Characteristics of child sexual abuse treatment programs

Within the professional community, a vast number of sexual abuse treatment programs have emerged to meet the needs of victims and their families. Significant variations among these programs can be observed due to differences in philosophy, system context, client focus, problem definition, and the treatment strategy adopted. Unfortunately, little comparative information is available regarding the operation of different programs and, more importantly, their relative treatment effectiveness. This article presents the findings from a nationwide survey of 553 sexual abuse treatment programs. The survey focused on program context, client, and service characteristics. Overall it was found that most programs are affiliated with a larger public or private agency, focus on treating victims, and rely on a combination of individual, family, dyad, and group therapy approaches.