Carol Webb

Predicting symptomatology and self-blame among child sex abuse victims

Fifty-six sexually-abused girls and their nonoffending female caretakers from primarily low-income. African American families were comprehensively assessed in order to determine factors related to child symptomatology and self-blame. Girls whose overall relationships with their caretakers were somewhat negative exhibited more behavioral difficulties. Girls with disruptions in their relationship with a primary caretaker and who felt powerless as a result of the abuse were rated as functioning less well overall by clinicians. Child age, general attributional style, and caretaker blame of the child were related to child self-blame. Clinical implications of these findings include identification of clients at high risk for negative sequelae and development of interventions targeted at specific clinical issues.

Child Sexual Abuse Prevention: Evaluation of a Teacher Training Model.

Teachers are potentially helpful resource persons for large numbers of sexually abused children who may have difficulty disclosing abuse, particularly to family members. In the present study, the effectiveness of a 6-hour teacher training workshop on child sexual abuse prevention was evaluated. Responses of 26 female elementary teachers who participated in the workshop were compared to responses of 19 control teachers on several pre-, post-, and follow-up measures. Relative to controls, trained teachers demonstrated significant increases from pre- to post-testing in knowledge about child sexual abuse and pro-prevention opinions. On a post-only vignettes measure, trained teachers were better able than control teachers to identify behavioral indicators of abuse and suggest appropriate interventions for hypothetical sexually abused children. Over a 6-week follow-up period, trained teachers read more about child abuse than control teachers but did not differ on other behavioral dimensions such as reporting suspected abuse cases. Further research will examine the effects of additional teacher training over an extended follow-up period.

Teacher versus Expert Presentations of Sexual Abuse Prevention Programs

Previous studies of sexual abuse prevention programs conducted in schools have not compared the effectiveness of teachers versus outside consultants in implementing these programs. The current study contrasted three treatment conditions: (1) 15 regular teachers with their own classes (237 children); (2) eight lead teachers with unfamiliar classes (114 children); and (3) expert consultants with unfamiliar classes (201 children). All trainers used an adaptation of the Feeling Yes, Feeling No prevention curriculum, and both lead teachers and classroom teachers went through extensive training before implementing the program. No significant differences were found in the relative efficacy of using teachers versus expert consultants to present the program, with children demonstrating equivalent knowledge gains and equivalent skill scores on a videotape vignettes measure. Children in each condition made equivalent numbers of disclosures and had similar positive reactions to the programs.

Professional psychology competency initiatives: implications for training, regulation, and practice

Psychology in the United States has struggled with defining and specifying competencies for the practice of psychology since the Boulder Conference of 1949 outlined the first training model for graduate programs in psychology. Competency was largely defined by types of experiences and “seat time” until 1986, when the first major competency model in professional psychology in the United States was proposed. By 2000, discussions about the competencies had begun in earnest, and since that time, psychology’s focus on competencies has intensified, resulting in a shift away from a model of training that involved tracking the number of hours spent learning specific knowledge or skills to a “culture of competence” that emphasizes outcome, that is, the acquisition of the essential knowledge and skills. In order to develop this culture, competence must first be defined and described. A number of efforts to do so have been completed, initially resulting in a confusing array of different models or perspectives. Over time, however, the models have become more refined and similar in their structure and framework. This article provides an overview of these efforts and discusses the next steps in the implementation of a competency model that is comprehensive enough to be useful, but simple enough to be used. The implications of the competency development process for training, practice, and regulation are discussed.

What Does the Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology Step 2 (EPPP Step 2) Mean for College Counseling: The ASPPB Perspective

ABSTRACT We appreciate the opportunity to respond to the Editorial in this issue of the Journal of College Student Psychotherapy by editors Philip Rosenbaum and Ryan Weatherford, who express concerns about the new Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology Step 2 (EPPP Step 2). Our discussion describes the constellation of factors that influenced ASPPB’s decision to develop the EPPP Step 2 at this point in time. We also respond to the concerns expressed about the increasing costs of graduate training and the timing of the EPPP Step 2. Finally this commentary will highlight the difference between the training and licensing processes and will describe how the EPPP Step 2 will help licensing boards fulfill their mandate to protect a vulnerable public.