Child Abuse

Child Abuse

Therapists have developed different methods to help not only clients that have blocked the abuse but also those unwilling to admit the abuse or do not even realize that the abuse even happened. These techniques include methods such as Play therapy, Family therapy, indirect therapy, medical approach to; name a few (Hammond). Play therapy is a psychoanalytical approach primarily used with children under the age of 11. Because children generally feel safer when they are at play, play therapy uses toys or games to allow children to reenact their situation. Therapists use play therapy to show children working through abuse what a healthier home life should be. During play therapy the counselor is responsible for deciphering play into a conclusion that serves as the treatment plan. Because child abuse can have long-term effects but not only the victim suffers the family feels the effects as well.

Family therapy is also recommended. Family therapy focuses on working with family members to establish a healthy communication system. Through family therapy the therapist can assist the child to cope with his or her feelings and the situation; the therapist can also assist the family to understand better the child's needs as well as ways to help the child at home. Because many abuse victims can also develop symptoms of other disorders such as depression. Indirect therapy allows the therapist to evaluate the child and determine the cause of the depression and if it is related or unrelated to his or her abuse. In these cases psychiatric intervention may be necessary. Therapists may choose to treat some of the secondary condition with medication, Depending on the degree of the abuse this medical approach could be long term.

The medical approach is most effective when used in combination or conjunction with therapy. The treatment for victims has been discussed, so what about the abuser. Research shows that in most cases the abuser was either abused him or herself or witnessed someone else's abuse, such as that of a parent. The child finds this situation to be a normal part of life. As the child grows to an adult, he or she begins to ask him or herself, which role he or she wants to have. For the abused child he or she may choose the role of the in-control abuser. For the child who witnessed the abuse, he or she has the same choice as that of the abused child; however, he or she does not fully understand what is like to be the victim so his or her choice to become the abuser is easier. If he or she were abused as a child he or she are familiar with and understand the terror the victim encountered and generally choose to be the aggressor and abuser. He or she may get his or her first sense of what it is like to have control over the situation to have someone cower before him or her with fear, to feel the power he or she are certain his or her abuser felt. The idea that they are hurting someone else and exposing him or her to the same type of feelings and frustrations may go unregistered or may only vaguely register (Patricelli, 2005).

Not all abuser were abused