Integrating Dance Therapy into Abuse Treatment
Effective Treatment for Sexually Abused Children
Oct 19, 2009
According to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS), the rates of reported child sexual abuse have risen five-fold since the late 1970s. Victims come from all social, ethnic and economic groups.
The Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act 2005 defines sexual abuse as "the employment, use, persuasion or coercion of any child to be involved in a sexually explicit act." Since sexual abuse affects so many children, it is important that research is conducted on effective therapies for sexual abuse. Dance therapy is a widely used in the treatment for sexually abused children.
Based on the assumption that the body and mind are interrelated, dance/movement therapy is defined by the American Dance Therapy Association as the psychotherapeutic use of movement as a process which furthers the emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration of the individual.
Importance of Addressing Issue of Sexual Abuse
“Children who are sexually abused are more likely to have medical and psychological problems as adults. These include drug use, severe obesity, smoking, alcoholism, eating disorders, depression, suicide and sexual promiscuity,” says the Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2007. Furthermore, abuse during infancy or early childhood can lead to parts of the brain to not develop properly, which causes physical and psychological problems. These children are at an increased risk for sleep disturbances, panic disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
In addition, the financial costs of sexual abuse are enormous. Direct costs are approximately $24 billion annually. The indirect or long-term costs of abuse are about $69 billion each year (Child Maltreatment Fact Sheet, 2007). For this reason, it is important to integrate effective therapies for children who were sexually abused.
The Role of the Dance Therapist
The dance/movement therapist focuses on movement behaviour as it emerges in the therapeutic relationship. Expressive, communicative, and adaptive behaviours are all considered for both group and individual treatment. Body movement simultaneously provides the means of assessment and the mode of intervention (Child Welfare Information Gateway).
Dance/movement therapists are employed in a wide variety of facilities as well as private practice. They address the needs of a broad spectrum of people, including those with specific disorders and disabilities.
Professional training of dance/movement therapists occurs on the graduate level, and the Masters is the terminal degree. The ADTA publishes a list of colleges and universities that provide appropriate education and training, and the association has established an approval procedure for granting recognition to those institutions that fulfill the guidelines for graduate degree programs (Child Welfare Information Gateway).
Dance therapy can have a positive effect on the developmental achievement levels of abused children. It focuses on the impact of trauma and how to help children achieve a positive resolution.
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