'Letting the future in': An therapeutic intervention for children affected by sexual abuse

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an international problem of “staggering” proportions (Hidden in Plain Sight, UNICEF, 2015). The effects of CSA childhood and adulthood include post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression,... [ view full abstract ]

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is an international problem of “staggering” proportions (Hidden in Plain Sight, UNICEF, 2015). The effects of CSA childhood and adulthood include post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, problematic sexual behaviour, poor academic/work achievement, relationship problems and suicide. Concern about CSA in the UK has focused on the protection of children and the identification of perpetrators, but how can those children who have been abused be helped?

Letting the Future In (LTFI) is a structured guide to intervention based on an understanding of trauma, attachment and resilience. It was developed by the NSPCC, the leading non-governmental organisation for child protection in the UK. The theoretical basis is a revised version of Bannister’s (2003) Recovery and Regeneration model, which is largely psychodynamic in nature and emphasizes the therapeutic attunement of the practitioner to the child’s affective states. It sees the therapeutic relationship between child and practitioner as ‘core’ and employs creative therapies with work on the awareness and management of feelings and, in addition, socio-educative approaches. It has been implemented by practitioners (88% social workers) in 20 teams in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
This symposium contains three papers presenting findings from a comprehensive independent evaluation of LTFI (2012-2015): (1) a study of its implementation in teams and of the methods of intervention used; (2) a multi-site evaluation of outcomes for children (N= 242) using a pragramatic RCT methodology; and (3) qualitative family case studies (N = 15) of children and parent/carers’ experiences of LTFI.