Extant research has revealed that the counselor’s response to the clients’ disclosure of child sexual abuse experiences have a significant impact on their wellbeing, continuation in therapy, and progress in treatment. Despite the growing body of literature on the need for more sensitive and professional responses to child sexual abuse disclosure, clients continue to report negative responses and experiences with counseling professionals. To date, few studies have investigated the counselor’s affective responses to a client who discloses a child sexual abuse history. The purpose of this study was to investigate the range of counselor’s affective responses when confronted with the topic of child sexual abuse and to investigate what factors influenced these reactions. Results of the current study indicated that counselors with a personal history with CSA scored similarly to those with no CSA history on the Affective Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Scale (ARCSAS). However, there was a statistically significant difference in affective responses by degree and CSA history. Counselors with a personal history of CSA and who held a master’s degree responded with greater sensitivity to the topic of CSA than those with a doctoral degree and no personal experience with child sexual abuse. Results of the study indicated that type of CSA training was not a statistically significant factor in affective responses to CSA; however, the amount of CSA training and increased experience with CSA clients did have a positive influence on counselors’ affective responses to CSA. The results of the factor analysis indicated that the ARCSAS was a moderate measure of counselor affective responses with a twoactor structure. The results of the study suggested that measuring affective responses to child sexual abuse is a complex and multidimensional construct with many variances. In addition, the findings of the study support the importance of counselors and counselorsin- training to be prepared prior to their first exposure to CSA clients to illicit more positive responses to CSA. Thus, the results of this study support the need for more child sexual abuse training and experience in order to deflect any negative responses on clients who disclose child sexual abuse.

Background: Child sexual abuse is a problem that manifests in all spheres of our society, a social problem that often crosses the desk of a social worker rendering services to children and families. The researcher can still remember how daunting her first experience was when she dealt with an allegation of child sexual abuse. Now, in hindsight she believes that if she had more in-depth knowledge when dealing with children who has been sexually abused and their disclosure thereof, it would have made the world of difference to her and the clients that she was rendering services to. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge that the social workers of Child Welfare Tshwane currently have when dealing with a disclosure of sexual abuse during the intake interview. The findings will provide guidelines to Child Welfare Tshwane regarding the required level of knowledge of social workers during the intake interview when dealing with a sexual abuse disclosure. Method: The study was conducted through a questionnaire that was composed using information gathered during a literature study. Social workers employed by Child Welfare Tshwane completed the questionnaire in order to shed light on their knowledge base with regard to child sexual abuse and the disclosure thereof. Results: Through the study it was evident that the knowledge base of social workers from Child Welfare Tshwane, dealing with child sexual abuse, is variable and lacks continuity. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: Child sexual abuse is a problem that manifests in all spheres of our society, a social problem that often crosses the desk of a social worker rendering services to children and families. The researcher can still remember how daunting her first experience was when she dealt with an allegation of child sexual abuse. Now, in hindsight she believes that if she had more in-depth knowledge when dealing with children who has been sexually abused and their disclosure thereof, it would have made the world of difference to her and the clients that she was rendering services to. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to investigate the level of knowledge that the social workers of Child Welfare Tshwane currently have when dealing with a disclosure of sexual abuse during the intake interview. The findings will provide guidelines to Child Welfare Tshwane regarding the required level of knowledge of social workers during the intake interview when dealing with a sexual abuse disclosure. Method: The study was conducted through a questionnaire that was composed using information gathered during a literature study. Social workers employed by Child Welfare Tshwane completed the questionnaire in order to shed light on their knowledge base with regard to child sexual abuse and the disclosure thereof. Results: Through the study it was evident that the knowledge base of social workers from Child Welfare Tshwane, dealing with child sexual abuse, is variable and lacks continuity. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Hearing disclosures of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a clinical reality for many therapists. Psychologists within mental health services are working increasingly with clients who have traumatic histories, including the presence of CSA. Recently there has been a drive towards improving services for adult survivors of CSA, with an emphasis on asking health and social care service-users about abuse. Recent research has demonstrated that the experience of talking about CSA in psychological therapy can be a complex experience for client and clinician with varied consequences for both parties. The research into psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure has been limited to surveys of psychologists‟ practice and knowledge and has lacked a scientific approach. This study aimed to expand on the scientific research into CSA disclosure with a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach (CGT). CGT was used to explore psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure from clients in Adult Mental Health. Eight psychologists took part in the current study and were recruited from a large Clinical Psychology service in Scotland. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Core categories constructed in this study contributed to a model of psychologists‟ experiences of disclosure in AMH clinical practice. Core categories referred to “Negotiating the Dance of Disclosure” and “Nurturing the Pre-conditions to Disclosure”, which occur in parallel to the therapeutic relationship; whereas “Growing Personally and Professionally” and “Carrying the Weight of the Work” refer to the impact of hearing disclosures and talking about CSA with clients. Research findings are discussed and the implications of this model in relation to theory and areas of development for research and clinical practice are considered.

Les agressions sexuelles envers les enfants sont un fléau social important. Elles portent atteinte à l’intégrité physique et psychologique des enfants qui en sont victimes, entraînant des conséquences délétères pour l’enfant et ses parents. Ces derniers sont d’ailleurs considérés comme des personnes clés dans le rétablissement des enfants. Toutefois, les connaissances scientifiques dans ce domaine ont été principalement acquises auprès des mères, reléguant ainsi le père à une place secondaire. Cette thèse a pour objectif général d’élargir notre compréhension du vécu et du rôle des pères ayant à faire face au dévoilement de l’agression sexuelle de leur enfant. La présente thèse est composée de deux articles empiriques. L’objectif du premier article est de décrire le vécu des pères non agresseurs ayant un ou plusieurs enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle extra ou intrafamiliale sous l’angle de leurs réactions émotionnelles, cognitives et comportementales à la suite du dévoilement de l’AS. Pour ce faire, 17 pères provenant soit du Centre d’Expertise Marie-Vincent de Montréal, soit du Centre d’Intervention en Abus Sexuels pour la Famille de Gatineau ou encore soit de la population générale et ayant un ou plusieurs enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle intra ou extra-familiale ont été rencontrés pour une entrevue individuelle semi-dirigée. Les résultats démontrent que les pères rencontrés dans le cadre de cette étude vivent un véritable choc psychologique, s’apparentant à un traumatisme secondaire, à l’annonce du dévoilement. Cette étude a également mis en lumière la mise en place d’un travail de deuil chez les pères qui sont confrontés à la perte de l’innocence de leur enfant. Les objectifs du deuxième article est de décrire les répercussions du dévoilement de l’agression sexuelle sur la façon dont les pères s’engagent auprès de leurs enfants et de dégager les dimensions du soutien paternel offert à l’enfant. L’analyse du discours de 17 pères ayant vécus le dévoilement d’une agression sexuelle par leur(s) enfant(s) suggèrent que le dévoilement peut être considéré comme un élément de rupture dans le lien à l’enfant nécessitant une adaptation à cette nouvelle réalité. Bien que l’ensemble pères rencontrés expriment leurs inquiétudes pour leur(s) enfant(s) et leur désir de le(s) soutenir, les résultats mettent en évidence les difficultés pour certains pères de s’engager auprès de leurs enfants en raison soit d’une détresse psychologique personnelle importante, soit d’une ambivalence à l’égard de l’enfant ou encore en raison d’une sensation d’inconfort ressentie lors des contacts physiques au cours des soins primaires à prodiguer ou des situations de jeu physique. Leurs propos témoignent également de leurs volontés et de leurs capacités à aider l’enfant à composer avec les conséquences de l’agression sexuelle subie. La mise à jour d’une nouvelle dimension spécifiquement paternelle soit la capacité d’ouvrir son enfant victime d’AS sur le monde extérieur et ainsi jouer un rôle dans le développement de sa confiance en soi apparait comme un résultat novateur de la présente thèse. Les implications cliniques concernant les résultats obtenus dans le cadre de cette thèse ainsi que les pistes de recherche sont finalement abordées. / Child sexual abuse is a devastating social epidemic. It threatens the physical and psychological integrity of children who have experienced it, and brings about horrific repercussions for them and their parents. Yet, parents are considered to be key actors in the recovery of their children. Unfortunately, the current state of knowledge on parental support concerns almost exclusively mothers and not much is known in regards to the role played by fathers.. The principal objective of the present thesis is to further the current understanding of the role and realities experienced by fathers who dealt with the disclosure of their child’s sexual abuse. The present thesis is made up of two scientific articles. The objective of the first article was to describe the experiences of non-offending fathers whose children had been sexually abused either by someone related to them or not, in terms of their emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions following disclosure. To accomplish this, 17 fathers whose children were the victims of extra or intrafamiliar sexual abuse were recruited at either the Centre d’Expertise Marie-Vincent in Montreal, the Centre d’Intervention en Abus Sexuels pour la Famille in the nearby region of Gatineau, or in the general population, and were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Results indicate that fathers in this study suffered from a noticeable psychological shock following disclosure that resembles indirect trauma. This study also brought into light the existence of a grieving process among fathers who were confronted to their child’s loss of innocence. The objectives of the second article were to describe the repercussions of disclosure on the ways fathers involve themselves with their children and to isolate the different forms of support offered by fathers to their sexually abused children. Qualitative content analyses from 17 fathers who dealt with the disclosure of sexual abuse on their children suggests that it could be interpreted as an element of ‘severance’ in the bond with the child, which requires adaptation to a new reality. Even though all of the interviewed fathers expressed their concerns for their children and their desire to help them, findings highlight the difficulties of some fathers to involve themselves with their children because of their own important psychological distress, their ambivalence toward the child or because of feelings of uneasiness that were stirred up while providing to the primary needs of the child or during physical play. Analyses shed some light on these father’s capacities to help their children deal with the consequences of sexual abuse. The acknowledgement of a new form of support specific to fathers, namely, the ability to open the child to his outside world and in doing so playing a role in the development of self-esteem, constitutes a ground-breaking finding of the present thesis.

Les agressions sexuelles envers les enfants sont un fléau social important. Elles portent atteinte à l’intégrité physique et psychologique des enfants qui en sont victimes, entraînant des conséquences délétères pour l’enfant et ses parents. Ces derniers sont d’ailleurs considérés comme des personnes clés dans le rétablissement des enfants. Toutefois, les connaissances scientifiques dans ce domaine ont été principalement acquises auprès des mères, reléguant ainsi le père à une place secondaire. Cette thèse a pour objectif général d’élargir notre compréhension du vécu et du rôle des pères ayant à faire face au dévoilement de l’agression sexuelle de leur enfant. La présente thèse est composée de deux articles empiriques. L’objectif du premier article est de décrire le vécu des pères non agresseurs ayant un ou plusieurs enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle extra ou intrafamiliale sous l’angle de leurs réactions émotionnelles, cognitives et comportementales à la suite du dévoilement de l’AS. Pour ce faire, 17 pères provenant soit du Centre d’Expertise Marie-Vincent de Montréal, soit du Centre d’Intervention en Abus Sexuels pour la Famille de Gatineau ou encore soit de la population générale et ayant un ou plusieurs enfants victimes d’agression sexuelle intra ou extra-familiale ont été rencontrés pour une entrevue individuelle semi-dirigée. Les résultats démontrent que les pères rencontrés dans le cadre de cette étude vivent un véritable choc psychologique, s’apparentant à un traumatisme secondaire, à l’annonce du dévoilement. Cette étude a également mis en lumière la mise en place d’un travail de deuil chez les pères qui sont confrontés à la perte de l’innocence de leur enfant. Les objectifs du deuxième article est de décrire les répercussions du dévoilement de l’agression sexuelle sur la façon dont les pères s’engagent auprès de leurs enfants et de dégager les dimensions du soutien paternel offert à l’enfant. L’analyse du discours de 17 pères ayant vécus le dévoilement d’une agression sexuelle par leur(s) enfant(s) suggèrent que le dévoilement peut être considéré comme un élément de rupture dans le lien à l’enfant nécessitant une adaptation à cette nouvelle réalité. Bien que l’ensemble pères rencontrés expriment leurs inquiétudes pour leur(s) enfant(s) et leur désir de le(s) soutenir, les résultats mettent en évidence les difficultés pour certains pères de s’engager auprès de leurs enfants en raison soit d’une détresse psychologique personnelle importante, soit d’une ambivalence à l’égard de l’enfant ou encore en raison d’une sensation d’inconfort ressentie lors des contacts physiques au cours des soins primaires à prodiguer ou des situations de jeu physique. Leurs propos témoignent également de leurs volontés et de leurs capacités à aider l’enfant à composer avec les conséquences de l’agression sexuelle subie. La mise à jour d’une nouvelle dimension spécifiquement paternelle soit la capacité d’ouvrir son enfant victime d’AS sur le monde extérieur et ainsi jouer un rôle dans le développement de sa confiance en soi apparait comme un résultat novateur de la présente thèse. Les implications cliniques concernant les résultats obtenus dans le cadre de cette thèse ainsi que les pistes de recherche sont finalement abordées. / Child sexual abuse is a devastating social epidemic. It threatens the physical and psychological integrity of children who have experienced it, and brings about horrific repercussions for them and their parents. Yet, parents are considered to be key actors in the recovery of their children. Unfortunately, the current state of knowledge on parental support concerns almost exclusively mothers and not much is known in regards to the role played by fathers.. The principal objective of the present thesis is to further the current understanding of the role and realities experienced by fathers who dealt with the disclosure of their child’s sexual abuse. The present thesis is made up of two scientific articles. The objective of the first article was to describe the experiences of non-offending fathers whose children had been sexually abused either by someone related to them or not, in terms of their emotional, cognitive and behavioral reactions following disclosure. To accomplish this, 17 fathers whose children were the victims of extra or intrafamiliar sexual abuse were recruited at either the Centre d’Expertise Marie-Vincent in Montreal, the Centre d’Intervention en Abus Sexuels pour la Famille in the nearby region of Gatineau, or in the general population, and were asked to participate in a semi-structured interview. Results indicate that fathers in this study suffered from a noticeable psychological shock following disclosure that resembles indirect trauma. This study also brought into light the existence of a grieving process among fathers who were confronted to their child’s loss of innocence. The objectives of the second article were to describe the repercussions of disclosure on the ways fathers involve themselves with their children and to isolate the different forms of support offered by fathers to their sexually abused children. Qualitative content analyses from 17 fathers who dealt with the disclosure of sexual abuse on their children suggests that it could be interpreted as an element of ‘severance’ in the bond with the child, which requires adaptation to a new reality. Even though all of the interviewed fathers expressed their concerns for their children and their desire to help them, findings highlight the difficulties of some fathers to involve themselves with their children because of their own important psychological distress, their ambivalence toward the child or because of feelings of uneasiness that were stirred up while providing to the primary needs of the child or during physical play. Analyses shed some light on these father’s capacities to help their children deal with the consequences of sexual abuse. The acknowledgement of a new form of support specific to fathers, namely, the ability to open the child to his outside world and in doing so playing a role in the development of self-esteem, constitutes a ground-breaking finding of the present thesis.