WOMEN WHOSE CHILDREN HAVE BEEN SEXUALLY ABUSED - REFLECTIONS ON A DEBATE

Women whose children have been sexually abused have been the subject o f a polarized debate between feminist practitioners/writers and family therapists. This paper explores the development of that debate, outli ning the key characteristics of work which was informed by family syst ems perspectives and the contrasting understandings which feminist per spectives brought to analysis and practice. Both feminist perspectives and family therapy have changed since the original debate erupted. Th is article explores issues which may have been obscured within feminis t perspectives. These are, first, the difficulties in the mother-child relationship and, second, the contribution which aspects of family th erapy can make to progressing the interests of women and children in t he aftermath of child sexual abuse.