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Structured Group Approach With Adolescent Perpetrators

NCJ Number
163328
Journal
Child Abuse Review Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: (August 1996) Pages: 203-213
Author(s)
J McGarvey; M Lenaghan
Date Published
1996
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This paper presents a descriptive account of a structured group work approach for adolescent perpetrators of child sexual abuse that is based on a five-step model developed by Smets and Cebula in 1987.
Abstract
Adolescence is recognized as a critical period of developmental transition, one that is significant in the formation of self-concept, behavior, and sexual identity. Moreover, children who have been victimized by sexual assault may bring that abuse into their own adolescence, thus perpetuating a cycle of abuse. The assessment and treatment of sexually abusive adolescents involve working with them on an individual basis or in a group setting. As a group work approach, the Smets and Cebula model is a time-limited structured program containing several key steps: (1) introduce group members to each other and build group identity, communication, and trust; (2) further develop trust; (3) improve young people's understanding of how sexual abuse affects victims; (4) ask young people to detail the nature of their sexual abuse, whom they abused, how it was planned, and what they actually did; (5) explore young people's sexual knowledge and understanding; and (6) raise awareness of risk factors. Experience with the model over a 2-year period and preliminary outcome findings are described. The authors raise a number of issues related to the group work process, and they suggest that group work treatment of adolescent perpetrators of child sexual abuse is a potentially effective intervention technique. 16 references and 1 table