From Freud to Feminism: Gendered Constructions of Blame Across Theories of Child Sexual Abuse |
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| Authors: | Corry Azzopardi Ramona Alaggia Barbara Fallon |
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| Institution: | 1. Division of Pediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada;2. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada;3. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada |
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| Abstract: | Most theories of child sexual abuse are, to some degree, gendered, with nonoffending mothers bearing the burden of blame, ideologically and legally, for the transgressions of predominantly male offenders. This article explores the social construction of blame for child sexual abuse via critical analyses of evolving theoretical perspectives on maternal culpability for the inception and maintenance of abuse dynamics. Drawing on selected conceptual and research knowledge that supports and refutes anecdotal claims, this synthesis of the literature culminates in the proposal of an evidence-informed, feminist-grounded, multitheoretical child sexual abuse framework that disrupts dominant mother-blaming discourse and guides socially just and ethically responsive policy, practice, and research. |
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| Keywords: | child sexual abuse theoretical issues gender issues nonoffending mothers mother-blame discourse feminism |
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