Thesis, PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (B.A.)--Haverford College, Dept. of Sociology, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48).

D.Litt et.Phil. / Parents, educators, police officers, social workers, psychologists, the courts and child and youth care workers have raised important concerns about the increase of child-on-child sexual abuse among children younger than 12 years and their limited understanding of this phenomenon. New policy and legislation places the emphasis on assessment and intervention that takes account of the rights of children in conflict with the law including victims and the need for the diversion of children from the criminal justice system. The aim and objectives of the study are to explore the nature of child-on-child sexual abuse and their social and familial contexts with the view to making recommendations to inform assessment and intervention for children in conflict with the law. A descriptive and exploratory research design was employed. A mixed methods research design consisting of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used for both the quantitative and qualitative part of the study based on predetermined selection criteria. In the quantitative component of the study, a questionnaire was administered to 50 boys between 6 and 12 years and to their mothers who were referred to The Teddy Bear Clinic for treatment for sexual acting out behaviours. The qualitative study consisted of a detailed analysis of six case files. The information gathered from the document study was over a longer period of time and consisted of more detailed information. O’Brien and Bera’s (1986) classification of young sex offenders guided the social worker’s assessment of the respondents who were in turn classified according to the levels of risk they presented to society. The findings confirm that this phenomenon exists with the youngest perpetrators in this study being six years old (2%). The majority of the respondents (66%) were 12 years of age and were engaged in more severe or intrusive sexualised behaviour such as attempted rape and rape (48%) and less severe behaviour such as touching of genitals (16%). About 60% of the boys were in the senior primary school. Thus this age group which marks the pubescent phase of development should be considered to be a high risk group to child sexual offending.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2001. / Research in the area of child sexual abuse is growing rapidly. A potpourri of literature in this field lacks one very important aspect- the workings of power in relation to abuse. The way in which power is exercised over people, is the most insidious ingredient of distress which sadly affects normal development This research is aimed at studying this core variable in the lives of victims of child sexual abuse. Its special focus is investigating the effect of sexual abuse from the perspective of the 'terrain of power' in which the victims are located. This is achieved by the use of a power-mapping methodology in a group of five victims. With such information a model of helping is displayed which seeks to directly increase power and resources to them. Posttesting in power map form presents the therapeutic gains of this method. Some evaluations of the study and recommendations are drawn from the implications of this thesis.

This study is a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate relationships. How women remain in abusive relationship is explained by how they construct and give meaning to the relationship. Strategies for surviving and resisting the abuse, women's perceptions of the abuse; as well as how they construct communication in the relationship, are discussed. Interviews were conducted with 15 women, who volunteered to participate in this study and self-identified as being involved with a physically abusive partner. All the participants were from a particular low-income, semi-rural community in South Africa. Narrative analysis, with particular emphasis on language and discourse, was conducted on unstructured interviews regarding women's relationships with their partners. Interview topics included daily problems, the presence of drugs or alcohol, communication between partners, and their experiences and responses to violence. Women described the different types of abuse they experienced; how they made sense of it; and their attempts to prevent the abuse from occurring. Women also constructed themselves and their partners within particular gender identities and cultural frameworks. The socio-cultural context provided a filter through which women understood their experiences of abuse. Dominant male and female norms were both adopted and resisted by participants, and expressed when women spoke of their interaction and communication with their partners.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 168-189). / This study is a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of abuse and communication within intimate relationships. How women remain in abusive relationship is explained by how they construct and give meaning to the relationship. Strategies for surviving and resisting the abuse, women's perceptions of the abuse; as well as how they construct communication in the relationship, are discussed. Interviews were conducted with 15 women, who volunteered to participate in this study and self-identified as being involved with a physically abusive partner. All the participants were from a particular low-income, semi-rural community in South Africa. Narrative analysis, with particular emphasis on language and discourse, was conducted on unstructured interviews regarding women's relationships with their partners. Interview topics included daily problems, the presence of drugs or alcohol, communication between partners, and their experiences and responses to violence. Women described the different types of abuse they experienced; how they made sense of it; and their attempts to prevent the abuse from occurring. Women also constructed themselves and their partners within particular gender identities and cultural frameworks. The socio-cultural context provided a filter through which women understood their experiences of abuse. Dominant male and female norms were both adopted and resisted by participants, and expressed when women spoke of their interaction and communication with their partners.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) affects children and their families daily in South Africa. Non-offending caregivers play an important role in their children’s recovery following CSA but there are no interventions to assist caregivers to overcome their emotional reaction to CSA disclosure and to assist them to help children their children recover. In this study, the process of developing a structured support group programme for non-offending caregivers in South Africa is discussed and its value for caregivers assessed. The programme has been developed to fit the needs of non-offending caregivers in South Africa, using an action research approach. The study utilised a mixed-method design, with a one-group pre-test, post-test design to assess the outcome of the psychoeducational support group program. The qualitative data from the psychoeducational support group sessions were used in conjunction with the pre-and post-assessment of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), assessing levels of emotional distress, and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI-4-SF). The support group members were recruited for the study from Teddy Bear Clinic (TBC) and (WMACA) Kidz Clinic. Non-offending caregivers were invited to take part in the psychoeducational support group programme. Over five months, 60 non-offending caregivers were recruited for the study, 13 of whom were screened for the support group intervention and eight agreed to participate in the psychoeducational support group intervention. Two support groups met for eight sessions. Following the implementation of the program, the results from the pre- and post-intervention assessment were analysed and compared, in order to statistically determine the impact of the structured support group programme. Participants’ qualitative experiences during the support group session and feedback regarding their perceived personal benefits from their involvement was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the research indicate that the caregivers experienced significantly less anxiety (p < 0.05), and some improvements in their depression levels (p = 0.58) as measured by the HADS. Of the seven non-offending caregivers six expressed less anxiety and five experiences less depression symptoms after the intervention. Parenting stress did not decrease significantly for the group as a whole, although the total stress (TS) scale score indicated that five of the seven group members experienced less parenting stress after the intervention. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that the support group had value to address the non-offending caregiver’s level of anxiety and depression, as well as to relieve parental stress for some participants. The qualitative results also showed that members learned some parenting skills on how to manage their own and their children’s emotional reaction to CSA. It was found that members who actively participated and attended all the sessions benefitted most. This intervention can fill the gap in treating non-offending caregivers following the disclosure of CSA. It can be implemented in Child abuse treatment centres to assist caregivers to help their children overcome the impact of CSA. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Psychology / MA (Counselling Psychology) / Unrestricted

No description available.

This thesis reports on a discourse analysis of thirteen qualitative interviews with male survivors of sexual abuse. My analysis focuses on participants' changing experiences and understandings of what it means to be 'masculine', and how they saw these having been influenced by the experience of being abused. An important finding was that many participants expressed concern regarding their invisibility as male survivors, noting that contemporary discourses on violence typically position men as its perpetrators, rather than its victims. I analyze the significance of the absence of a discourse of male victimization in terms both of its practical implications for male survivors and its theoretical implications for critical work on hegemonic masculinity. Based on the premise that hegemonic masculinity is a cornerstone of patriarchal systems, I conclude by using the experiences of my participants as a means of exploring the potential for men to experience 'oppression' under patriarchy.