Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse [Paperback]

Dr. Patti Feuereisen Ph.D. (Author), Caroline Pincus (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Invisible Girls speaks the truth of sexual abuse like no other book has dared.”
—LYN MIKEL BROWN, author of Packaging Girlhood, Raising Their Voices, and Girlfighting

“If you are a teenage girl, this book may save your life. Invisible Girls will help you see the truth.”
—KARRIE HIGGINS, Invisible Insurrection

“I want to buy this book and send it overnight express to my friends who have gone through such torments, because I feel it can bring peace and understanding to them.”
—MISS GEORGIA PEACH, singer, The Short Fuses

Product Description

The statistics are staggering.

One in four girls will experience sexual abuse by the time she is sixteen, and 48 percent of all rapes involve a young woman under the age of eighteen. It’s not surprising then, that in a society where sexual abuse of young women is rampant, many women never share their stories. They remain hidden and invisible.

In her pioneering work with young survivors through the last thirty years, Dr. Patti Feuereisen has helped teen girls and young women to find their voices, begin healing, and become visible.

In this revised second edition, Dr. Patti’s gentle guidance and the girls’ powerful stories continue to create an encouraging message: Remarkable healing is possible if girls learn to share their stories in their teens and early twenties. With a new introduction, new chapters, and updated resources, this new edition of Invisible Girls has even more to offer girls, young women, and those who care about them.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Seal Press; Second Edition edition (September 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580053017
• ISBN-13: 978-1580053013
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #753,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Psychologist enthusiastically recommends to parents, teens and colleagues, September 24, 2009

By	Debra Moore, Ph.D. (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)

Within a matter of pages, I realized I'd be enthusiastically recommending this book to colleagues, parents, and teens. Refreshingly free of psychological jargon, it is an easy to digest and realistic portrayal of sexual abuse. More importantly, it is the much needed voice of those who have been there telling us what it's like, how they survived, and what they need to heal and thrive.
The author has been in the trenches with hundreds of girls who have shared their stories of trauma and healing with her. From popular and seemingly confident track stars molested by their coach, to quiet and insecure daughters abused by their fathers and stepfathers, to impoverished and neglected young teens who turn to the streets, Dr. Feuereisen finds common themes among these survivors.
First, the basic premise of her book is that the best way to heal from sexual abuse is to talk about it, and that the best time to talk about it is while you are still young. I agree wholeheartedly, though healing can happen at all ages and it's never too late to speak up. But when we're younger, we're still growing and changing and formulating our view of ourselves. The good news is that teen and young adult girls are resilient and naturals at healing.
Another theme is that families have got to wake up, realize how vulnerable our girls are, and step up to provide protection. Perhaps the greatest insurance against continuing abuse is having a psychologically strong and available mother. Don't' misunderstand - the author isn't blaming mothers for abuse. But she is - with no apologies (and with my support) - holding them accountable for being a role model of strength, openness, and support so that their daughters come to them immediately after even one incident of sexual abuse. The fact is, most therapists will tell you that they have never encountered ongoing sexual abuse in families with genuinely strong mothers who are in tune with their daughters.
If you want to give your daughter an insurance policy against abuse, leave this book lying around for her to see. More importantly, of course, take care of yourself and be the woman you want her to grow into. Insecure? In an unhealthy relationship? Afraid to speak up? Always taking care of everyone but yourself? Your example will truly shape her. Let it empower, not limit.
We always learn best from others who speak from the heart, and this book is full of young women who tell it like it is. They are inspiring, powerful, and the antithesis of "victim". I am grateful to the author for bringing their voices to us.

[...]

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing Book!, October 7, 2009

By	Christy Anway "Unbroken Spirit" (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)

"Invisible Girls" has changed my life. I am a sexual abuse survivor who has had to heal alone for the most part and after reading "Invisible Girls" I know I'm not alone. A lot of the things that I have been through have been addressed in this book and now I am ready to change my life for the better and embark on my road to healing. I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever suffered abuse, or known someone who has. There is help, you are not alone, and you don't have to swallow your hurt and move forward. Dr. Patti is helping us be known in her book, and soon people will have to listen!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recommendation for mother's of elementary school-aged daughters, January 13, 2010

By	Pajarita "The Phillips Phamily" (Vancouver, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Invisible Girls: The Truth about Sexual Abuse (Paperback)

I just got done reading this book a few days ago and it's still swimming around in my brain. I am the mother of elementary school daughters and I found this book to be eye opening. Mothers, we've got to wake up!!! Pursue your daughters' hearts and make sure you are taking care of yourself and are being a healthy role model. Make sure you are available and inviting. I couldn't believe how over and over again the girls in the book would tell their mothers they were abused but their mothers either didn't believe them or want to make waves in the family or wanted their daughters voices to be silenced. If you are a young girl, teen or young woman who has been sexually abused, rest assured that you will find a compassionate voice and an advocate in this book for you.