Thesis (M.S.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1938.

During the last decade, public awareness of and concern about the sexual victimization of children has grown considerably. The number of reports to social service agencies has increased markedly, partly due to legislation in some states which mandates professionals to report suspected child abuse. Clinicians in mental health clinics are also reporting a substantial increase in the number of adult clients, who in the course of their therapies, report histories of childhood sexual victimization. Several books have been published within the past five years, predominantly about incest (e.g., Herman, 1981; Meiselman, 1978; Rush, 1980; Burgess, Groth, Holmstrom, and Sgroi, 1978). Media attention to the issue has increased phenomenally. Incest victims have been interviewed on television and numerous articles have appeared in popular magazines.

M.Ed. / Sexual molestation is a worldwide evil that affects all aspects ,of a child's humanity. It is stated that one out of every four girls and one out of every nine boys in South Africa are exposed to sexual molestation before they reach adulthood. Approximately 75 % of these molestations are committed by people who are well-known to the child and who occupy a position of trust. A disturbed educational relationship deprives a child of actively participating in his own development. It leaves him with a low sense of self-worth so that he feels negative and overwhelmed by the future. Childhood events have an influence on the developing adult and his future thought- and conduct-patterns. It is postulated that, should traumatic events disrupt the normal life cycle, destructive conduct-patterns develop that are detrimental to the individual as well as the broader community. The intervention of the educational psychologist is therefore necessary to break this destructive pattern. Consequently this research was aimed at learning about and understanding the life-world of the sexually molested child. An exploratory, descriptive, contextual and qualitative approach was followed to compile this information. In this research phenomenological interviews and projective techniques were used to involving six children, between the ages of ten and fifteen who were victims of sexual molestation. After the interviews had been recorded on audiotape and transcribed, and the drawings analyzed, the themes were identified and ordered. The results brought the following manifested experiences to light: shame due to own low self-worth; guilt due to a nagging conscience; fury due to violent conduct and humiliation; anxiety and pain due to fear of repetition and disappointment in mankind; distorted perceptions of the future due to deficient guidance by adults. Guidelines for the guidance of sexually molested children by the educational psychologist are discussed in accordance with the above mentioned themes, while Garbers' educational model is also referred to. It is clear that sexual molestation has extensive implications for its victims. It is however believed that these children can achieve personal insight, true healing and maximum inner potential, through the compassionate guidance of the educational psychologist.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 93-107).

Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Alberta, 2010. / "A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Elementary Education, University of Alberta." Title from pdf file main screen (viewed on May 13, 2010) Includes bibliographical references.

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For many early childhood teachers, interacting with children about issues concerning gender and sexuality is fraught with feelings of uneasiness and anxiety. For others, familiarity with research on these topics has resulted in rethinking their approaches to sex, gender, and sexuality in their early childhood classrooms. This inquiry examined the tensions associated with the researcher’s attempts to rethink gendered narratives and childhood sexuality in her own classroom. The study took place over the course of 4 months and involved a traditional public kindergarten classroom. Queer theory and feminist poststructuralism, along with a multi-voiced poststructural autoethnography were used to demonstrate the researcher’s shifting identities and the cultural context that shaped the researcher’s behaviors and perspective. Multivocal autoethnographic narratives were written to illustrate the researcher’s journey between trying on, being in, and becoming a feminist poststructural educator who uncovers and troubles gendered teaching practices in her own early childhood classroom. The following insights resulted from this study: young children actively and knowingly talk about gender and sexuality and do have a considerable amount of sexual knowledge; heterosexuality plays an integral part in children’s everyday experiences; and a lack of equity and inclusion associated with family diversity or queer identities exists in the early childhood classroom. Young children’s access to knowledge about gender, relationships, and sexuality has critical implications for their health and well-being, not only in their early years but also throughout their lives. This knowledge can build children’s competencies and resilience, contributing to new cultural norms of non-violence in gendered and sexual relationships. With a growing diversity in the make-up of families, it is now more critical than ever that teacher training programs move away from a single way of knowing and make room for multiple perspectives, which in turn influence innovative kinds of teaching decisions and practices. This research illustrates that it is possible for early childhood teachers to use feminist poststructuralism and queer theory to deepen their understandings and responses to children’s talk, actions, and play regarding sex, gender, and sexuality and to use these understandings to inform their professional practice.

This study investigates the conceptualisation of child-on-child sexual offenders from the perspective of a group of isiZulu educators. Although a number of studies focusing on child-on-child sexual offenders have been conducted internationally, this is not the case in South Africa. The lack of literature regarding this issue, particularly in the school environment, and the increasing number of child-on-child sexual offenders provided the motivation for the research. Three focus groups were conducted with educators representing three educational environments, namely: educators teaching at a school for mentally retarded children, educators from a rural school and finally educators from township schools. The focus groups were transcribed and then analysed on two levels. Firstly, the data was examined in terms of explicit concepts and were based on concepts previously identified in the literature. The concepts were, quantified by way of a content analysis. In relation to this, four major conceptualisations emerged, each of which were further subdivided. The four major concepts included: 1) child-on-child sexual offending as "abnormal"; 2) childon-child sexual offending as "normal"; 3) the role of acculturation in child-on-child sexual offending; and, 4) the role of educators and the educational system in relation to child-onchild sexual offending. This analysis was useful in that it highlighted common and significant themes among the three focus groups. Secondly, the data was analysed qualitatively and emerging implicit themes examined in greater depth. During this phase a number of strategies that were used by the educators to normalise, relativise and justify the issue of child-on-child sexual offending were identified. The function of these strategies was considered to be a defensive strategy to make the issue of child-on-child sexual offending more tolerable and thus easier to talk about. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

This study investigates the conceptualisation of child-on-child sexual offenders from the perspective of a group of isiZulu educators. Although a number of studies focusing on child-on-child sexual offenders have been conducted internationally, this is not the case in South Africa. The lack of literature regarding this issue, particularly in the school environment, and the increasing number of child-on-child sexual offenders provided the motivation for the research. Three focus groups were conducted with educators representing three educational environments, namely: educators teaching at a school for mentally retarded children, educators from a rural school and finally educators from township schools. The focus groups were transcribed and then analysed on two levels. Firstly, the data was examined in terms of explicit concepts and were based on concepts previously identified in the literature. The concepts were, quantified by way of a content analysis. In relation to this, four major conceptualisations emerged, each of which were further subdivided. The four major concepts included: 1) child-on-child sexual offending as "abnormal"; 2) child- on-child sexual offending as "normal"; 3) the role of acculturation in child-on-child sexual offending; and, 4) the role of educators and the educational system in relation to child-on- child sexual offending. This analysis was useful in that it highlighted common and significant themes among the three focus groups. Secondly, the data was analysed qualitatively and emerging implicit themes examined in greater depth. During this phase a number of strategies that were used by the educators to normalise, relativise and justify the issue of child-on-child sexual offending were identified. The function of these strategies was considered to be a defensive strategy to make the issue of child-on-child sexual offending more tolerable and thus easier to talk about. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p.137-143).