1. A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF ROLE OF SOCIAL
WORKERS FOR SEXUALLY ABUSED FEMALES
AND CHILDRENS

3. Effects of Sexual Abuse on the Victims
• Low self-esteem
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Isolation
• Regressive behaviors
• Dissociation
• Nightmares
• Flashbacks
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling unsafe
• Promiscuity
• Early pregnancy
• Prostitution
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Self-harm behaviors
(cutting, burning)
• Eating disorders
• Abstinence of sex
• Interpersonal difficulties
(trouble at work or
home…)
• Running Away

4. SUPPORTING A
SURVIVOR

5. FEMALE SEXUAL ABUSE

6. HOW CAN A SOCIAL
WORKER HELP.?
• Recognizing and naming the symptoms.
• Developing support and coping strategies.
• Have a concrete safety plan.
• Help to Develop trusting relationships.
• Mobilizing social network.
• Control of body: making the victim get enough sleep,
exercise, food, regulation of symptoms and
understanding his/her self-harm behavior.
• Safety of environment: safe place to live, plan to
protect, transportation, financial resources.

8. EVALUATION AND
ASSESSMENT
Trauma I – client who has a single instance of trauma,
stable background and previously had safe coping
mechanisms.
Trauma II – client who experienced multiple traumas.
II A – client has come from a stable background,
can distinguish the multiple traumas from one
another.
II B – client is unable to distinguish the traumas from
one another. (“Complex PTSD” – J. Herman)
II B-R – someone who previously had safe coping
mechanisms, but has become overwhelmed by so many
traumas (i.e.: holocaust survivors ).
II B- nR – someone who has never had safe coping
skills.

9. Role of socal worker:key factors
 social workers are generally more confident working with sexual
abuse in the family, compared with cases involving internet based
abuse, grooming, trafficking or child sexual exploitation
 sexual abuse may be underreported or difficult to identify in
situations where child neglect or other concerns are the primary
reason for referral
 adequate support is not always available to sexually abused children
or their families once safeguarding actions have been taken and the
case has been closed
 regular support and supervision is important in developing social
workers’ skills and confidence. Peer- and counselling-based support
are key in managing the emotional impact of the work
 training was variable in terms of availability, access, focus, format,
quality and relevance to practice. Many social workers felt they had
to ‘learn on the job.’
Counselling with confidence

10. WHEN THE VICTIM IS A CHILD

11. Immediate Actions
1. Interview the child first, then the parents in turn. Under all
circumstances the best interests of the child should be served.
2. Do not act hastily to remove the child. This may imply to the child
that he/she is to blame for the abuse. Removal and placement of
a child should be a last resort if there is no other way to protect
the child.
3. Contact the Child Protection Unit.
4. A family member not involved directly or indirectly in the abuse
or an accountable adult should accompany the victim.
5. Offer reassurance to the child. Assure her or him that you will
work with the abuser to try to stop them from such conduct, but
that at all times protection of the victim is your priority.
6. Should the perpetrator be the father and the mother is likely to
protect the child, or vice versa, assist the non-abusing parent to
protect the child from further abuse.
7. Open a case file with only the necessary information.

12. Longer term
Actions
1. Work with the
parents:
reestablish the
motherchild
relationship.
2. Ensure that
other children in
the home are not
at risk.
3. Assist the abuser
to be involved in
effective
treatment.

13. THANK YOU
for all your time and attention.
PRESENTED BY :
SUSHMITA TRIPATHI (2016MW01)
SANDEEP TRIPATHI (2016MW06)
M.S.W , MNNIT ALLAHABAD