The Management of Sexuality in Residential Treatment

Here are practical ideas and help for dealing with problems of sexuality in residential treatment settings. On a day-to-day level, difficulties can arise from the need for child care workers to maintain caring and personal relationships with children in the face of the children’s and their own sexuality. Children themselves also may have difficulties in properly expressing their sexuality. The Management of Sexuality in Residential Treatment examines a broad range of problems that often occur and describes several treatment programs and strategies for coping with incidents of abuse or alleged abuse.

Chapters in the book address issues pertinent for professionals working with children in residential treatment. Authors cover topics such as:

• residents’needs for love versus sexuality

• the impact of sexually stimulating materials

• erotic countertransference in a residential treatment center

• survey of minor sex problems in the milieu and how to respond to them

• personal relationships between residents and staff

  The book also describes two treatment programs for abused or abusing children. The first is an eight week multimodal therapeutic program for adolescent girls who have been sexually abused, the other a course for sexually abusive boys that includes counseling, sex education, and journal writing. The Management of Sexuality in Residential Treatment is a valuable resource for the staff of residential treatment centers, group homes, residential schools, and hospital pediatric units who wish to understand how to deal more effectively with issues of sexuality and the children for whom they care.