The nurse is caring for a 9-year-old client who was sexually abused by a minister. The child's parents are angry and confused as to why someone who was sexually attracted to children would choose to go into the ministry. The nurse explains that displacement of sexual drives into socially acceptable activities is a defence mechanism known as which of the following?

Question

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Sublimation is a defense mechanism in which unacceptable impulses or drives are transformed into socially acceptable activities or behaviors. In this case, the abuser may have chosen a career in the ministry as a means to displace his or her sexual drives into a socially acceptable role.

The Nurse Is Caring for a 9-Year-Old Client Who Was