Assignment: Child Abuse and Neglect

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Working With Survivors of Sexual Abuse and Trauma: The Case of Brandon

Brandon is a 12-year-old, Caucasian male who currently resides with his mother and her boyfriend. Six years ago, Brandon disclosed that his father had repeatedly sexually abused him between the ages of 4 and 6. Brandon’s mother called law enforcement immediately after the disclosure, and his father has been incarcerated since. Brandon has previously participated in therapy to address challenging behaviors, including physical aggression, difficulty following rules at home and school, and using inappropriate language with sexual overtones toward female peers. Brandon and his mother report that they ceased participating in therapy in the past after there was no change in Brandon’s behavior. Brandon’s teachers have suggested that his behaviors are similar to those of peers with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but his mother has declined educational or psychological testing because she does not want her son to be labeled and is unsure if she agrees with the use of psychotropic medication with children.

Brandon began attending trauma-focused treatment after demonstrating an increase in argumentative behavior and minor property destruction at home. His mother reported that the majority of undesired behaviors were initiated during interactions with her boyfriend. Brandon’s use of physical aggression has not increased in school; however, a female peer recently reported him for using sexually explicit language toward her. Brandon admitted to using inappropriate language toward the female peer but appeared to have a limited understanding of what the phrases used meant. Brandon’s mother noted during intake that she is concerned that her son will become a violent sexual offender or a pedophile and noted that his use of sexual language was likely the start of sexual behavior problems.

At the beginning of treatment, Brandon reported that he frequently feared for his physical safety but often could not pinpoint what made him feel unsafe. He had searched the Internet

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