Treating Abused Adolescents by Eliana Gil Free Essay Example, 1750 words

Many people credit them with a maturity that is actually far beyond their years and are not cognizant of their innate vulnerability and therefore treat them with barely veiled hostility and suspicion. The shocking fact is that many professionals have the same misguided notions about adolescents. Gil (996) tells the case of a professional who said, â€Å"‘That girl knew what she wanted and knew how to get it’, in regard to a case of incest in which the father gave his daughter expensive gifts† (p. 14). She calls for a change in this attitude and bias towards adolescent victims and points out the need for further studies and research to help them. The second chapter is entitled Theories of Adolescent Development and has been compiled with Karren Campbell. In this chapter Gil (1996) stresses that â€Å"A thorough knowledge of theories of development is essential for those who work with adolescents, particularly when it is likely that the developmental process of many such adolescents has been disrupted or compromised by maltreatment† (p. 23). Drawing from her knowledge on the available research material and referring to the work done on the subject, she analyses the factors that make adolescents vulnerable to abuse and the symptoms of abuse that are most likely to be manifested. We will write a custom essay sample on Treating Abused Adolescents by Eliana Gil or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now She traces the developmental stages of adolescents and explores the hurdles and difficulties that are likely to hamper progress as the adolescent makes the journey from childhood to adulthood. In the third chapter Gil makes a distinction between current and cumulative abuse of adolescents. Current abuse of adolescents refers to those who suffer abuse only during their adolescent years, whereas cumulative abuse refers to those who have been exposed to sustained or intermittent abuse from their early childhood. With regard to the former instance, abuse is probably the result of an inability to cope with the complexities in the developmental stage for the parent as well as the adolescent. It is usually the result of adolescents chafing under rigid parental authority as they seek to establish their independence and parents who are unwilling to relinquish control. The situation can be resolved by establishing better channels of communication, defining roles and dealing with conflict and control issues. Cumulative abuse is more serious as the damage is far more palpable, leaving the adolescent bruised and battered. Since the trauma is more severe, these victims are likely to h ave deteriorated mentally and physically.