Examining Parental Expectations and Fault Attributions for Child Sexual Abuse.

Previous research has demonstrated that nonoffending mothers are held at fault when their child is sexually abused and this fault is directly linked to a decrease in help-seeking behavior. It is unclear, however, whether similar fault is applied to nonoffending fathers, as little such research on fathers exists. What does exist is marked by methodological limitations.

Qualitatively Understanding Mother Fault After Childhood Sexual Abuse.

Socially constructed images of motherhood suggest that a "good" mother is caring, nurturing, and selfless-the perfect maternal figure. When these standards are not met, mother blaming (i.e.

Impact of Perpetrator Type on Attributions of Mother Fault in Child Sexual Abuse.

Blaming nonoffending mothers for child sexual abuse has substantial negative consequences for both the mother and child victim. Although perpetrator type has been shown to influence how much blame and responsibility is placed on nonoffending mothers in child sexual abuse cases, research to date has focused primarily on perpetrators who are strangers to the child or the child's biological father, ignoring the effect of other father-figure perpetrators. The current study examined how differences in perpetrator's relationship to the mother impacted blame, responsibility, cause, and prevention as separate constructs.

Mother Blame and the Just World Theory in Child Sexual Abuse Cases.

Mothers are blamed for a variety of negative experiences and outcomes of their children, including child sexual abuse (CSA). According to just world hypothesis (JWH), people have a need to view the world as one where there is no such thing as an innocent victim; that is, the world is fair and just. These beliefs predict victim blaming in situations such as sexual abuse, physical abuse, and robbery.