Parental Support Provided by Nonoffending Caregivers to Sexually Abused Children: A Comparison Between Mothers and Fathers

Parental support provided to child sexual abuse (CSA) victims is a key element in their recovery process. Yet, little is known about the extent and nature of support provided by fathers when they are not identified as the perpetrators. This study compares abuse-specific and nonspecific support provided by 92 mothers and 32 fathers after disclosure and six months later. The assessment of both types of support revealed that only the provision of nonspecific support was predicted by gender. With the exception of social support, all other dimensions increased in the months following disclosure. Implications for child protective agencies include early detection of a small group of parents who may have difficulty offering support to their child, in order to foster the development of optimal support strategies.