father or father-figure and makes the statement ‘I want Dad to come home’, whose voice are we hearing in treatment, how do we interpret and respond to what the child is saying? Understanding and responding to the voices of victims of abuse is a complex issue. This paper explores the issues of listening to and responding to a young vicitm of abuse in the context of the impact of the abuse on this young person, and how these issues emerged and were addressed in the therapeutic process. Amanda, a 13-year-old girl, disclosed sexual abuse by her stepfather. In the initial months of counselling she repeatedly expressed her wish for her stepfather to return home. Amanda’s response to therapy, the short-term and long-term impact issues that were addressed, and the various therapeutic techniques that were used to assist in her recovery, are traced in the context of theoretical considerations.

Type
Research Article
Information
Children Australia , Volume 26 , Issue 3 , 2001 , pp. 18 - 22
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2001

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