Timothy J. Kahn is the author of Pathways, Safer Society’s bestselling treatment workbook for adolescents who have sexually offended. To help parents cope with the issue of children with sexual behavior problems, Tim wrote Healthy Families, a book that is also among our bestselling titles.
In this episode, listen to Tim talk about:
- why he wrote Healthy Families
- how he uses it in his own practice
- how Healthy Families helps parents understand the assessment and treatment process, answers their questions, and provides emotional support
Be sure to leave us your comments on this podcast episode and suggest questions that Tim Kahn might answer in the future.
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Comments 6
You have no idea how much I needed to hear this episode. I wish I had found it a year ago. As a parent dealing with this issue currently, my husband and I have had very little support. No books were suggested, no groups, forums, interviews, nothing was recommended by the court system as to how to work through this as a parent. Here are my questions: Why is it not the standard practice to give these types of resources to families? I would like to hear from parents who have struggled through this and come out the other side. How does one handle dealing with the other families that might be involved? Why would we be having to go through the court system when we are doing everything a prosecutor would want us to do anyway? How do I explain to my kid why we reported him? This has shown our teen that when one does the right thing and tells the truth, situations get worse and worse.
Thank you so much for this episode. I just ordered Mr. Kahn’s book and I am so thankful for the kind, understanding words.
-KB
KB,
I am glad you found the podcast helpful! I think you can tell your child that every state has a mandatory reporting law, so no matter where you went for help, someone would eventually file a report. By filing the report yourself, the authorities have greater respect for you trying to do the right thing, and they feel less need to step in and file charges. By doing everything professionals recommend, the prosecutor will likely see that eventually, and some plea reductions are certainly possible. However, remember that the prosecutors will talk with the victim and victim’s parents, and that will play some role in the eventual charging decision. With respect to how you deal with the other families, sometimes your child will be ordered not to have any contact with the victim or their family, but as parents you may not have the same restriction. It is sometimes a good idea to reach out to the victim’s parents, especially if you know them, and tell them what you are doing to get help for your child, and ask them what would be helpful for them. Best wishes as you go through this process.
Is there any way that I can get an ebook of the 4th edition of PATHWAYS?
Author
Hi, Marco,
At this point in time we do not provide ebooks of any of our workbooks. This might change in the future.
Thank you for your inquiry.
Are there online support groups for teens working through this book?
IKB, it’s 5 years later, and I could write your post again almost word for word. I hope things have turned out OK for your child and the child who they harmed. Mr. Kahn, thank you so much for writing this book. Like KB and the parents you described in this podcast, I was on. my. own. after discovering there had been sibling sexual trauma in my family. In the years since, I took the little information I was able to find, wrote a website to help others facing sibling sexual trauma, connected with a few other women and founded a nonprofit (5WAVES), and joined a private Facebook parents support group that one of the other 5WAVES cofounders had started. After a year or so in that group, one of the members of the Facebook group for parents facing SST posted a link to your book and I read it. It is so good–both the book and your words of understanding and support on this podcast. I’m so sad, and frankly betrayed, that it has been there all along and no one has ever mentioned it or recommended it, including Google. I’m sad that the professionals who worked with us did not have your level of understanding and support. I have added prominent links to this podcast and the book to our website, and I posted a link to it in the parents Facebook group. I’m glad the podcast is still online and note the book is fairly recently revised. Again, my deepest thanks.