Pieces of a Puzzle: Perspectives on Child Sexual Abuse

Susan Thomas is a middle-school guidance counselor, teacher, and social
worker in Milton, Ontario.

It’s been just over 20 years since child sexual abuse became a
national issue. The public and professionals alike began to be informed
that child sexual abuse, rather than an anomaly, was a rampant social
problem. During the 1980s, governments funded initiatives that focused
on the treatment and prevention of child sexual abuse. There was an
exciting momentum developed in support of children. But with fewer
dollars, that movement has slowed. Pieces of a Puzzle provides a
comprehensive state-of-the-art description of what is happening in
Canadian research and intervention for child victims. What becomes
readily apparent is how far we have come in our understanding of child
sexual abuse, and how far we still have to journey. A recurring theme in
these articles is that more study needs to be undertaken. Pieces of a
Puzzle is a useful handbook for any professional working with children
and families.