How Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Can Inadvertently Get Victimized Twice
Date
2021
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
New York Law Journal
Abstract
Child sexual abuse survivors can sometimes get victimized twice. First,
they get abused. The second time may be by their own parent(s). By
focusing more on a civil lawsuit to collect a sizable settlement or jury
2
award instead of their child’s mental health, the parent may
inadvertently or callously display indifference to their own child. As a
result, the child may be retraumatized, sometimes feeling that their own
actions contributed to their abuse. This is not, of course, to say that civil
lawsuits are inappropriate in such circumstances. They may not be
frivolous, but neither may they merit being brought. Nor is it about
meeting the burden of proof. The point to emphasize is that the pursuit
of such a lawsuit must be done with maximum regard for the child
survivor. The key question: Will the lawsuit have a net beneficial
therapeutic effect or a traumatizing effect?
Description
item.page.type
Article
item.page.format
Keywords
commentary, child sexual abuse, secondary victimization, damage award, court, justice
Citation
Pollack, D., & Monahan, D. F. (2021, November 10). How Child Sexual Abuse Survivors Can Inadvertently Get Victimized Twice. New York Law Journal.