< Back

Presenter: Yahaira I. Márquez, Ph.D., UMDNJ-SOM CARES Institute
Discussant / Mentor: Jeanne Miranda, Ph.D., UCLA

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with Sexually Abused Latino Children and their Parents

Author : Yahaira I. Márquez.

Background:
Statistics about sexual abuse are alarming.  Retrospective research shows that as many as one in three girls and one in six boys suffer child sexual abuse by the age of 18 years.  Unfortunately, child abuse knows no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries.  As in many communities, the population of Latino families in the South Jersey area has grown significantly in the last few years, with immigration to the area from South and Central America and the Caribbean due to the employment opportunities that the hospitality and the agricultural industries provide.  With them, children and families may bring histories of trauma, initiated in their countries of origin or occurring here as they struggle to acculturate to their new home.  Isolated and intimidated by harsh immigration laws and the lack of appropriate services in their native language, families suffer alone in silence.

Method:
The main goal of this presentation is to illustrate, through the use of real cases, the use of an evidence based treatment, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), with Latino children and their families.  Pre-treatment planning assessments were completed using measures such as the KSADS-PTSD interview, Beck Youth Self-Concept, children’s Depression Inventory, Child Behavior Checklist, and Children’s Sexual Behavior Inventory.  Individual treatment sessions for children and parents included the following components: Psychoeducation and parenting skills, Relaxation, Affective expression and regulation, Cognitive coping, Trauma narrative development and processing, In vivo gradual exposure, Conjoint parent child sessions, and Enhancing safety and future development.  Post-treatment assessments were completed utilizing the same measures.

Results:
Comparison of pre- and post-treatment measures demonstrated positive changes in the children’s functioning.  Children and parents learned various life enhancing skills.

Conclusions:
Results suggest that this evidence based approach holds great potential for Latino children who have been sexually abused.  Future research directions and culturally sensitive treatment modifications will be discussed.