Treatment FAQ

what is the goal of the treatment for abusive and neglectful families?

by Wilburn Walter PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago

he goal of the initial prevention or intervention should be to address safety and other emergency needs and to increase the caregiver’s readiness for change-oriented practices or behaviors. By the time families experiencing neglect come to the attention of CPS agencies, they often have acute and chronic needs that require long-term intervention.

Full Answer

What happens to the children in an abusive family?

In abusive families, the children are used to fulfill the needs of the parents while the needs of the children go unmet. Where there is favoritism, the needs of the kids seen as “lesser” can go unfulfilled while the “elevated” kids are daunted over. Reality is difficult to discern.

Are abusive families emotionally unstable?

Abusive families are emotionally unstable. Victims often feel like they are “walking on eggshells”. An action that was perfectly acceptable yesterday may trigger a violent reaction today; therefore, life is unpredictable and one can never let down one’s guard.

What is the difference between a healthy and an abusive family?

In healthy families, power is used to protect and empower the vulnerable to reach their full potential. In abusive families, power is used to control and ensure that the weaker remain under the control of the dominant. Abusive families are emotionally unstable.

How do abusive families communicate?

Much of the communication in abusive families is intentionally confusing and manipulative. Abusers may hide behind words that have double meaning so they can quickly deny their ill intent. If they spoke clearly, the destructive motives of their heart would be evident to all.

What is the goal of the abuser?

The goal of the abuser is to control, intimidate, and influence the victim to feel without an equal voice in the relationship.

How can abuse be treated?

Coping and supportEncourage the child to tell you what happened. ... Remind the child that he or she isn't responsible for the abuse. ... Offer comfort. ... Report the abuse. ... Help the child remain safe. ... Consider additional support.More items...

What should you do for someone who is an abuser?

Stay in touch with your friend or family member about the violence. Be there to support the abuser to change in the long term. Remind your friend or family member that change will create better, healthier relationships with all the people in their life. Take time to acknowledge the abuser's strengths.

How do you deal with trauma abuse?

Six Self-Care Tips on Overcoming Abuse-Related TraumaRecognize the Effects of Trauma. Many effects of trauma stem from abuse. ... Understand the Importance of Healing. It's important to know that healing is key to overcoming trauma. ... Embrace Positive Affirmations. ... Exercise. ... Embrace Creativity. ... Don't Be Afraid to Seek Help.

What is a goal for therapy in counseling abuse victims?

Rebuilding self-esteem is a common goal in therapy. Most forms of abuse can break one's confidence. Cognitive behavioral therapy can help you challenge unrealistic expectations of yourself.

How can I help neglected children?

Helping Maltreated ChildrenNurture these children. ... Try to understand the behaviors before punishing. ... Interact with children at their emotional age. ... Be consistent, predictable, and repetitive. ... Model and teach appropriate social behaviors. ... Listen to and talk with children. ... Have realistic expectations.More items...•

What to say to someone who has abusive parents?

Listen: let your friend talk about what's going on and be a good listener. Try not to tell them what they need to do, other than to get help. Be supportive: encourage your friend to get support from a safe adult. Offer to support your friend if they're worried about telling an adult about the situation.

How do you help someone in a toxic relationship?

How do I help a friend in a toxic relationship?Listen. ... Share unhealthy relationship experiences of your own or ones you have heard of. ... Be gentle. ... Build up their self-image. ... Don't be judgmental and don't criticise. ... Make sure they know you're always there. ... Check in with them. ... Be honest.

What are three ways family members positively cope with change?

What are three ways family members positively cope with change? It is important to talk about your problems with friends, family members, or school counselors. It is also beneficial to help out others. Being supportive and lending an extra hand can show family members that you care.

How do you treat childhood trauma in adults?

3 steps to help overcome childhood traumaRecognize the trauma. The adult must acknowledge this certain childhood experience as trauma. ... Be patient with yourself. Self-criticism and guilt can be very common when it comes to adults who have lived through a traumatic childhood. ... Reach out for help.

How do you heal from family trauma?

Healing from trauma as a family can be especially difficult, as every individual experiences trauma differently, however there is always hope for recovery.Recognize and acknowledge the traumatic experience or event.Acknowledge the feelings that come with that traumatic experience or event.Seek proper support.

How do you respond to trauma?

Initial reactions to trauma can include exhaustion, confusion, sadness, anxiety, agitation, numbness, dissociation, confusion, physical arousal, and blunted affect. Most responses are normal in that they affect most survivors and are socially acceptable, psychologically effective, and self-limited.

How can community services help with child abuse?

Both informal and formal provision of community services can help reduce family stresses that can contribute to child abuse and neglect. To be effective, social support needs to be integrated with community services, such as social skills training, home-based family interventions, emergency assistance, parenting education, intensive therapy, and, in some cases, substance abuse treatment. CPS typically is the lead agency in coordinating communication between various parties and services within the community. Other professionals involved in community prevention and intervention efforts include law enforcement, educators, early child care providers, health care providers, mental health professionals, legal and judicial system professionals, substitute care providers, the faith community, community organizations, support services providers, and other concerned citizens. Integration of these service systems and providers will help ensure that families can be supported appropriately across their developmental life span.249

What is the goal of CPS intervention?

goal of the initial prevention or intervention should be to address safety and other emergency needs and to increase the caregiver’s readiness for change-oriented practices or behaviors. By the time families experiencing neglect come to the attention of CPS agencies, they often have acute and chronic needs that require long-term intervention. These families are significantly more likely to experience recurrence of child neglect than abusive families. In some CPS agencies, families experiencing neglect are given less priority than those dealing with physical or sexual abuse, even though their risk of recurrence may be particularly high.

What is the most common type of maltreatment?

Although child neglect is the most common type of maltreatment, its causes, effects, prevention, and treatment often are not as prominently discussed and explored as are those for physical or sexual abuse. Neglect, like other types of maltreatment, has many contributing factors at the individual, familial, and community levels. The complexities of neglect present difficulties not only for an overburdened child welfare system, but also for community- and faith-based programs, researchers, legislators, and other service providers. It is key, therefore, that these groups work collaboratively to develop promising and effective practices for preventing neglect and for mitigating its effects on children and society. Part of this process is providing individuals, families, and communities with the knowledge, resources, and services to deal with the challenges associated with neglect. Child welfare agencies can only provide a part of the solution. Neglect must be viewed not only as an individual or a family problem, but also as a community issue requiring a community response.

What is Project Safecare?

The program is a modified version of the model, Project 12-Ways. Whereas the original project contained 12 areas of intervention, Project SafeCare focuses on three areas that are particularly relevant to neglect and young parents : home safety, infant and child health care, and bonding and stimulation.

What is family centered strategy?

Family-centered strategies involve parents, children, and other members of the family system, where appropriate. Coordination of multiple service providers, as well as faith- and community-based organizations, may be needed to support a family’s various needs. Family-centered strategies focus on enhancing parenting skills and helping families recover from neglect. CPS caseworkers work with the family by training parents in behavioral and social skills, setting short-term goals with clearly defined action steps, providing in-home teaching and skills training to parents to improve parent-child interactions, and teaching home management skills.

How to improve family functioning?

In setting the goals of the intervention, family members and their informal support networks should be involved in developing plans to maximize the chances for improving family functioning and reducing the risk of neglect. Providing concrete, measurable, and achievable goals with continuous positive feedback will help families accomplish their individualized outcomes and goals. Goals should indicate positive behaviors or conditions that will result from the change and not concentrate only on reducing negative behaviors.

What is child centered intervention?

Child-centered interventions include pediatric care, mentoring, or behavioral and mental health treatment. For younger children, preschool interventions, such as parent-child educational play and Early Head Start, may be considered. Programs fostering an open and educational climate are helpful for middle-school children and can help them enhance self-control,

What is the most important part of child abuse prevention?

A significant part of child abuse prevention involves educating the public.

What is the definition of abused children?

1) has threatened or attempted suicide. 2) client threatens to kill another. 3) client abuses or neglects a child. Treatment of abused children focuses, in part, on the expression of affect and self-concept.

What is the deprivation aggression sequence?

The deprivation-aggression sequence refers to a process whereby neglected children may engage in violence.

What is the most effective treatment for young children?

Psychotherapy is one of the most effective treatment modalities for young children.

What does effective intervention mean?

Effective intervention means to intervene in a way that causes the least damage and proves the most helpful.

Why are mental health professionals not mandated reporters?

Because of the therapeutic relationship between therapist and client, mental health professionals are not mandated reporters.

Is emotional abuse the same as psychological abuse?

According to O'Hagan (1998), emotional abuse and psychological abuse have the same definition.

What is family preservation?

Family preservation: mandated for family when in or nearing crisis; skills building model promotes parental responsibility and resource development

Why is it difficult for parents to engage in therapy?

Parent's difficulty to engage due to: difficulty trusting others and delaying gratification, fear of being labeled, personality disorder, extreme immaturity, communication or cultural misunderstandings, or intolerance of a lengthy treatment process

What is child and adolescents therapy?

Child and Adolescent Therapy: express feelings, develop coping skills, and integrate abuse into life

Do you assume the family will stay together?

Do not assume the family will stay together, or will separate

Can treatment provoke loyalty conflicts in children?

Treatment can provoke loyalty conflicts in children

Can bursts of insight lead to premature termination?

Bursts of insight may lead to premature termination

Why do victims feel helpless to stop abuse?

Because the victims feel helpless to stop the abuse, the amount of aggression may decrease over time and may fall away altogether. Learned helplessness is when a victim is actually strong enough to stop the abuse, but is convinced that the situation is hopeless and continues to comply.

How do abusive families make sense?

Abusive families deny and distort healthy emotions. Children want the world to make sense. Most abuse victims believe that the abuse was their fault. Many were told so by their abusers. In order for an abusive world to make sense, survivors learn to embrace the idea that the abuse was their fault.

Why are families isolated?

Family members are isolated and lack intimacy. Healthy families have nothing to hide. Dysfunctional families are afraid of being found out. It is common for perpetrators and those who enable them to pull their victims away from those who can identify unhealthy behavior. Since abusers are proficient at using the victim’s inner hopes and dreams against them, victims quickly learn to shut off their desires. Ironically, the perpetrators paint a picture where the world is unsafe and dangerous, and that they are the only ones the victims can trust.

What does an abusive family look like?

Just as we learned in the article detailing the characteristics of individual abusers, abusive families tend to look just like other families in our neighborhoods, schools and churches when they are outside of the privacy of their own home. Unfortunately, the similarities can come to a grinding halt when they are behind the closed doors and curtains of their own home. Tracy describes this as the banality of evil – evil people don’t look evil, they look like everybody else” (workbook p. 90). This is the challenge for those of us who grew up in a dysfunctional family. I heard numerous times how nice my mother was from people who knew the healthy side of her.

How do family abusers gain trust?

Family abusers use force. In some situations, abusive family members may use manipulation and grooming to gain the trust of their victims; however, the “tenderness” of the grooming process gives way to threats and force to ensure that the victim maintains the secrecy of the abuse.

Why are some people blamed for the assaults?

Some are blamed for the assaults by the perpetrators and others who claim that the abuse wouldn’t have happened if they had better character, or that they specifically behaved in a way to provoke the abuse. Family members are isolated and lack intimacy. Healthy families have nothing to hide.

What does it feel like to be an abusive family?

Abusive families are emotionally unstable . Victims often feel like they are “walking on eggshells”. An action that was perfectly acceptable yesterday may trigger a violent reaction today; therefore, life is unpredictable and one can never let down one’s guard. They may also find themselves having a wide range of feelings about their abuser who may be beating them one moment, and pretending to love them by sexually abusing them the next. Victims may recognize that abusive behavior is wrong, but find themselves liking the perceived favorable attention they are receiving.

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