INTERVENTIONS IN
WORKING WITH LATINO
CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
SURVIVORS
Diana Garza Louis,
LPC-S, LMFT-S, LSOTP-S, RPT
Rio Grande Counseling Center
dglouis@aol.com
CSA and Latinos
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Latinos are less likely to seek mental health interventions.
Non-Latinos tend to report that nothing happened when they disclosed
abuse.
Latinos report that child sexual abuse is more serious than non-latinos,
possibly indicating that attitudes toward sexual abuse leads to more action
taken by Latinos.
Latinos report more abuse by extended family members. Clinical studies
indicate that relatives are more likely to sexually abuse Latinos than White
or Black children.
The most likely family perpetrator was a brother.
Other studies indicate that step fathers are the most likely to molest
within the family.
• Carrasco & Garza Louis
• “Amor afiliativo”, “entenada“ (Rolando Diaz Loving)
Cultural Issues:
• Virginity
– a woman who loses her virginity to rape, incest, or molestation is
seen as a “promiscuous” woman.
– If there was no penetration, then she’s alright, (nothing serious
happened)
– Guilt
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Respect for cultural norms, but educate regarding responsibility
Fear of the legal system
Family loyalty and privacy
Warmth
Psycho-education as a starting point
TF-CBT
Is a structured, directive & active
model of treatment
Safety
Education
Activity
Disclosure
Externalization
Trust and letting go
SAFETY
– Physical
– Emotional
– Hyper-vigilance
– Self care/calm
– Need for medication
– Risk of suicide
EDUCATION
NCTSN National Child Traumatic Stress Network
http://www.nctsn.org/resources/audiences
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families
US. Department of Health and Human Services
www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/trauma
Activity
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Free play
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Puppets
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Stories
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Worksheets/exercises
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Abuse prevention
RELAXATION
 Breathing
 Progressive relaxation
 Reading: poetry, rhyme, guided
imagery
 Yoga, drumming, tapping
 Music: Listening, singing, natural
sounds, rhythym
Gaskill & CTA, 2008
SELF REGULATION
 Signs of stress
 My body and stress
 Stress management game
 Problem scenarios
Crisci, Lay, Lowenstein, 1998
SENSORY STIMULATION
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Sand tray, clay, play dough
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Ceramics, sculpture
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Songs, stories, music
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Painting and coloring
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Rituals, routines
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Connecting
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Closure
Gaskill & CTA, 2008
Processing
Information
Mi Historia
Muñecos de papel
My Story
Paper dolls
Brave bears
DISCLOSURE
• Identify triggers and reminders
• Drawing the abuse
• Puppets
• Narrative
• Role play
• Telling others
• My story
• Brave Little Bears
Crisci, Lay, Lowenstein, 1998
Stories And The Narrative Of The
Traumatic Experience
• Teach us through archetypes
• Help us learn how the world works
• Help us understand good and bad through
narrative
• Helps with Gestalt sequencing
• Builds a representation of reality
Gaskill & CTA, 2008
EXTERNALIZING
Integration of traumatic experiences
 Express discomfort in various situations
 Define Limits
 Eliminate secrets
 Confront the perpetrator
(when and if appropriate)
TRUST AND LETTING GO
Relational Re-connection
– Mom and I
– Who Can Help Me?
– What Will They Say?
– Kids Without Guilt
Crisci, Lay, Lowenstein, 1998
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Memory
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Level of affect and tolerance
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Symptom management
RECOVERY
• Grounded
• Safe
• Appropriate reality testing
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Improved self esteem
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Attachment
• Mutual non-exploitive relationships
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Meaning & interpretation
Arroyo, Judith A.; Simpson, Tracy L.; Aragon, Alfredo S. (1997) Childhood
sexual abuse among Hispanic and non-Hispanic White college women
Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, February.
Bratton, S., Ray, D. & Rhine, T. (2005) The efficacy of play therapy with
children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes, Professional
Psychology: Research and Practice, 36 (4) 376-390.
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse
www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org
Crisi, Lay, Lowenstein (1998) Paper dolls and paper airplanes Kids Rights
JIST Publishing Indianapolis, IN.
Gaskill, R. (2008) Neuroscience and play therapy Association
for Play Therapy Mining Report, July, 2008.
http://www.a4pt.org/download.cfm?ID=25623
Gil, E. (2006) Helping abused and traumatized children: Integrating
directive and nondirective approaches, NY: Gilford Press.
Kaduson, H. & Schaefer, C. (1997) 101 Favorite Play Therapy Techniques
Jason Aaronson.
Marvasti, J. A (1993) Please hurt me again: Posttraumatic play therapy
with an abused child. In T. Kottman and C. Schaefer, Play therapy in
action: A casebook for practitioners, pp 485-525 Northvale, New Jersey, l
Jason Aronson.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network (2007) http://www.nctsn.org
Preliminary Adaptations for Working with Traumatized Latino/Hispanic
Children and their Families.
Rappahannock Council Against Sexual Assault Blog (2010)
Friday Facts: Hispanics/Latinos Sexual Violence Awareness
on September 24.
Schaefer, C. E. (1994) Play therapy for psychic trauma in children, in K. J.
O’Connor & C. E. Schaefer, Handbook of Play Therapy Vol. two,
Advances and Innovations, 297-318 New York, John Wiley.
Shelby, J. and Felix, E. Posttraumatic Play Therapy (2005) The need for
an integrated model of directive and nondirective approaches in Reddy,
L., Files-Hall, T, and Schaefer, C. Empirically based play therapy
interventions for children pp.79-103. Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.