In the face of rejection and unmet emotional needs, a parent may sexually abuse a child. The crisis worker can get the most objective information from children by listening and observing family interactions over extended periods of time. Contrary to the predicament of the investigative worker who is often pushed for time, the CPS crisis worker is in a perfect position to observe attentively for hours. Children s behaviors and their parent s attitudes and behaviors can give critical information for evaluation by the crisis worker. Objective but thorough exploration of abusive allegations can be reassuring to the accuser, the accused, and the child.
Some families are prone to have conflicts around who has the right to discipline.
Lack of agreement may result in conflict between the adults and, possibly, displacement of anger throughout the family. Youth in these families may learn to be manipulative if adults cannot come to a consistent, reasonable, mutually agreeable disciplinary approach. Crisis workers must assess what may be happening in the family. To establish more positive alliances among family members, crisis workers should listen and observe for long time periods, while maintaining objectivity. Children who feel unwanted are likely to act out.