Grief: Stages for Parents of Sexually Abused Children

Most parents feel that what their child and family have gone through is so traumatic that they will never get over it. However ,  although it will be difficult for them and they will always have unhappy memories about the events, healing and adjustment will begin to take place when they have successfully dealt with the stages of grief:


     SHOCK
       DENIAL
         ANGER
           GUILT AND SELF-BLAME
             INAPPROPRIATE BLAME
               SHAME AND ANXIETY
                 DEPRESSION AND SADNESS
                   HEALING AND ADJUSTMENT