The author combines the strengths perspective in social work with the resiliency literature in developmental psychopathology as guidelines for uncovering the survival strengths of children who have been sexually abused. Their survival abilities are often submerged beneath pain and discomfort and are difficult to elicit if the practitioner does not view their protective strategies as strengths. The essential elements of the strengths perspective and the resiliency literature are presented to reveal creative ways to work with children who have been sexually abused.
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