Mothers of sexually abused children and the concept of collusion: A literature review

Abstract

Recent literature is reviewed relating to mothers of incestuously abused children and the concept of collusion along three dimensions: the mother's psychological development and personality characteristics; the mother's response to the disclosure of the sexual abuse; and the mother's relationship with the victimized child. The recent research reveals that: mothers of children sexually abused within the family are not necessarily more disturbed psychologically than mothers of nonabused children; mothers respond in a number of ways to their children's sexual victimization; and most mothers believe that their children have been abused. Such findings pose a challenge to the notion of collusion, which persists as an explanatory concept in clinical practice. The possibility of a broader conceptualization is explored.