Citation

van Ee E, Blokland J. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019; 16(23): e16234810.

Affiliation

Psychotraumacentrum Zuid-Nederland of Reinier van Arkel, Bethaniestraat 10, 5211 LJ 's Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph16234810

PMID

31795508

Abstract

Research has shown that there is a negative relation between the experience of sexual violence of mothers and the well-being of their children. When a child is born out of sexual violence, the origin of the child is connected to the traumatic experience. Despite the difficult maternal task of navigating this relationship, research on interventions for mothers with a child born of sexual violence is absent. The current qualitative study was designed to gather expert knowledge of twelve clinicians on the dimensions of interventions for these mothers and their children as a first step in the development of good clinical practice for interventions. Using thematic analysis, the interviews were transcribed, coded and analyzed. Three building blocks for interventions for mothers and their children born of sexual violence were identified: building a secure attachment, reduction of trauma-related symptomatology, and addressing stigmatization. Clinicians describe many factors that need to be taken into account in treatment but emphasize the importance of the therapeutic relationship to be efficacious. The foundation of a strong therapeutic relationship together with the building blocks are the elements for good clinical practice on interventions for mothers with a child born of sexual violence.

Language: en

Keywords

attachment; mother–child relationship; rape born; sexual violence; stigma; trauma