Arts therapy with child molesters: An historical perspective on the act and an approach to treatment.

Art Therapy

May 2021

Full Citation

Naitove, C. E. (1988). Arts therapy with child molesters: An historical perspective on the act and an approach to treatment. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 15(2), 151-160. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0197-4556%2888%2990022-6

Abstract

Discusses the prevalence and current attitudes toward sexual abuse of children. It is argued that a lax attitude toward child sexual abuse results from there being no one definition of child sexual abuse as a crime, from the current judicial system of due process, and from lack of awareness among the public. A pedophile profile describes 2 types of practitioners: the man who is fixated on children and who acts out a fantasy relationship and the pedophile who is regressed rather than fixated. Incestuous relations are broken down into those due to stressful situations (e.g., economic difficulties in the family) and those that cannot be attributed to stress. The use of art therapy with such offenders is described. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)