| Sexually abused children are a unique population in history of interpersonal traumatic experiences (often chronic in nature) and in presentation of post-trauma symptoms. Sexually abused children are more likely to present with dissociative characteristics and emotional numbing than physically and emotionally abused peers; yet, this population frequently receives the same treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapies currently have the most empirical support for use with sexually traumatized children; however, these treatments do not address dissociation and often exclude children with dissociative characteristics in research studies. In addition, the literature suggests children with significant trauma histories may not be able to engage in cognitive interventions due to neurological processes affected by trauma. Drama therapy, on the other hand, demonstrates the ability to decrease dissociation in children by using distancing techniques and enhancing emotional expression. This program was designed to utilize drama therapy to meet the specific needs of sexually traumatized school-aged children with dissociative characteristics. This program is an attempt to provide clinicians with a treatment protocol to better serve the needs of sexually abused children with dissociative characteristics. |
