Taking Action: Support for Families of Children with Sexual Behavior Problems
by Jane F. Silovsky, Ph.D.
ISBN: 978-1-884444814 | 82 pages, paper | Order#: WP136

Taking Action: Support for Families of Adolescents with Illegal Sexual Behavior
by Barbara L. Bonner, Ph.D.
ISBN: 978-1-884444 | 52 pages, paper | Order#: WP137

When a parent learns that his or her child has sexually abused another child, or is displaying a serious sexual behavior problem, the discovery causes great uncertainty, confusion, pain and fear.

For years parents in this situation have turned to our booklet From Trauma to Understanding for support and guidance. Today the issues faced by families of adolescents in trouble for their sexual behavior are very different from those faced by families of younger children with sexual behavior problems. That's why we are introducing the Taking Action booklets. One focuses specifically on the needs of families of adolescents, while the second is for families of younger children.

Parents and families play a significant role in the successful treatment of their children and adolescents. Written by two of the leading experts in the field (see author bios on the back of this sheet), each Taking Action booklet provides the concise and practical information families need to prepare them for the important challenges ahead.

Preparation and publication of the Taking Action booklets was funded by the Florence V. Burden Foundation.

About the Authors

Jane F. Silovsky, Ph.D., Associate Professor, is a clinical child psychologist and the Associate Director of the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect. Dr. Silovsky received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Alabama. Currently, she is an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Since 1997, she has been the Director of the Children with Sexual Behavior Problems program, an assessment, treatment, and research program for preschool and school age children with sexual behavior problems. Dr. Silovskyís research is in the area of treatment outcome and program evaluation of services for children affected by child maltreatment. One of her major research interest is sexual behavior problems of young children, and she has published on preschool and school age children with sexual behavior problems.

Barbara L. Bonner, Ph.D., a Clinical Child Psychologist, is a Professor and the CMRI/Jean Gumerson Endowed Chair, Director of the Center on Child Abuse and Neglect (CCAN), and Associate Director of the Child Study Center (CSC) in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. In addition, she serves as the Director of the National Center on Sexual Behavior of Youth. Her clinical and research interests include the assessment and treatment of abused children, treatment outcome and program effectiveness, prevention of child fatalities, and treatment of children and adolescents with inappropriate or illegal sexual behavior.

Dr. Bonner is Past-President of the Board of Councilors of the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Past President of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC). She has presented her research throughout the US and internationally.