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Adoptive Families Help Children Heal

"The power to heal lies in the family." This is the message that Dr. Wayne Duehn gives to adoptive parents of children who have been sexually abused or traumatized.

Dr. Wayne Duehn is co-author of Beyond Sexual Abuse: The Healing Power of Adoptive Families, which is an outgrowth of a project to develop educational materials to assist adoptive families in parenting the sexually abused child.

“The 50 minutes a week that a child spends with a therapist is a drop in the bucket compared to the time spent with family,” says Dr. Duehn. The best therapeutic help available to a sexually abused or traumatized child is an understanding and committed family who can demonstrate to the child that the family can be trusted.

Parents must validate and acknowledge the child’s sexual abuse, Duehn says. Children need to know that they are not to blame, that they are still of value, and they will be protected and kept safe from further abuse.

Adoption often brings out behaviors that were not exhibited in the child's own home or in foster care. These behaviors might include sexually acting out, anger, hostility and open rejection of the adoptive family. In his workshops, Dr. Duehn coaches parents on how to handle these behaviors, by giving parents specific ways to respond.

Dr. Duehn teaches parents the skills they need to successfully parent a sexually abused child. When parents learn those skills, they can become “the central ingredient” in the child’s recovery from past trauma.

Dr. Duehn is Professor of Social Work at the University of Texas. He is currently engaged in clinical research, and he writes and speaks extensively on the subject of child sexual abuse. A recognized authority in the field of child sexual abuse, Dr. Duehn is an international presenter and leads workshops for both parents and professionals.