Failure and success in self-help groups for victims of professional sexual exploitation

The recent proliferation of self-help groups is a widespread phenomenon in the United States (Gartner & Reissman, 1984; Powell, 1987). Much of the literature on this subject is in the advocacy genre; it describes the self-help movement in glowing terms. Some of the work deals specifically with the experiences of those who have set up various self-help and support groups and advises others how to do so (e.g., Katz et al., 1992). Another part of the literature describes the relationship between professionals and self-help groups, and focuses on maximizing the benefits of that relationship (e.g., Powell, 1987, 1990). Relatively little of the literature is devoted to an examination of the success or failure of self-help groups. In fact, the terms “success” or “failure” are rarely used. We appear to be reluctant to examine the possibility that self-help groups, which seem so beneficial to the average person, could be less than an unmitigated success. By contrast, this article will examine the meanings of failure and success as they affect a number of self-help groups organized around the problem of professional sexual exploitation.

Affect (linguistics) · Epistemology · Phenomenon · Set (abstract data type) · Subject (documents) · Computer Science · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Psychology · Social Psychology · Social Work Education and Practice

• Factors Contributing to the Survival of Self‐Help Groups

  Open Access•Scott Wituk, Scott A Wituk et al.•American Journal of Community…•2002

  Añadir item

• Prospect Theory

  Daniel Kahneman, Amos Tversky•Econometrica•1979

  Añadir item

• Fat Group

  Nancy Barron, Lucia Eakins et al.•Human Organization•1984

  Añadir item

• Factors affecting the birth and death of mutual‐help groups

  Open Access•Kenneth I Maton, Gerald S Leventhal et al.•American Journal of Community…•1989

  Añadir item

• Constructing Social Problems

  Malcolm Spector, John I Kitsuse•Constructing Social Problems•2017

  Añadir item