Child Abuse

Child Abuse

It might be beneficial to design a group in which both children and their parents would participate, under the circumstances of child abuse. Some of the special issues that might arise from these groups include lack of confidentiality in children and lack of trust on the group by members. Some children might share too much information about the group members with outsiders. Further, some members might find it hard to share their experiences with strangers. The group proposal for children who have been abused is that the children should participate in groups where their peers share the same range of issues. This would enable a child to express their emotions, develop a high self-esteem, build skills on creating a positive relationship with oneself and rebuild trust in different social structures.

The group provides the appropriate climate for children whereby they do not fear being judged by others, as members of the group are their peers and have gone through the same experiences. This also provides security for the child, in knowing that they are not the only ones who have gone through such experiences. The goals of this group are to provide a relationship where children can be able to heal and feel empowered. Some signs that this group may be contraindicated for a particular child include; a recent abuse of the child, if the child is still facing trauma from the abuse, if the child has undergone psychological disturbance including behavior that is suicidal, mutilation by self, intense changes in mood and disturbances of thoughts. Another sign is if the child underwent abuse from a number of people at the same time.

Several steps have to be followed in obtaining legal guardian and parental consent of a child to this group. They may include conversing with the parent one on one basis or sending them a letter that describes the group’s undertakings and its goals. The contents of the letter include a clear briefing of the effects of child abuse on a child. These are lose of trust by the child, isolation, blame of one self following the abuse, depression, poor self esteem and so on. The letter further expresses that the group provides additional therapy for the child, in the case where the child has already undergone individual and family counseling. The letter also provides a clear background on why group therapy is necessary. This is because it provides a platform for the child in developing healthy peer relationships after the abuse. Through the group therapy, the child learns to develop trust for others, shows them that they are not the only ones who have had such experiences, develops a positive relationship with self and acquires a feeling of control for coping in social contexts.

The letter explains that interaction with people who are facing the same issues would help the child learn how to deal with their emotions. The letter also provides the number and age of group members and the process through which the therapy would undergo. Other content includes issues that might arise from these groups, such as lack of control of confidentiality of the children. I would involve the parents by updating them on every step that is taken and the growth of their child during these steps. I would also inform them about issues discovered during the therapy of their child that the parents might not have been aware of before.

I would orient the children into the group through several ways. First, I welcome them to the program and thank them for choosing to participate in it. Secondly, I inform all the members to be confidential about the issues concerning their colleagues in the group. Thirdly, I would give members the chance to introduce and provide some information about themselves, for example, their hobbies. Fourthly, I would give the members the opportunity to be acquainted to each other. The fifth step would be giving members a chance to participate in structuring how the sessions will be carried for example, by making rules to be followed with help of the members.