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Personality patterns of sexually abused female adolescent runaways are compared to personality patterns of physically abused female adolescent runaways. Eighty-six female adolescents from 13 to 17 years of age completed a self report inventory to determine personality traits. To test the hypotheses of the study, a multivariate analysis of variance was conducted, followed with univariate tests to find differences on separate dependent measures. Results indicated that on the Jesness Inventory there may be a common personality pattern associated with abuse. Univariate tests yielded data which indicated that although there may be a general personality pattern for abused adolescents, there were significant differences between the physically and sexually abused adolescents on some personality variables. Results were evaluated taking into account the selective sample from which the population was drawn. Recommendations for future research included the use of projectives, a more comprehensive personality inventory, and selected demographics.

Reported cases of incest in Multnomah County, Oregon, as in the rest of the country, are increasing yearly. Effective networking between agencies is important in order to successfully work with the problem. The research problem of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the present network of agencies working with incest in Multnomah County. In order to evaluate network effectiveness the following objectives were established: to provide a "cultural" description of the major components of the Multnomah County network; to determine whether a common definition of incest among practitioners exists and to compare the networking system in this county with others throughout the country.

Abstract not available

Abstract not available

In the United States, there are advocacy groups that support sexual relationships between adults and children. These groups use justifications that make pedophile behaviors seem normal and appropriate. This thesis describes the physical, emotional, and psychological harms that result from child sexual abuse. The reader will understand how prominent child sexual abuse is and how it takes a lot of effort for abusers to take advantage of children. There are many psychological resources available to children and their families, but it does not make sexual abuse okay for society to ignore. The justifications used by pedophile advocates are irrational and should be fought against by society.

Amb un cens de 952 casos de nens tutelats, extraiem una mostra de 377 casos per estudiar l’eficàcia, eficiència i pautes en les seqüències de mesures tècniques aplicades. Les mesures estudiades són: PAPF (Proposta d’Atenció en la Pròpia Família), PAFE (Proposta d’Acolliment en Família Extensa), PAFA (Proposta d’Acolliment en Família Aliena), PAPA (Proposta d’Acolliment Preadoptiu) i PCRAE (Proposta d’Acolliment en Centre Residencial). Les propostes fetes pels Centres d’Acolliment (CA) es distribueixen així: PCRAE: 75%; PAPF: 11%; PAFE: 6%; PAFA: 6%; i PAPA: 2 Cada mesura és seguida per un equip de territori, el qual verifica el seu compliment i la modifica per una altra mesura si la primera no resulta eficaç. EFICÀCIA Considerem màxim grau d’eficàcia quan la mesura produeix el cessament de la tutela per desaparició de la situació de desemparament. En segon grau, quan calen més mesures, si la mesura consecutiva clarifica la posició del nen respecte d’una família, sigui apropant-lo als seus adults, o sigui separant-lo clarament, atesa l’ incapacitat definitiva d’aquests de recuperar-lo. No podem comparar l’eficàcia de les mesures entre sí atès llurs diferents condicions de partida. Hem pres llavors com a criteri la mitjana d’eficàcia de totes les mesures en la seva primera aplicació: Mesura exitosa 1ª aplicació / Nombre de casos d’aplicació mesura ~ Total mesures 1ª aplicació / Total de casos La distribució final d’eficàcies queda així: Acolliment preadoptiu: 80%; Atenció en pròpia família: 72%; Acolliment en família extensa: 63%; Acolliment en família aliena: 55%; Acolliment en centre residencial: 19%: Mitjana d’eficàcia de totes les mesures en primera aplicació: 28% ITINERARIS Estudiem dos itineraris: l’ originat per la mesura proposada pel Centre d’Acolliment, objecte principal d’aquest estudi i l’itinerari retrospectiu a partir de la mesura proposada per l’equip de territori. Aquest segon itinerari ens permet detectar la relació existent entre propostes del Centres d’Acolliment i dels Equips de territori, (EAIA). CONCLUSIONS El percentatge de mesures d’acolliment familiars puja i l’acolliment residencial baixa. L’ increment més rellevant és el de l’acolliment preadoptiu (600%) i el de l’atenció a pròpia família (272%). Moltes propostes CRAE esdevenen mesures familiars en territori. Els itineraris de propostes CRAE reflecteixen que els CA no acaben la feina de proposar mesures familiars i que la deixen als equips de territori. La conclusió de la recerca afirma que l’existència de dos tipus de centres impedeix la fita de la mesura única que resoldria el desemparament. D’una banda els CA, amb limitacions de temps que sovint incompleixen i de l’altra els CRAE, acollint nens que “esperen” famílies, pròpies, d’acollida o preadoptives o com a mesura alternativa a una mesura anterior fracassada. Els equips de territori proposen més mesures familiars que els CA, possible efecte pervers del sistema de doble xarxa de centres. El cost anyal per nen en un CA és de 37.793,46€ mentre la plaça anyal per nen en un CRAE és de 30.185,85, és a dir que el cost de la plaça en CA és superior en 7607,61€ anyals al de la plaça CRAE. La nostra conclusió final és que el sistema actual es veuria considerablement millorat si els casos no fossin per defecte particionats entre dos equips, l’equip tècnic del Centre d’Acolliment i l’EAIA del territori general. El sistema actual sembla dissenyat a l’estil “del metge de capçalera i l’especialista”, aquest símil però no s’escau amb la realitat del sistema. Els equips de territori i els CA són especialistes, només canvia l’enfocament, més socioeducatiu en l’EAIA i més terapèutic en el CA, sense que totes dues dimensions de la intervenció psicosocial no hi siguin necessàries. / From a census of 952 cases of children in care, a sample of 377 cases is drawn to study the effectiveness, efficiency and patterns in the sequences of technical measures applied. The technical measures are: Care in own family. Kinship foster care. Foster family. Peadoptive family. Residential Centre. Between 1984 and 2005, years covered by this study, three out of four children of a CA went to a long staying residential centre. Effectiveness The higher degree of effectiveness comes from the disappearance of the situation of helplessness produced by the applied measure. When more measures are required if the following measure clarifies the child’s position in respect of one family, getting the child closer to his adults or separating him clearly from the, given the inability to recover him. We cannot compare the effectiveness of different measures to each other as their starting conditions are different, but we have taken as a criterion the average efficacy of all measures in their first application: The final distribution of efficacies is as follows: Pre-adoptive foster care: 80% Attention own family: 72% Kinship foster care: 63% Foster care: 55% Residential care: 19% Average effectiveness of the measures in the first application: 28% Itineraries We detect patterns in consecutive applied measures. We study two routes: the one beginning with the measure proposed by the protection centre and the retrospective one from the measure proposed by the team of territory to the proposed by the centre.

The research study described and explored families’ protection of children from sexual abuse as perceived and experienced by families and community leaders in KwaNzimakwe, KwaZulu-Natal. A social construction and ecosystems perspective was utilised in order to understand the effects of perceptions and socio-cultural factors. The tribal area of KwaNzimakwe provided a context for the study to investigate socio-cultural factors that increase vulnerability among children in post apartheid South Africa. Limited empirical data was however found in relation to locally relevant factors pertinent to families’ protection of children from sexual abuse. The perspective of families and the community was ascertained through the use of qualitative methods of data collection. Ten individual interviews were conducted with family members who had past experiences of child sexual abuse and five focus group discussions were carried out with parents and community leaders. The research revealed misconceptions in relation to child sexual abuse with regards to (1) the definition (2) detection (3) awareness of potential risks. Child sexual abuse was found to be a hidden issue as families protect their name and the community perceive it to be a private matter. The study also showed that families do not report cases of child sexual abuse due to mistrust in the child protection system. Other main findings were that insufficiencies in the child protection system and stigma in the community have detrimental effects on families and victims. The absence of men in families and the absence of adults in the lives of children were found to significantly weaken families’ protection of children from sexual abuse. The study attributed this to factors such as poverty, gender roles and perceptions of men. The study recommends further research on the topic and prevention programmes in South Africa with particular reference to strengthening families and community based approaches. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2012.

It was recommended by the American Psychological Association and the American Bar Association in October 1999, that the time had come for psychologists to do more than act as expert witnesses, and that their influence should be felt " ... at the first level of intervention" (Foxhall, 2000, p. 1). The first level of intervention is considered, in this study, to be the decision-making process. This research examines the decision-making processes used by four of the disciplines integral to the child abuse multi-disciplinary team. Social workers, child protection officers of the South African Police Services, psychologists and prosecutors currently involved in the child abuse arena in South Africa were given case vignettes to anchor their decision-making on simulated examples. On the basis of these in-depth interviews, using a Grounded Theory methodology, three specific questions are addressed, namely: how decisions are made and substantiated; how they differ across disciplines; and how they compare to recommended protocol. Results indicate interesting differences across these four disciplines. The differences between the decision-making processes in the disciplines seem to be rooted in their philosophical tenets, which give rise to specific aims in addressing child abuse. Differences between the decision-making processes and recommended protocol were also noted in cases where guidelines are available. In addition differences in expected outcomes of the vignettes, use ofassumptions and a level of mistrust between professionals was shown. If this research can help to sensitise professionals to begin to understand their own decision-making processes and those of their fellow decision-makers, then perhaps key role players and policy makers may be one step closer to responding to the challenge of child sexual abuse in South Africa. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2002.

Child sexual abuse and its potential negative psychological effects exists the world over. In view of the unique history of South Africa, characterised by inequality and incumbent socio-economic ills, a history of CSA is likely to add to a tapestry of cultural, political, social and economic afflictions for a great number of affected adolescents. Additionally, HIV/AIDS estimates indicate that a growing number of children are infected and orphaned daily. The present research therefore investigated the prevalence of child sexual abuse and explored the relationship between a history of sexual abuse and psychological adjustment, in South African adolescents. The sample included 330 Grade 9 learners from two high schools in the rural, urban and peri-urban areas of KwaZulu-Natal. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data related to experiences of abuse. To assess adjustment, the Reynolds Adolescent Adjustment Scale Inventory was also incorporated into the questionnaire. The current study showed a 57.6% prevalence rate of sexual abuse amongst the sample. There were no statistically significant differences between sexually abused adolescents and those without a history of abuse on the psychological adjustment scale. However, there was a significant association between gender, age at time of abuse, being abused by a step-parent, late disclosure, and interface with the police, in relation to psychological adjustment problems. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.