The Overall Goals of Forensic Intervention Steps

Professionals who intervene in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) cases can easily get caught up (and even overwhelmed) in the daily complex tasks of their agency activities. However, it may be useful, at times, to stop and ask oneself about the overall purpose of intervention in CSA cases. Reflecting on this issue may lead to some thoughts about how to go about our tasks with a clearer view toward matching our daily decisions with broader goals.

Many people may assume that the primary goal of forensic steps (legal, or court-related) in CSA cases is to convict and incarcerate the offender(s). But is that the ultimate purpose?

Being Clear on Mutually Shared Goals

Arresting, convicting, and/or incarcerating offenders are actually steps leading toward goals. It is suggested that what various professional disciplines all have in common are broader goals. In general, all of the primary disciplines involved hope to:

• Stop future sexual abuse by the same perpetrator of a child who is identified as a victim
• Intervene with the child and family to reduce the probability of re-victimization of the child by future perpetrators
• Prevent "secondary victimization" to the child by the system
• Reduce the probability that the perpetrator will victimize other children in the future
• Promote healthy ways for families to interact and healthy ways for children to form relationships with others
• Prevent other future behavioral/emotional/lifestyle problems associated with a CSA history such as; substance abuse, joining in exploitative adult relationships, criminal lifestyles, mental health problems, raising children who become abused etc., etc.

These general overall goals could be perceived in an even more general manner that we are trying to accomplish healthier and safer relationships for children, and prevent further exploitation or harm.

Unfortunately, most victims and family members will not take all the steps they need in order to accomplish healthier and safer relationships without intervention from professionals. The natural tendency for people, faced with the overwhelming news of sexual abuse of a child, is to use avoidance and denial to make the problem seem simpler and emotionally farther removed.

Research and experience also tell us that without effective professional intervention, CSA victims tend to be re-victimized, victims tend to have future mental health problems, and some victims become perpetrators of various crimes (Briere, J. & Runtz, M., 1990). Therefore, we are justified in the generally shared belief that we should intervene and follow through whether the family asks for this help or not.

Another reason to involve the legal system is the reality that victims, offenders, and families of victims tend not to change in the direction we think is best simply by following our good advice. Effective intervention requires a more sophisticated approach than simply offering good advice and expecting people to follow through with our recommendations (Murdoch, B., & Lewis, S., 1992). Effective intervention may also require different decisions about what to do with some individuals than decisions about what to do with other individuals.

A Muti-Disciplinary Team (MDT) approach is needed

No one person, or single agency, can accomplish all that needs to be done to effectively intervene in CSA cases. For this reason, individual professionals can increase their effectiveness through active support and development of an MDT approach to CSA cases (Gilbert, C., 2000). Individual professionals, involved in an MDT approach, can gain effectiveness through: understanding and supporting their MDT team; learning individual concepts and techniques which facilitate accomplishing MDT goals; and becoming a more effective change-agent with other people (Kolbo, J., et.al., 1994). There is basically no end to the process of refining and expanding skills, as it is an ever-evolving process. For details on how to develop an effective MDT approach in your community, see the article on this web site entitled, "Using a Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Approach".

Individual Professional Self-Improvement

In addition to fully learning agency policies, and encouraging and participating in an MDT approach, professionals also can, and should, seek to improve their individual skills. One way to do this is to take advantage of skill training opportunities in one's field and in related fields.

Becoming familiar with the material available on this web site is one way to increase a useful knowledge base that can enhance self-improvement to some degree. Reading books and journals on the subject of CSA issues is also a must. Participating in conferences, symposia, and workshops on topics related to CSA issues, is another extremely important responsibility we all have. This need for self-improvement never ends, and should be thought of as part of our ongoing responsibility as professionals.

References:

Alexander, P. & Lupfer, S., (1987). Family characteristics and long-term consequences associated with sexual abuse. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 16, 235-245.

Briere, J., & Runtz, M., (1990). Differential adult symptomatologies associated with three types of child abuse histories. Child Abuse and Neglect, Vol. 14, 357-364.

Conte, J. & Fogarty, L., (1990). Sexual abuse prevention programs for children. Education and Urban Society, Vol. 22, No. 3, 270-284.

Finkelhor, D., (1984). Child sexual abuse: New theory and research. New York: The Free Press.

Gilbert, C., (2000). The child advocacy center model: A multi-disciplinary team response to child abuse. Presented at the Georgia Council on Child Abuse Annual Conference, Atlanta, GA.

Greer, J., Estupinan, L. & Manguno-Mire, G., (1999). Empathy, social skills, and other relevant cognitive processes in rapists and child molesters. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 5, 99-126.

Kolbo, J., et.al., (1994). Children's justice task force: A report on multidisciplinary team approaches to the investigation and resolution of child abuse and neglect. Charleston: West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.

Murdoch, B., & Lewis, S., (1992). Love and problems of living. Macon, GA: Fore(In)Sight Foundation.

Murdoch, B. & Lewis, S., (2000). Psychology for life. Macon, GA: Fore(In)Sight Foundation.

Pithers, W., et.al., (1988). Relapse prevention. In B.K.Schwartz (Ed.), A practitioner's guide to treating the incarcerated male sex offender. Washington, D.C.: National Institute of Corrections.

Stewart, L., (1999). Community-based treatment for sex offender programs: Recent initiatives in the Ontario region. Correctional Service-Canada