Understanding the Effects of Child Sexual Abuse: Feminist Revolutions in Theory, Research and Practice

Child sexual abuse is a global problem that negatively affects many women and girls. As such, it has long been of concern to feminists, and more recently mental health activists. This book draws on this revolutionary legacy to re-evaluate mainstream and feminist approaches to understanding women and child sexual abuse. The book aims to contribute to the ongoing development of a knowledge-base for working with abused women and girls. It draws on feminism and post-structuralism to critically examine current perceptions of women, girls and child sexual abuse in psychology, psychiatry and the mass media. The book demonstrates the need to question the use of formulaic methods in working with abused women and girls, and calls for an explicit concern with politics, principles and ethics in the related areas of theory, research and practice.