Treatment for sexually abused children and adolescents

The authors review research demonstrating the variable effects of childhood sexual abuse, the need for intervention. and the effectiveness of availabl e treatment models. The well-controlled treatment-outcome studies review ed do not focus on sensationalistic fringe treatments that treat sexually abu sed children as a special class of patients. Instead, studies demonstrate e mpirical evidence for extending and modifying treatment models from mainstr eam clinical child psychology to sexually abused children. The authors prop ose a continuum of interventions to meet the needs oft his heterogeneous gr oup. Interventions range from psychoeducation and screening to short-term, abuse-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy with family involvement, to more comprehensive long-term plans for multiproblem cases. Last discussed are g aps in the research and suggestions for future research to address the pres sing dilemmas faced by clinicians and policymakers.