Social relations of sexually abused children: A social information processing analysis

The implications of sexual abuse for the child’s interpersonal functioning and environment have been insufficiently understood, and this has repercussions that may limit comprehensive assessment and effective treatment. We suggest that clinicians and researchers need to address the new social challenges that may confront a sexually abused child. A social information processing model and its implications for therapy, and understanding the social difficulties of the sexually abused child, is presented.