When Your Child Has Been Molested: A Parent's Guide to Healing and Recovery

an outstanding book for the abused child family & friends. includes steps to recovery.

This book had some great practical guidance for the family going through the trauma of child abuse. I highly recommend it!!

I was unprepared to hear my 5 yr. old disclose that our neighbor had molested her. The Sheriff's department focused on her and as a parent I needed to understand what to do for her and for me. This book helps teach you how to respond to your child when they disclose. With so many children being molested, the likelihood is greater than you think. If you are not prepared, your emotions get in the way of supporting your child when they need it most. If I'd have read this book before, I would have responded differently. I recommend reading it even if your child hasn't been molested.....yet.

I wish this book had been given to me the first time we started to uncover this mystery with my 4 1/2 year old daughter. Once we entered the "system" the experts seem to forget that the parents are starting at "ground zero" and have a lot to learn. Even after begining counceling, working with Children Services etc... there were so many unanswered questions and our personal struggle with denial - ("it can't be what she is describing".) This booked helped me so much, expecially the list of "signs". Thanks to this book, we were finally able to understand that many of the behaviors that our daughter was showing at the time stemed from her trauma, and helped us move through the process of healing. PLEASE READ THIS BOOK if you are going through this with your child. The most important aspects of the book for me were 1) the list of "signs" 2) reassurance that children don't usually make these stories up unless it was real and 3) that children don't tell the complete story at first - so they don't hurt the parents / and their own fear. Which is why it is so important to listen to your child and give them the love and assurance they need. ( and take the information your child is telling you seriously) In the end - this book helped us put most of the pieces together and helped more than the councelors to bring "peace" to us as we moved through the healing process, and reassured us that what we were feeling and the family process were actually normal. (and we were not alone)

This is an excellent book to help parents, friends, teachers, everyone and anyone interested in helping a child following a disclosure of sexual abuse.