The use of Five Field Maps in the study of Social and affective support network to children victims of sexual abuse

Abstract

This article presents some results of a study that aimed at verifying what changes had occurred in the social and affective support network that was given to a boy and a girl victims of extra-familiar sexual abuse after their insertion into a Violence Combat Service and whether in the perception of children the Service is now part of his/her network of social and emotional support after the investigation period. The participants of this research were the children, their parents, the Social Worker and a Psychologist that works for this Service. All the data used in this research were collected through semi-structured interviews and through an application of the Five Fields Map. For the qualitative data analysis, the Bioecological Human Development Theory was used as the main theoretical contribution. Among the main results, we can infer that they are the expansion of the social and affective support network and the improvement of the quality of interpersonal relations of the two children. The Violence Combat Service monitoring influenced in a different way the developmental potential of the two children; for the boy, the interactions established with objects in the Service had a special symbolic value, while for the girl the relationship with the professional was more effective when analyzed the overcoming abuse signs.

Keywords: social and affective network support, Five Field Maps, sexual abuse.