Considering Family Reconnection and Reunification after Child Sexual Abuse

Note From the Authors
Few topics stir up such deeply emotional responses as the sexual abuse of a child.
When we began talking about this guide we were met with a range of reactions
from anger and fear to a deep appreciation for taking on a project that will provide
a thoughtful examination of this important issue, sometimes from the very same people.
What we have begun to see is that each reaction is tied to the image that person holds
in the moment of who a “sex offender” is, and how fully the person has internalized the
widespread and sometimes misleading assumptions and stereotypes about people who
have sexually abused a child.
The reactions we have heard to family reunification have tended to be quite different
depending on whether an individual’s image of the sexually abusive person is that of a
child, who is sexually-reactive to his or her own abuse experiences, versus an image of
a manipulative adult family member, who has not acknowledged the harm or respected
boundaries of the family.
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