Mothers as perpetrators and bystanders of child sexual abuse

Course overview

Course Description: This course is based upon material published in Child Abuse and Neglect and is available as an open-access article. In research and literature, little attention has been paid to the role of women, especially mothers, in child sexual abuse. In order to estimate prevalence on mothers as perpetrators and bystanders, data was collected in a German nationwide representative survey. A total of 2,531 participants (53.3 percent female, 14-94 years) were selected by a random route procedure and questioned with a paper-pencil-questionnaire. The survey included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire as well as questions on the perpetrator-victim relationship, bystanders and the awareness within society on the topic of female-perpetrated child sexual abuse. Prevalences were calculated. The prevalence of child sexual abuse (6.6 percent) as well as the proportion of female perpetrators (6.6 percent) determined in the current survey were low compared to the findings of previous studies. Within the group of female perpetrators, biological mothers accounted for a larger share than biological fathers in the group of male perpetrators. Among the bystanders, the biological mother was named most frequently (24.6 percent). The general population underestimates the involvement of biological mothers in child sexual abuse. The results confirm that female perpetrators account for a rather small but substantial proportion of the perpetrators of child sexual abuse. Furthermore, the results indicate that mothers play a role in sexual abuse - either as perpetrators or as bystanders - that has been underestimated so far. It is therefore necessary to sensitize professionals and the public to the topic of female perpetrators and especially to the role of mothers in child sexual abuse. This course on the role of mothers in child sexual abuse is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. In addition, this course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop their knowledge of the role of mothers in child sexual abuse. The course material includes a literature review of research. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require continuing clinical education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A significant benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Gerke, Lipke, Fegert, Rassenhoffer Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding the role of mothers and child sexual abuse. Specifically, a professional will: Describe the role of the mother in cases of child sexual abuse. Identify the prevalence of female perpetrated child sexual abuse. Recognize the role of bystanders in child sexual abuse. Citation: Gerke, J., Lipke, K., Fegert, J. M., & Rassenhofer, M. (2021). Mothers as perpetrators and bystanders of child sexual abuse. Child Abuse & Neglect, 117, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105068