16-122a Acquaintance Sexual Assault of Adolescents and Young Adults:
Beneath the Tip of the Iceberg – 6 Hour Seminar
Cindy Solin M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W.
Friday, June 17, 2016
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Course Description
Girls between the ages of 15 -24 have the highest rates of sexual victimization of any population group. They
are most at risk from being sexually assaulted by peers, who they know socially or casually. There are clear
reasons for this. Elements of adolescent psychology and female psychology make girls vulnerable to assault.
Boys are emboldened by the cultural messages they receive about male sexual entitlement and sexual
aggression with impunity. Adolescent social dynamics replicate adult gender power disparities. This population
frequently socializes with alcohol recklessly, which escalates male aggressiveness and female passivity. Girls
are typically naive about the sexual assault risk embedded in normal socializing; boys frequently have an
underdeveloped capacity for empathy.
Treatment with this population is challenging. Acquaintance sexual assault is often not disclosed, which then
precludes, or at a minimum, delays treatment. Female adolescents present a complex clinical picture: at this
stage of life their relational needs conflict with and often trump their need for personal safety. Their priorities
are fueled by compelling developmental tasks: separation from parents and the primacy of intimate social and
sexual relationships with peers. Helping girls stay safe involves working with their complicated reality. This
course will help clinicians understand the depth as well as the interplay of the issues involved. Treatment
guidelines and techniques will be discussed. Prevention work with this age group is crucial, effective prevention
strategies will be addressed. The importance of engaged parents, high schools and colleges will be highlighted.
Faculty: Cindy Solin, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W. – Cindy has a full time private practice in Longmeadow, MA. She
works extensively with adolescents and young adults and has a particular interest in the treatment of
acquaintance sexual assault and personal safety training.
Learning Objectives
After attending this seminar, participants will be able to:
1. Identify the developmental behaviors and the sexual norms which converge to put adolescent girls at risk for
acquaintance sexual assault.
2. Describe the role alcohol plays in adolescent sexual assault
3. Develop therapeutic techniques to treat sexually assaulted teens
4. Utilize effective prevention strategies with teens.
Bibliography

Abbey, A. "Alcohol's role in sexual violence perpetration: Theoretical explanations, existing evidence and future
directions." Drug and Alcohol Review 2011;30:481-489.

Brizendine, Louann. The Female Brain. New York: Broadway Books, 2006

Katz, Jackson. The Macho Paradox. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, 2006

Seccuro, Liz. Crash Into Me. New York: Bloomsbury USA, 2011