Family Members of the Accused Are Also Victims of the Abuse
James Prager, MSW; Matthew D. Rosenberg, LMSW & Kathie, MBA | September 19 | 9:45-10:45 am EDT
Topic: Direct Service, Conceptual | Knowledge Level: Intermediate
Friends and families of those accused and/or convicted of sexual offenses are unacknowledged victims of the offense. Families often feel shame and isolate as a result. The parents especially look back and wonder what they did wrong or what signs were missed along the way. Did they enable without realizing? Siblings may be conflicted. Families may be torn apart with some wanting to help the offender and others wanting to banish them. Some families remain intact while others dissolve completely, though many are somewhere in the middle of this continuum. All deserve to have their voices heard and acknowledged. When families do opt to remain together, the issue of safe and effective reentry becomes paramount. Families need to grieve and find outlets to help them recover from the turmoil. There is a growing awareness of the needs of family members for both support and therapy, but resources are still very limited. After presenting on the difficulties, this session’s focus moves to the variety of ways available for helping families cope. These include organizations (e.g. B4UAct and CURE-SORT), mental health professionals trained in this sensitive area, and in-person and on-line support groups. The goal of this session is to share how these various programs help individuals and families negotiate challenges from arrest and dealing with the criminal justice system to living after reentry with a focus on helping families make good decisions, avoid shame and isolation, grieve, and move forward.
Presentation Objectives:
• Demonstrate the challenges to family and friends of dealing with a criminal justice system that is foreign to them along with the demonization of people accused of sexual crimes
• Demonstrate the challenge of the changing relationship between a friend or family member and a person receiving a sexual charge or conviction
• Provide some resources for families, friends, and the accused person to grieve and move forward, whether the family remains intact or not