1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The aim of this study is to provide a more global understanding of parental support for young victims of CSA [child sexual abuse] by examining the characteristics of maternal and paternal support distinctively. In considering gaps in prior empirical reports, abuse-specific and nonspecific dimensions of support will be measured in order to provide a more comprehensive evaluation. In addition, because mothers’ and fathers’ support is susceptible to vary over time, support will be evaluated after disclosure and six months later.» (p. 222)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«The sample includes 92 mothers (including one stepmother) and 32 fathers (including three stepfathers), for a total of 124 participants aged between 27 and 61 years old, all of whom were nonoffending parents.» (p. 221-222)

Instruments :
- The Parental Reaction to Abuse Disclosure Scale
- The Inventory of Social Support
- The Parental Behavior and Attitudes Questionnaire
- Socio-demographic questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«This study reveals that support that is specific to the abuse situation as well as nonspecific support provided by parental practices of caring and non-punitive discipline are provided with the same intensity by mothers and fathers. This result confirms that when the father is not the perpetrator of CSA, he can play a central role in the recovery of sexually abused children. Indeed, sexually abused children’s perception of security to fathers seems to contribute to the prediction of children’s self-esteem and internalized behavior problems over and above children’s perception of security to mothers (Parent-Boursier & Hébert, 2010). These results indicate that a majority of children will be believed and protected from perpetrators, that their parents will offer them the opportunity to receive treatment, and that they will be caring toward them. All of these supportive actions from both mothers and fathers should help these children cope with the aftereffects of their CSA. Nevertheless, a small number of mothers and fathers, even when time passed, were not able to believe their child or able to give him/her appropriate emotional support. These results are both surprising and disturbing because sexual assaults were confirmed by the authorities.» (p. 230)