Professionalization of psychologists for acting in cases of sexual abuse

Abstract

We discuss, in this article, the formation and training of students of Psychology while observers and/or cotherapeuts in Multifamiliar Groups (MGs) with families in which their children and/or adolescents were victims of sexual abuse intra or extrafamiliar. We privileged the aspects related to the feelings aroused from this experience and the contributions for its formation while a future professional psychologist. The students, thirty women and four men (from 20 to 45 years old), received and replied to the instrument by e-mail, which was formulated so that we knew the objective and subjective conditions of apprenticeship and their participation in the activity. Regarding the results, we had two configurations of feelings and acts: one named as negatives (revolt, impotence, anger, distrust) and another that favours the professional/personal growth of the student (sensibility towards one’s suffering, greater availability to listen and reevaluation of prejudice). The second configuration aimed at identifying positive contributions for the formation and future professional performance of the students. Keywords: Professional formation and psychology; student of psychology; sexual abuse; formation of the psychologist.