Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds

Edited by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Gyongyi Horvath
To read the full chapter go to Volume 1, chapter 8, pp. 114-129

Authors

Carol Ronken

Head of Research and Policy Development, Bravehearts

Carol Ronken worked as a researcher and Associate Lecturer at Griffith University in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice before joining Bravehearts in early 2003. With a BA (Psych) and Masters Applied Sociology (Social Research), Carol is the Head of Research and Policy Development for Bravehearts. In 2011 she received an award from the Queensland Police Service Child Protection and Investigation Unit for her contribution to child protection. Carol has co-authored The Bravehearts Toolbox for Practitioners Working with Child Sexual Assault (Australian Academic Press, 2011).

Website: www.bravehearts.org.au

Understanding the processes of grooming and offending behaviour helps us recognise the dynamics that impact on children and young people who have been affected by sexual assault. Moreover, in understanding these offending processes it becomes clearer how children and young people can be coerced into silence, or made to feel some responsibility for the offence. The better our understanding of this crime, the better we are equipped as parents, community members and people who work with children, to both protect and respond.

Want to Learn More, Get Help or Find Support?

Watch: Indicators of Sexual Abuse in Children’s Drawings (1:45min)

Watch: Children that commit Sexual Abuse (3:16min)

Watch: Questions to Ask if a Child is Behaving Inappropriately (2:10min)

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New resources will be added here soon

New resources will be added here soon

New resources will be added here soon

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Child abuse and neglect: Redefining the issues (Trends and Issues Series, No. 146), Canberra, Australia: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2000; Queensland Crime Commission & Queensland Police Service, Project Axis, Volume 1: Child sexual abuse in Queensland: The nature and extent. Brisbane: Queensland Crime
Commission, 2000.
2.
Gilbert, R., Spatz-Widom, C., Browne, K., Fergusson, D., Webb E. & Janson, S., ‘Burden and consequences of child maltreatment in high income
countries’, The Lancet, 373 (9657), 2009, pp. 68–81.
3.
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Jonzon, E., & Lindblad, F., ‘Disclosure, reactions, and social support: findings from a sample of adult victims of child sexual abuse.’
Child Maltreatment, 9 (2), 2004, pp. 190–200; Orsoli, L., Kia-Keating, M., & Grossman, F. K., ‘I keep that hush-hush: Male survivors of sexual abuse
and the challenges of disclosure.’ Journal of Counselling Psychology, 55 (3), 2008, pp. 333 –345.
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, 2004, pp. 147–165.
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Commission.
8. Lanning, K., Child Molesters: A Behavioural Analysis (5th ed), Alexandria [Va.]: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children), 2010.
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10. Leclerc, B., Proulx, J. & McKibben, A., ‘Modus operandi of sexual offenders working or doing voluntary work with children and adolescents.’ Journal of Sexual Aggression,11 (2), 2005, pp. 187–195.
11. Jensen, T. K., Gulbrandsen, W, Mossige, S, Reichelt, S & Tjersland, O.A., ‘Reporting possible sexual abuse: A qualitative study on children’s
perspectives and the context for disclosure.’ Child abuse and neglect,29, 12, 2005, pp. 1395 –1413.
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Society, 856, 2005, pp. 227–234.
14. Paine, M.L. & Hansen, D.J., ‘Factors influencing children to self-disclose sexual abuse.’ Clinical Psychology Review, 22, 2002, pp. 271–295.
15. Bhave, S. & Mashanker, V., ‘Sexual abuse in children and adolescents.’ In S. Gupte (ed.) Recent Advances in Pediatrics (Special Volume 17), 2006, pp. 268–
290. Daryaganj [India]: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers.
16. Elliot, A. & Carnes, C., ‘Reactions of nonoffending parents to the sexual abuse of their child: A review of the literature.’ Child Maltreatment,
6(4), 2001, pp. 314 –331.
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Child Abuse and Neglect, 16, 1992, pp. 101-118; Briere, J. & Elliott, D., ‘Immediate and Long-Term Impacts of Child Sexual Abuse.’
The Future of Children, 4 (2), 1994, pp. 54–69.
18. Elliot, A. & Carnes, C., ‘Reactions of nonoffending parents to the sexual abuse of their child: A review of the literature.’ Child Maltreatment, 6
(4), 2001, pp. 314–331; Wyatt, G. E. & Mickey, M. R., ‘Ameliorating the effects of child sexual abuse: an exploratory study of support by parents and others.’
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2, 1987, pp. 403–414.
19. Hanson, R.K., Gordon, A., Harris, A.J.R., Marques, J.K., Murphy, W.,Quinsey, V.L. & Seto, M.C., ‘First report of the collaborative outcome data
project on the effectiveness of psychological treatment for sex offenders.’ Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment, 14 (2), 2002, pp. 169–194.
20. Australian Institute of Criminology, Second Conference on Violence, June 1993.
21. Wyatt, G. E. & Mickey, M. R., ‘Ameliorating the effects of child sexual abuse: an exploratory study of support by parents and others.’ Journal of Interpersonal
Violence, 2, 1987, pp. 403–414.
22. Briggs, F.,From Victim to Offender: How child sexual abuse victims become offenders, St Leonards [NSW]: Allen & Unwin, 1995.
23. Dympna House, Info Kit: A booklet on childhood sexual abuse, Haberfield [NSW]: Dympna House, 1998.

Know of any good resources that are not listed here? You can tell us here!