A study of women who are childhood sexual abuse survivors and have been affected by chemical dependency.

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) --University of the North, 2001 / This study is an investigation into the sexual attitudes of incest abuse perpetrators in the Northern Province and attitudes towards their victims (South Africa). Forty-two convicted male incest abuse perpetrators and forty-two professional males nonperpetrators (as control group) participated in the study. The Hanson Sex Attitude Questionnaire was administered to both incest abuse perpetrators and professional males ' nonperpetrator (as control group) to compar':' their attitudes. The questionnaire includes: Sexual Entitle ment scale, Sexy-Children scale, Frustration scale, Affair scale, Sex/ Affection-Confusion scale. and Sexual-Harm scale. A quantitative research approach was followed in the study. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyze the responses. Compared to the control group, the incest abuse perpetrators showed deviant negative attitudes in all the scales : (a) endorsing attitudes supportive to sexua l en title ment, (b) perceiving children to be sexually attractive, (c) being sexually frustrated in their life, (d) confusing sex with affection, (e) minimizing the harm caused by sexual abuse of childre n, and (t) accepting extra-marital affairs. Thus the attitudes of incest abuse perpetrators are significantly unfavorable to the victims. The researcher recommends psychological intervention for the perpetrators to help them adjust to their societal expectations. More job opportunities should be created in the province.

M.A. / This study is an attempt to investigate the way in which female survivors of childhood sexual abuse made sense of their experiences. Three participants were interviewed and the relevant themes that emerged from those interviews were coded and reported. The study was conducted from a qualitative perspective that was grounded in social construction methodology. The survivors' individual constructions of meaning at the time of their sexual abuse, their introduction to the social constructions of meaning about child sexual abuse and the double bind between these constructions are reported. The survivors' narratives are representations of the positive way they constructed meaning about their experiences as a way of coping. Their stories are also reflections of the confusion they experienced when introduced to the social constructions of child sexual abuse that differed from the meaning they attributed to their experiences. The study is a representation of the double bind that the difference between the individual and social constructions of their child sexual abuse created for them.