Applying the ABCX Model of Stress

 The family stressor that will be discussed is family violence and in particular child sexual abuse.  The latter occur when an adult uses force to engage a child in sexual activities in social setting such as home or work. Sexual abuse because long lasting effects as the abused children develop sexual disturbances, depression, delinquency, seductiveness, aggressiveness and suicidal behavior (Johnson, 2008).  According to ABCX model, families respond to stressor events in   different ways and this makes some families to be more crisis prone than others.  Note that the model presents the stress or event, the availability of resources to manage the stress, how the family perceives the event and the likelihood of the stressor events to cause to a crisis.  An important point to understand is that resources and perceptions are key elements used in determining whether the stressor event will lead to a crisis or not.

 Focusing on ABCX model and the stressor event (child sexual abuse), the first factor that makes a family more crisis-prone is resources. After child sexual abuse, resources will determine if the family will create crisis or not.  In this case, a crisis will occur if the family defines sexual abuse as a deviant behavior and views the offender as a deviant criminal in the society. The family may punish the offender   for violating the social norms. The perception that sexual abuse is a deviant behavior and lack of resources such as lack of strength to accept the offense, relying on cultural norms, poor family management and lack of adjustment and adaptability leads to crisis such as distress and disruption of normal activities (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2010).

 Using the ABCX model, the factors (resources and perception) that contribute to more crises can cause fewer crises in other families. In this scenario, the family may acknowledge the criminal act as socially constructed and a component of society. In addition, perceptions may involve eliminating cultural norms; the family may also apply resources like integration and adaptability and seek help from therapist and health care professionals (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2010).  By so doing, the family will avoid stress and crisis (Eshleman & Bulcroft, 2010).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reference

 

Eshleman, J. R., & Bulcroft, R. A. (2010). The family (Family Stress and Violence) (12th ed.). Boston, MA:

Allyn & Bacon.

Johnson, M. P. (2008). A typology of domestic violence: Intimate terrorism, violent resistance, and

situational couple violence. Lebanon, NH: Northeastern University Press.