Current Treatment Strategies for Sexually Abused Children

SUMMARY

Given the disturbingly high prevalence of child sexual abuse, the expertise of medical and mental health professionals in treating child sexual abuse victims is essential. Relevant issues in treating these children include the mindfulness of developmental considerations, incorporation of a multi-modal therapeutic evaluation approach, clarification of treatment goals, appropriate use of and integration of various treatment modalities, and effective treatment termination. This article provides an introduction aid overview of treatment of sexually abused children of all ages, from preschoolers to adolescents, with special emphasis on the importance of developmentally linked evaluation and treatment strategies. Treatment is discussed in terms of goals, stages from evaluation to termination, and formats and modalities including individual psychotherapy, family psychotherapy, group psychotherapy and hypnotherapy, to provide a comprehensive overview of current treatment strategies for sexually abused children.     

A Trust-Based Home Intervention for Special-Needs Adopted Children: A Case Study

Research on the effects of abuse, neglect, and other traumas in early childhood has consistently demonstrated severe deficits that can be prevalent across the life span. Costs associated with addressing such deficits in special-needs children can strain families and are an immense financial burden to society. Trust-Based Relational Intervention® is an intervention modality that targets the attachment system as part of a dynamic system of development. Presented is a summary of the costs of addressing the sequelae of childhood abuse and neglect, a brief overview of Trust-Based Relational Intervention, and a case study demonstrating the efficacy of this intervention with an adopted special-needs child in a home-based setting.     

Intergenerational Transfer of Parenting Styles: Correlations between Experience of Punitive Discipline in Childhood,Opinion Regarding Discipline Methods,and Context of Parenting

The purpose of this research is to study the intergenerational correlations of punitive disciplining of children. In an international sample, 112 individuals evaluated their experience of disciplinary methods from their childhood, as well as current perception of disciplinary methods and their own context of parenting. The results showed that the experience of corporal punishment or psychological aggression in childhood correlates with acceptability of inflicting corporal punishment or psychological aggression as a parent. There was an interaction between the experience of punitive discipline and experiencing confidence in carrying out parenting tasks and experiencing present-day stress. Context of parenting (e.g., confidence in carrying out parenting tasks) and perceptions of punitive disciplining might help us understand intergenerational transfer of parenting styles.     

Global or Domain Specific Self-Esteem: Can it Predict Aggression Among Children and Adolescents?

The study examined whether self-esteem predicted aggression among children and adolescents. Through a multistage method of sampling, the study utilized 170 (N = 170) participants from primary (elementary) and secondary (high) schools across Trinidad. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, The Culture Free Self Esteem Inventory (CFSEI), and the Direct and Indirect Aggression Scale (DIAS). Using hierarchical regression analyses, both global and domain specific measures of self-esteem were used as predictors of the three types of aggression: direct physical, direct verbal and indirect aggression. The results revealed that global self-esteem was a stronger predictor of aggression for children than domain specific self-esteem. However, domain specific self-esteem was a stronger predictor of aggression among adolescents. As it relates to aggression, the pathways to global self-esteem differed from domain specific self-esteem. Implications for the comparative use of multidimensional and global self-esteem were discussed, and recommendations for future research have been proposed.     

Artists as experts in visual cognition

This study addressed the question of how artists differ from non-artists in visual cognition. Four perception and twelve drawing tasks were used. Artists outperformed non-artists on both kinds of tasks. Regression analyses revealed common visual processes in the two kinds of tasks and unique variance in the drawing tasks. The advantage of artists over non-artists was apparently in the way they perceptually analysed as well as in how they drew. The perceptual advantage seems to be closely linked to the activity of drawing and is discussed with reference to artists' extensive experience in visual interaction with objects and images during drawing. Artists appear to be more proficient at using visual analytic procedures that are qualitatively similar to those of novices, unlike experts in many other domains.     

Embodied spirituality

This article explores the concept of embodied spirituality from early Celtic traditions through the British medieval mystic Julian of Norwich to the present day. A ‘high theology’ of the body in early Christianity and early Christian understandings of the relation among body, soul and spirit gave way to the influences of Greek thought with its bifurcation of spirit and matter and St. Augustine’s notion of Original Sin, leading to an implicit (and often explicit) emphasis on ‘dis-embodied spirituality’ in Western Christianity. This separation of the spirit from the body has affected much of Western and Middle-European cultures for centuries. Research from multidisciplinary perspectives provides insights into the role of the emotions in body–spirit connections; the interplay of body, soul and spirit is discussed from various spiritual traditions. Finally, children’s embodied spirituality is viewed in light of these various insights and understandings.     

Teacher,I had a dream: a glimpse of the spiritual domain of children using project-based learning

Children’s dreams have the potential to awaken feelings, question attitudes and inspire new learning experiences to deepen awareness of spiritual development. Both guidance and spiritual environments created by nurturing educators and parents foster dreams that captivate and motivate children to increase their spiritual self-awareness, leading them to ask open-ended questions about what is real and what is make-believe. This paper offers a discussion of the importance of children’s dreams accompanied by teaching opportunities using project-based learning to channel creative thinking and interconnecting within a child’s culture and community, promoting balance, integrity and reciprocal relationships. Project-based learning has the capability to offer responsive and holistic support of the spiritual domain of children within a caring, welcoming community. Using project-based learning in classrooms shapes the agenda to stimulate wonder, ask inquiring questions and promotes creativity and encourages multiple ways to represent thinking in graphic, written and oral language.     

Peacemaking at home in the world: grounding children’s spirituality in peace

Peace is both a religious and non-religious proposition. Religiously it is articulated within doctrinal categories. In non-religious terms, it is pursued within national and international interests. Non-religious pursuits to peace were often framed within political and some cultural considerations involving adult participants. However, numerous spiritual considerations to peacemaking have traditionally identified children’s dispositions as a material for inquiry. This paper described how children’s perspectives on peace and peacemaking essentially projected aspects of children’s spirituality on peace using some 296 children’s essays and drawings on peace. Results showed how peculiar traits of children’s spirituality grounded on peace were strategically nested on domestic order, the world and environment. Peacemaking is homemaking; it is peacemaking at home in the world.     

基于直线临摹的ADHD儿童眼手协调能力研究

ADHD儿童在精细动作方面通常伴随眼手协调运动障碍。以往采用的研究方法多为定性研究,且未在ADHD儿童的运动协调性与同龄正常儿童的差异上得出统一结论。本研究针对精细动作中眼手协调能力进行定量分析。实验要求被试在计算机触摸屏上分别临摹水平线、垂直线和斜线,通过记录临摹直线与呈现直线的偏差程度和拐点数,以分析ADHD儿童眼手协调能力与正常儿童之间的差异。结果表明,ADHD儿童在眼手协调和空间知觉能力上与正常儿童存在显著性差异。此外,本研究表明,改进的定量方法具有良好的可行性。     

The Effects of Kenyan Child-Raising Practices on Adult Life

The study investigated the effects on adult behavior of child-raising practices in Nairobi, Kenya. The research sample consisted of 11 adult men and women from polygamous (five), monogamous (five) and single parent (one) backgrounds. Additionally, the sample included adult participants from 9 social situations and, 42 clinical interviews from a counseling center and also from participant observation. Child-rearing practices significantly impacted personal qualities in Kenyan adults. The positive effects were: respect, diligence, determination, resilience, perseverance and tolerance in relationships. Among the negative effects were: perfectionism, poor self-image, underlying anger, fear and mistrust.