Includes bibliographical references / False child sexual abuse allegations in divorce and custody proceedings are a disconcerting problem in South Africa having devastating effects on the family unit going through a divorce, and on society as a whole. Limited research has been done in South Africa on the subject matter (Janse Van Rensburg, 2008; McDonald, 1998; Preller, 2014).This study utilize General System's Theory, the Theory of Reasoned Action, the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Crisis Theory to explore the subject matter. An explorative qualitative approach with a constructivist epistemology was utilised. The participants in this study involved thirty key informants, who included social workers, psychologists, counsellors and other professionals who specialise in divorce, custody and sexual abuse matters. A further five falsely accused parents and five accusing parents formed part of the sample. The data collection method used was that of in-depth interviews and research assistants were trained and appointed to gather the information. Notes were taken and the interviews were recorded to enable the necessary data analysis. Content and thematic data analyses were used to analyse the data and obtain the necessary results. The research findings indicate that false child sexual abuse allegations have a detrimental effect on the accused parent and explain the agony, severe trauma and emotional distress the falsely accused parent go through. There are various factors contributing towards false child sexual abuse allegations and results show that the impact of such allegations is11detrimental to the family system, the child and the falsely accused parent and brings disequilibrium to the family system that is very difficult to restore post-divorce. The mental health perspective on false child sexual abuse paints a rather bleak picture of the legal and social system and on adequately addressing the social issues at hand. Results highlight that false allegations are a complicated phenomenon and not all professionals nor the courts have the necessary skills to deal adequately with these matters. Research recommends amendments to South African Policy and Legislation, changes to the South African court system, and capacity building of mental health professionals. As this research is a ground-breaking study in South Africa, as no scientific research has been published on the subject matter, this study should be used as a basis for future research studies.

Bibliography: leaf 143-164. / In providing a guide for the use of lay counsellors or professional helpers in assisting the sexually assaulted woman, the importance of understanding the social context in which the assault occurs is emphasised as fundamental in aiding the woman to recover with minimal after-effects in a relatively brief time. The subjective experience of the woman is described, attention being paid to the wide range of sexually assaultive experiences which can occur, with varying effects. The two main elements involved are intimidation (or violence) and bodily intrusions with sexual connotations, in varying combinations. Using the crisis intervention model as framework, because of its accessibility to a wide range of helpers, and its relevance to the acute stress reaction following assault, the psychological effects and practical issues which affect the woman and her important social support networks are outlined. The therapeutic intervention is described, paying attention to helper-related issues, the problems of the woman herself and the likely problems for her significant others. The aim is to facilitate the woman's resumption of pre-crisis levels of psychosocial functioning by providing appropriate supportive understanding, anticipatory guidance and practical information, and facilitating the woman's own adaptive strategies, making use of all available resources, to maximise her recovery potential. Situations in which crisis intervention strategies are inadequate are described to enable the helper to make decisions regarding referral of the woman for more skilled and intensive therapeutic intervention; this too, must take cognisance of the social context of sexual assault. Recommendations are made regarding further research, and the development of existing, and of new facilities to aid the sexually assaulted woman and to reduce the incidence and traumatic after-effects of these encounters. Finally, case material is appended to illustrate the themes discussed.

Social attitudes towards child sexual abuse (CSA) tend to reflect a wide variety of misconceptions. These not only play a highly significant role in the etiology and maintenance of sexual offending against children, they also contribute to under reporting and promote the silence that generally surrounds CSA. They further predict unfair treatment of victims, and compromise adaptive resolution in both victim and offender. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of misconceptions surrounding CSA amongst the general public of Durban in South Africa. A further purpose was to explore differences in rates of myth endorsement in this context, firstly between males and females, and secondly between two levels of education. The research design was conceptualised within a positivist paradigm with the use of quantitative data collected through questionnaire method. The research instrument was developed by the researcher within the framework of four empirical studies, with input from two professors with extensive research experience. The sample consisted of members and staff of a public library; clothing factory workers; staff in two elementary schools; and employees in a retail outlet. The research sites were located in three different geographical areas of the city to maximise generalisation of findings. Although previous studies have indicated high rates of myth endorsement amongst the general public and gender differences in rates of myth endorsement, the present study xiv did not yield significant results in these two areas. This may have been due to the composition of the sample which was largely representative of educators and other school personnel (n = 80). This population has more exposure to victims of CSA than the average member of the public, and may well have a wider knowledge in issues surrounding CSA, as a consequence of this. In terms of differences in rates of myth endorsement according to levels of education, findings in this study have indicated a higher rate of myth endorsement in those with a lower level of education. This is consistent with findings in previous studies amongst the general public in the USA and Australia. This suggests a priority for the development of programs to disseminate accurate information in issues surrounding CSA at all levels of public education. The literature additionally indicates an urgent need for the development and implementation of comprehensive programs to elucidate issues in CSA amongst the general public. It has been suggested that these public programs be based on the educational initiatives employed in antismoking campaigns, since these have proven efficacy. / National Research Foundation

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This descriptive study explored whether women in substance abuse treatment who report a history of sexual and/or physical abuse have different drug use profiles than women who do not report such abuse. The data originated from a NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) study designed to evaluate the effects of different treatment modalities in inpatient substance abuse treatment for women. The study compared the drug profiles of women in four areas: drug of choice, frequency of use, problem severity, and level of psychological problems. The following groups were compared: 1) women who did not report abuse, 2) women who reported physical abuse only, 3) women who reported sexual abuse only, and 4) women who reported physical and sexual abuse. The study did not find significant differences in either drug choice, problem severity, or frequency of drug use. In the area of psychological problems, the study did find a significant difference in interpersonal sensitivity between participants who reported a sexual abuse history vs. the other abuse groups. This finding suggests that women with a sexual abuse history are more mistrustful in their relationships with others, and this may suggest that group treatment will be more difficult for sexually abused women than individual treatment. Overall, the findings may also suggest abused women do not need different drug or alcohol treatment approaches than non-abused women although it does not preclude attention to the effects of their abuse. / Master of Science

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