Philippine Journal of Child Sexual Abuse – Volume 6, 2016

Grounded Research on Non-Offending Parents of Girls Sexually Abused Outside the Family

Jennifer Cueva, RSW

Abstract

The first point of defense and aid for and to children has always been the family. Yet our social services tend to focus on the victimized child. At times these services are at the expense of the potentially powerful help of the non-off ending parents, usually the mother. Carunungan-Robles, 1986) stated that children perceive mothers to be more nurturing than fathers. Filipino mothers are expected to take charge of raising their children upon birth (Ramos–Dehn, 2009). Thus, the parent usually expected to care for the victimized child is the non-off ending mother. A
common cultural expectation is that mothers have the main responsibility to instill cultural values in the family and children’s behavior reflects the cultural value of the family. The conclusion of many is thus that when a child is victimized that event reflects on the family and especially on the mother whose responsibility it was to instill the values needed in children to remain safe. This grounded research talks with mothers of daughters sexually abused outside the family, how they reacted to the discovery of the abuse and how it impacted relationships within the family, the community and importantly, with the daughter, from the lens of the Philippine context.

BOOK REVIEW

Carey, Mansell & Tai (2015). Principles-Based Counseling and Psychotherapy: A Method of Levels Approach

Reviewed by Ines V. Danao