Clinicians’ Perspectives on the Use of Robotic Dogs in Therapy for Child Sexual Abuse

Abstract Dog-assisted therapy is associated with improved treatment outcomes for children who have experienced trauma, including child sexual abuse (CSA). However, there are limitations to employing live dogs in therapy (e.g., cost, welfare concerns). Research suggests that robotic dogs may be a viable alternative; however, no published accounts have explored the use of robotic dogs in therapy for CSA survivors. This research aimed to qualitatively explore clinicians’ perspectives on the use of robotic dogs in therapy sessions with CSA survivors, in terms of potential effectiveness, benefits, and limitations. Four clinicians from an organisation that provides treatment to CSA survivors used a robotic dog in their treatment-as-usual sessions with CSA survivors aged between 5—12 years and were then interviewed about their experiences. Thematic qualitative analysis of clinician interviews revealed four main themes: (1) client characteristics that influenced their interest in the robotic dog (e.g., age, shyness); (2) clients’ behavioural interactions with the dog (e.g., cuddling, kicking); (3) robotic dog characteristics (e.g., softness, interactivity, and distractibility); and (4) clinicians’ use of the robotic dog (e.g., for psychoeducation, rapport development). The main reported benefits of the robotic dog were: it was a comfort object for clients, it was useful for psychoeducation, and it helped facilitated the development of therapeutic alliances between clinicians and CSA survivors. Shortcomings included distractibility (e.g., unwanted barking) and lack of technological advancement. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that there are advantages to using robotic dogs in therapy for CSA survivors.