Abuse Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

One of the common forms of treatment for child physical abuse is abuse focused cognitive behavioral therapy. This form of therapy is considered to be a short term treatment that is usually completed over a six month period, though this may vary depending on the severity of the abuse, and whether the child is still displaying noticeable child abuse symptoms. This treatment for child physical abuse usually occurs in the family's home, rather then in an office.

Child physical abuse can be extremely traumatic for both the child who is experiencing the abuse, and the parent who is inflicting the abuse. As a result, this type of therapy seeks to provide treatment to both the child who is displaying child abuse symptoms, as well as the parent who is inflicting the abuse. This treatment will occur in individual sessions and in joint sessions, in which the parent and the child will receive counseling at the same time. This will help to address both the causes and the effects of child physical symptoms.

It will confront both the risk factors that lead to abuse, as well as the psychological and emotional damage that a child will sustain due to the abuse that is inflicted upon them. Abuse focused cognitive behavioral therapy is aimed at altering a parent's reaction to certain events and situations, as well as changing their behavior and the way that they interact with their child. This therapy will help a parent to manage their anger and stress so that the likelihood of child physical abuse will decrease.

It will teach the parent how to rely on effective and benign methods of discipline. It will also assist a child in overcoming child abuse symptoms, and coping with their traumatic experiences. Abuse focused cognitive behavioral therapy will often implement family therapy as a means of discovering and understanding family interactions. This method of child physical abuse treatment promotes appropriate behavior by attempting to modify the way a person thinks, feels, and reacts to a certain situation.

It will seek to identify what triggers the abuse, and how to stop it. Studies have shown that this form of therapy is effective for improving family and child-parent relations, as well as decreasing the occurrence of abuse. It will decrease the psychological and emotional distress of parents, and help to reestablish a safe environment for a child to grow up in. It will improve the ability of the family to act as a cohesive unit. Child physical abuse can leave a child with long term emotional and psychological problems.

Therefore, it is essential that if a child is displaying child abuse symptoms, or even if they have experienced abuse but are not displaying symptoms, that they be provided with access to treatment.

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