title: The professional carers' group: supporting group work for young sexual abusers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A centralized treatment project, for young people who have sexually abused others, describes how group-based work with potentially isolated local professionals may help a treatment program to maintain a systemic perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  The paper reviews relevant literature and outlines the context, format and goals of a Professional Carers' Group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Recurring themes, observed during the 30-week treatment programs, are subjected to clinical analysis. Two key areas are discussed: (1) cognitive-emotional processing of common reactions to work with sexual abuse; and (2) inter-professional communication to balance the requirements of child protection and therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Concurrent work with local professional networks may promote the clinical effectiveness of a treatment program for young perpetrators of sexual abuse. A Professional Carers' Group is one relatively low-cost approach which may help to integrate the work of a central treatment facility with that of distant, community-based, agencies.
authors.affiliation: Child and Family Department, Tavistock Clinic, London, England, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hawkes
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vizard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011364:Professional Practice; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D016896:Treatment Outcome