Thesis (M. A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Child sexual abuse is a social and health issue that occurs across cultures globally. The central concern to it is disclosure. Children and their caregivers do not easily disclose or report child sexual abuse due to a variety of influences. This study was qualitative in nature and its aim was to explore the influence of socio-cultural practices amongst the Venda speaking people towards the disclosure of child sexual abuse. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants who possess intensive knowledge of Venda culture. Data was collected from fifteen (15) participants through the use of semi-structured in-depth interviews which were guided by an interview schedule with open ended questions. This study has used both ecological and socio-cultural theories to zoom into the nature of child sexual abuse and socio-cultural practices which have an influence in disclosing this social and health phenomenon in Venda. The findings show that Venda speaking caregivers have contradictory knowledge with regard to what constitutes child sexual abuse. Traditionally, caregivers are assigned the duty of taking care of children, therefore, it becomes difficult to draw a line between abuse and traditional duty. Forceful sexual intercourse, pornography and sexual grooming, and sexual violence were acknowledged as child sexual abuse. The findings of this study have shown that disclosure of child sexual is dependent on the social and cultural contexts within which people live. It was found that disclosure hardly occurs because of fear of bringing shame into the family name and its dignity. The findings also show that socialisation of children inevitably brings social gender-role expectations that make it difficult for male children to disclose their sexual abuse experiences for fear of being perceived to be more feminine than masculine. Children learn from initiation schools to be strong and brave. This makes it difficult for disclosure of child sexual abuse to take place. Cultural norms of secrecy inhabits disclosure to take place amongst the Venda speaking people because of fear of being reprimanded. The findings have shown that disclosure hardly takes place because of lack of child-parent open discussion about sex related matters. Child-perpetrator relationship was found to determine viii disclosure. It is difficult to disclose intra-familial child sexual abuse for fear of dividing the family. The study also revealed that because of the patriarchal system, the majority of women do not disclose child sexual abuse because they are afraid of losing financial support as they mostly depend on their husbands financially. It is therefore recommended that awareness campaigns be continuously conducted with the aim of capacitating the Venda speaking people with in-depth knowledge with regard to child sexual abuse and its disclosure. Caregivers should work to improve relationships with their children. Schools should improve programmes that educate children about sexual matters. Different stakeholders should work together to bring about the environment that enables women to participate in the economic sector so that they can be financially dependent. This is because it was found that disclosure of child sexual abuse can be inhibited due to their financial dependency to their husbands. Community dialogues could also be helpful in shifting the mindset associated with gender roles and social expectations.

Thesis deals with sexual abuse. Theoretical part defines sexual abuse first, describes forms, perpetrators and victims. The next step is description of sexual abuse as a traumatic event and traumatic process. Short-term and long-term consequences are discussed. Empirical part deals with specific phenomenon in adult's life with experience of sexual abuse. Grounded theory and case studies are used to find specific areas of interest in sexually abused persons. Results find several phenomenon in adult's life of sexually abused persons.

The goal of the study is to develop a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effect of childhood sexual abuse. South Africa has one of the highest prevalence rates for child sexual abuse, and professionals working with children are consequently faced with the phenomenon on an increasing scale. Many professionals find themselves ill-equipped to address the effect of sexual abuse on the child, and the lack of an integrated understanding of the phenomenon seems to exacerbate this need. In order to effectively address the effect of sexual abuse on the child, professionals need a holistic understanding of this phenomenon and its effects, as well as a clear outline of the necessary interventions. The thesis consists of five sections, which can be outlined as follows: Section A consists of the problem statement, the research questions, the research objective, the general theoretical assumption and the theoretical approach. It includes the research methodology, the limitations of the research, definitions of the key terms and the selection and structure of the dissertation. The research focused on the following specific objectives stemming from the problem statement: -To conduct a thorough literature study on various aspects pertaining to childhood sexual abuse in order to form a holistic, well-researched perspective on the phenomenon of childhood sexual abuse and the available evidence-based interventions in the sexual abuse of children; -To develop a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effect of childhood sexual abuse; -To subject the prototype of the proposed intervention model to peer review in order to determine its strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary adaptations to the model prior to its final dissemination. Section B consists of four articles, in which the goals of the research, the outcomes of the literature study and the empirical study are reported. Each article is dealt with as a self-contained unit focusing on a specific aspect of the research and contributing to the collection of data necessary for the design and evaluation of the proposed intervention model. Article 1 Knowledge of the legislation pertaining to sexual abuse is imperative for health care professionals working with a child who has been sexually abused. This article provides a critical analysis of those aspects of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, relevant to the health care professional. The shortcomings of the Act and the practical implications of these for healthcare professionals is pointed out. Focus also falls on the relevant sections of the Childcare Act, 38 of 2005 and how these sections complement the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 32 of 2007). Article 2 In order to effectively help traumatised children to achieve positive outcomes, professionals must have a clearly-defined methodology, underpinned by theory and based on an integrated approach. The first step towards this is clearly to redefine the phenomenon of child sexual abuse. As sexual abuse is both a legal and a psychosocial phenomenon, the authors are of the opinion that a more integrative definition is necessary in the South African context. The information in this article therefore aims to provide health care professionals with an integrative definition that takes into account both the South African legal definition of sexual abuse and the underlying psychosocial factors associated with it.Article 3 Sexual abuse is a phenomenon with far-reaching effects. This article provides a holistic look at the effects of sexual abuse from an ecological systems perspective. The effect of sexual abuse on the child as the focus of the microsystems is emphasized, as well as the effects on the parents or the child’s caregiver as the mesosystem. The article further considers the interactive dynamics between the different systems and explains how each system can contribute to either mitigating or exacerbating the effects of abuse on the child. Article 4 The research goal of this article is to develop and evaluate a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effects of child sexual abuse. The intervention model was developed from the results of the previous articles as well as an in-depth literature study on existing therapeutic interventions. To fulfil the aim of this article, the following objectives are set: -To give an outline of the research methodology underlying the study; -To discuss the problem analysis and project plan; -To outline the intervention model for mitigating the effects of child sexual abuse; -To discuss the research findings on the proposed model. Section C gives a summary of the most important findings and conclusions regarding the research in general. It also contains recommendations and points to the contribution made to the specific field of study. Section D consists of the addenda to the research report, for example, the different instruments of measurement and the questionnaires. Section E concludes the thesis with summarized references. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Dealing with child sexual abuse cases, is an integral part of the social workers job. Due to the nature of the abuse and the provisions made by the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005, as amended, to safeguard the child victim, many social workers remove children of child sexual abuse cases and place them in alternative care. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of social workers on the reasons why child sexual abuse cases in alternative care is not finalized. Some of the factors that play a role in not finalising these cases are: the high case loads of the courts and social workers, the lack of cooperation from the South African Police Service, the notion that if a child is removed, the child is safe and further intervention is a luxury. This study reveals that there is a lack in training and adequate knowledge on how to deal with child sexual abuse cases. The study also indicates that a lack of communication between the role players in child sexual abuse cases exists, causing some social workers to lose their drive for these cases. Due to the high amount of cases of the Police, the courts and the social workers, these cases are not always seen as a priority and the fact that the child is not as adequate a witness as he/she needs to be, finalising these cases are not very successful. Another reality made known from this study, is that there is a dire need for forensic social workers in the field and alongside it, there is a lack of funds, prohibiting social workers to make use of the few forensic social workers in private practice. It was indicated that forum meetings and training be provided to all the stake holders in child sexual abuse cases, as well as to develop a clear protocol, indicating how to deal with these cases and explain each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Working with sexually abused children and conducting forensic assessments is a difficult task for many professionals working in the field of child sexual abuse. In this specialised field, it is imperative that professionals are aware of the disclosure process, as well as what contributes to, or hampers the disclosure of sexual abuse. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the disclosure of sexual abuse during middle childhood years from a forensic social work perspective. Research indicates that there are numerous factors that can play a role in the disclosure of sexual abuse, but that there are still shortcomings about disclosure in literature. The researcher adopted a qualitative approach to explore the disclosure patterns of sexual abuse during middle childhood with professionals working in the field of forensic social work. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals who have experience in forensic social work. The interviews focused on the disclosure patterns of children during middle childhood, as well as the relationship with the perpetrator, the responses of the caregiver that is characterised by shock and denial, how long children take to disclose sexual abuse, the relationship between the caregiver and the child concerned, as well as recommendations in the context of forensic social work and the disclosure of sexual abuse. The data from the semi-structured interviews was analysed and divided into themes and subthemes, which were further described and linked with the relevant literature. It became clear that the disclosure of child sexual abuse is a complex phenomenon, which is valuable when working in the forensic context. The disclosure process was explored, and certain factors were highlighted that contribute to the disclosure of sexual abuse, as well as factors that hamper disclosure. Some of these factors include intra- and extra-familial abuse, the developmental stage of the child concerned, negative responses from the caregiver, the presence of threats and grooming as characteristics of the relationship between the child and the perpetrator, positive attachment with a caregiver that contributes to disclosure and the highly individualised cases of child sexual abuse. The respondents also made practical recommendations regarding disclosure and indicated how important it is to have the necessary training in order to handle the disclosure of sexual abuse in the correct manner. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The researcher is a member of the South African Police Service, attached to Family violence, Child protection and Sexual Offences Unit in the Eastern Cape, dealing with victims of child sexual abuse. It had come to the researcher’s attention that some children are being sexually abused by family relatives and some are sexually abused by the known people for different reasons which are based on their beliefs and knowledge about child sexual abuse. Most of these cases are of children who are living in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape. The numbers of such cases are increasing in Ngqeleni, Libode, Mqanduli, Mthatha and Lusikisiki; hence the study is based on those areas of the Eastern Cape. The people living in these areas speak isiXhosa. No study known of such has been conducted in this geographic area; it appears that this problem was never brought to light, at all. This matter of child sexual abuse in these areas was never addressed. The aim of the research is to know more about the beliefs and knowledge of isiXhosa-speaking people regarding child sexual abuse in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, and also to look at the strategies and programmes that can be implemented in order to make parents, children and the community at large of isiXhosa-speaking areas aware of child sexual abuse. Purposive sampling was conducted with Forensic Social workers at the South African Police Service, Social workers at Department of Social Development, and Social workers at Umtata Child Abuse Resource Centre, parents dealing with children and community members that are members of Lekgotla. The research done in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape shows that the isiXhosa-speaking people of the rural areas of the Eastern Cape have little knowledge of child sexual abuse and those that indeed do know what to do are obstructed by their beliefs about child sexual abuse; hence they do not report it and some do not consider it as being sexual abuse. The people concerned working in these areas are afraid to report incidents of child abuse, thinking that they will lose their job should they report the incidents to law enforcement agencies or to social workers. The study shows that neither awareness programmes were presented nor any education done in these areas about child sexual abuse. Children in these areas are vulnerable due to ignorance, lack of knowledge, beliefs of their parents and the beliefs of the perpetrators and their lack knowledge. There is a vast need for extended programmes, awareness and education projects to be conducted by the social workers in Government and Non-Government organizations in the remote areas, at school, and in the communities of these areas. Teachers at pre-school and primary school levels and parents need to be educated on child sexual abuse. This study addressed the issue of child sexual abuse looking at the beliefs of isiXhosa-speaking people. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The goal of the study is to develop a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effect of childhood sexual abuse. South Africa has one of the highest prevalence rates for child sexual abuse, and professionals working with children are consequently faced with the phenomenon on an increasing scale. Many professionals find themselves ill-equipped to address the effect of sexual abuse on the child, and the lack of an integrated understanding of the phenomenon seems to exacerbate this need. In order to effectively address the effect of sexual abuse on the child, professionals need a holistic understanding of this phenomenon and its effects, as well as a clear outline of the necessary interventions. The thesis consists of five sections, which can be outlined as follows: Section A consists of the problem statement, the research questions, the research objective, the general theoretical assumption and the theoretical approach. It includes the research methodology, the limitations of the research, definitions of the key terms and the selection and structure of the dissertation. The research focused on the following specific objectives stemming from the problem statement: -To conduct a thorough literature study on various aspects pertaining to childhood sexual abuse in order to form a holistic, well-researched perspective on the phenomenon of childhood sexual abuse and the available evidence-based interventions in the sexual abuse of children; -To develop a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effect of childhood sexual abuse; -To subject the prototype of the proposed intervention model to peer review in order to determine its strengths and weaknesses and make the necessary adaptations to the model prior to its final dissemination. Section B consists of four articles, in which the goals of the research, the outcomes of the literature study and the empirical study are reported. Each article is dealt with as a self-contained unit focusing on a specific aspect of the research and contributing to the collection of data necessary for the design and evaluation of the proposed intervention model. Article 1 Knowledge of the legislation pertaining to sexual abuse is imperative for health care professionals working with a child who has been sexually abused. This article provides a critical analysis of those aspects of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, relevant to the health care professional. The shortcomings of the Act and the practical implications of these for healthcare professionals is pointed out. Focus also falls on the relevant sections of the Childcare Act, 38 of 2005 and how these sections complement the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act, 32 of 2007). Article 2 In order to effectively help traumatised children to achieve positive outcomes, professionals must have a clearly-defined methodology, underpinned by theory and based on an integrated approach. The first step towards this is clearly to redefine the phenomenon of child sexual abuse. As sexual abuse is both a legal and a psychosocial phenomenon, the authors are of the opinion that a more integrative definition is necessary in the South African context. The information in this article therefore aims to provide health care professionals with an integrative definition that takes into account both the South African legal definition of sexual abuse and the underlying psychosocial factors associated with it.Article 3 Sexual abuse is a phenomenon with far-reaching effects. This article provides a holistic look at the effects of sexual abuse from an ecological systems perspective. The effect of sexual abuse on the child as the focus of the microsystems is emphasized, as well as the effects on the parents or the child’s caregiver as the mesosystem. The article further considers the interactive dynamics between the different systems and explains how each system can contribute to either mitigating or exacerbating the effects of abuse on the child. Article 4 The research goal of this article is to develop and evaluate a structured play therapy intervention model to mitigate the effects of child sexual abuse. The intervention model was developed from the results of the previous articles as well as an in-depth literature study on existing therapeutic interventions. To fulfil the aim of this article, the following objectives are set: -To give an outline of the research methodology underlying the study; -To discuss the problem analysis and project plan; -To outline the intervention model for mitigating the effects of child sexual abuse; -To discuss the research findings on the proposed model. Section C gives a summary of the most important findings and conclusions regarding the research in general. It also contains recommendations and points to the contribution made to the specific field of study. Section D consists of the addenda to the research report, for example, the different instruments of measurement and the questionnaires. Section E concludes the thesis with summarized references. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Dealing with child sexual abuse cases, is an integral part of the social workers job. Due to the nature of the abuse and the provisions made by the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005, as amended, to safeguard the child victim, many social workers remove children of child sexual abuse cases and place them in alternative care. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of social workers on the reasons why child sexual abuse cases in alternative care is not finalized. Some of the factors that play a role in not finalising these cases are: the high case loads of the courts and social workers, the lack of cooperation from the South African Police Service, the notion that if a child is removed, the child is safe and further intervention is a luxury. This study reveals that there is a lack in training and adequate knowledge on how to deal with child sexual abuse cases. The study also indicates that a lack of communication between the role players in child sexual abuse cases exists, causing some social workers to lose their drive for these cases. Due to the high amount of cases of the Police, the courts and the social workers, these cases are not always seen as a priority and the fact that the child is not as adequate a witness as he/she needs to be, finalising these cases are not very successful. Another reality made known from this study, is that there is a dire need for forensic social workers in the field and alongside it, there is a lack of funds, prohibiting social workers to make use of the few forensic social workers in private practice. It was indicated that forum meetings and training be provided to all the stake holders in child sexual abuse cases, as well as to develop a clear protocol, indicating how to deal with these cases and explain each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Working with sexually abused children and conducting forensic assessments is a difficult task for many professionals working in the field of child sexual abuse. In this specialised field, it is imperative that professionals are aware of the disclosure process, as well as what contributes to, or hampers the disclosure of sexual abuse. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the disclosure of sexual abuse during middle childhood years from a forensic social work perspective. Research indicates that there are numerous factors that can play a role in the disclosure of sexual abuse, but that there are still shortcomings about disclosure in literature. The researcher adopted a qualitative approach to explore the disclosure patterns of sexual abuse during middle childhood with professionals working in the field of forensic social work. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with professionals who have experience in forensic social work. The interviews focused on the disclosure patterns of children during middle childhood, as well as the relationship with the perpetrator, the responses of the caregiver that is characterised by shock and denial, how long children take to disclose sexual abuse, the relationship between the caregiver and the child concerned, as well as recommendations in the context of forensic social work and the disclosure of sexual abuse. The data from the semi-structured interviews was analysed and divided into themes and subthemes, which were further described and linked with the relevant literature. It became clear that the disclosure of child sexual abuse is a complex phenomenon, which is valuable when working in the forensic context. The disclosure process was explored, and certain factors were highlighted that contribute to the disclosure of sexual abuse, as well as factors that hamper disclosure. Some of these factors include intra- and extra-familial abuse, the developmental stage of the child concerned, negative responses from the caregiver, the presence of threats and grooming as characteristics of the relationship between the child and the perpetrator, positive attachment with a caregiver that contributes to disclosure and the highly individualised cases of child sexual abuse. The respondents also made practical recommendations regarding disclosure and indicated how important it is to have the necessary training in order to handle the disclosure of sexual abuse in the correct manner. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The researcher is a member of the South African Police Service, attached to Family violence, Child protection and Sexual Offences Unit in the Eastern Cape, dealing with victims of child sexual abuse. It had come to the researcher’s attention that some children are being sexually abused by family relatives and some are sexually abused by the known people for different reasons which are based on their beliefs and knowledge about child sexual abuse. Most of these cases are of children who are living in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape. The numbers of such cases are increasing in Ngqeleni, Libode, Mqanduli, Mthatha and Lusikisiki; hence the study is based on those areas of the Eastern Cape. The people living in these areas speak isiXhosa. No study known of such has been conducted in this geographic area; it appears that this problem was never brought to light, at all. This matter of child sexual abuse in these areas was never addressed. The aim of the research is to know more about the beliefs and knowledge of isiXhosa-speaking people regarding child sexual abuse in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape, and also to look at the strategies and programmes that can be implemented in order to make parents, children and the community at large of isiXhosa-speaking areas aware of child sexual abuse. Purposive sampling was conducted with Forensic Social workers at the South African Police Service, Social workers at Department of Social Development, and Social workers at Umtata Child Abuse Resource Centre, parents dealing with children and community members that are members of Lekgotla. The research done in the rural areas of the Eastern Cape shows that the isiXhosa-speaking people of the rural areas of the Eastern Cape have little knowledge of child sexual abuse and those that indeed do know what to do are obstructed by their beliefs about child sexual abuse; hence they do not report it and some do not consider it as being sexual abuse. The people concerned working in these areas are afraid to report incidents of child abuse, thinking that they will lose their job should they report the incidents to law enforcement agencies or to social workers. The study shows that neither awareness programmes were presented nor any education done in these areas about child sexual abuse. Children in these areas are vulnerable due to ignorance, lack of knowledge, beliefs of their parents and the beliefs of the perpetrators and their lack knowledge. There is a vast need for extended programmes, awareness and education projects to be conducted by the social workers in Government and Non-Government organizations in the remote areas, at school, and in the communities of these areas. Teachers at pre-school and primary school levels and parents need to be educated on child sexual abuse. This study addressed the issue of child sexual abuse looking at the beliefs of isiXhosa-speaking people. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015