Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The sexual abuse of boys is regarded as a worldwide problem. Even in South Africa the sexual abuse of boys is described as an epidemic that as the social work phenomenon of women as perpetrators, can no longer be seen as rare. Although legislation, The South African Children’s Act, 38 of 2005 (2006) and The Sexual Offences Amendment Act, 32 of 2007, have contributed to a greater awareness with regards to the boy as victim of sexual abuse, there still is a lot of misconceptions with regards to the boy as victim of sexual abuse. A need for formal scientific research with regards to this problem was therefore identified and lead to the conducting of this study. Focusing on the sexual abuse of the boy in middle childhood was the purpose of this study, because the middle childhood is seen as the most vulnerable developmental phase for the boy to be sexually abused in. Social workers play a primary role in the prevention, early intervention, intervention and after care in this regard. This study was aimed at determining social workers’ opinions on the sexual abuse of boys in middle childhood. The purpose of the study was met through the five goals that were determined. The goals of the study were to discuss the middle childhood as developmental phase within a human developmental perspective and to describe the sexual abuse of boys as social work phenomenon, in order to develop insight with regards to the sexual abuse of boys. Goals determined for the purpose of this study also included the discussion of the sexual abuse of boys as social work phenomenon, focusing on the definition of sexual abuse, inclining factors to sexual abuse, the types of sexual abuse and the context and motivation for sexual abuse of boys. To discuss the different types of perpetrators in the sexual abuse of boys and to investigate the motivations of perpetrators with regards to the sexual abuse of boys were also goals that were determined. This study’s goals were also to investigate the opinions of social workers with regards to the sexual abuse of boys in middle childhood and to make recommendations regarding the promoting of social work service delivery to the sexually abused boy. The literature study that was undertaken builds a foundation for the problem of the sexual abuse of the boy in middle childhood to be seen, within the right context. An explorative and descriptive study was conducted with twenty seven social workers in the Western Cape, Olifantsrivervalley area as geographical area. Semi-structured questionnaires were used for data collection. The results were purposefully processed and analyzed according to a qualitative- and quantitative research method. The empirical study’s findings enabled the researcher to come to certain conclusions. Using the literature study, the empirical study, findings and conclusions that followed on that, recommendations could be made to social workers in order to promote social work service delivery to the sexually abused boy in middle childhood. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die seksuele mishandeling van seuns word as ‘n wêreldwye probleem beskou. Ook in Suid- Afrika word die seksuele mishandeling van seuns as ‘n epidemie beskryf wat net soos die maatskaplike werk verskynsel van vroue oortreders, nie meer as raar beskou kan word nie. Alhoewel wetgewing soos Die Suid-Afrikaanse Kinderwet, 38 van 2005 (2006), asook Die Wysigingswet op die Strafreg (seksuele misdrywe en verwante aangeleenthede), 32 van 2007, bygedra het tot ‘n groter bewustheid van die seun as slagoffer van seksuele mishandeling, bestaan daar steeds baie wanbegrippe ten opsigte van die die seun as slagoffer van seksuele mishandeling. ‘n Behoefte aan formele wetenskaplike navorsing met betrekking tot hierdie probleem is geïdentifiseer met die gevolg dat hierdie studie onderneem is. Vir die doel van hierdie studie is daar gefokus op die seksuele mishandeling van die seun in sy middelkinderjare, aangesien die middelkinderjare as die mees weerloosste ontwikkelingsfase beskou word vir die seun om seksueel mishandel te word. Maatskaplike werkers speel ‘n primêre rol in die voorkoming, vroeë intervensie, intervensie en nasorg in hierdie verband. Hierdie studie het daarom ten doel gehad om maatskaplike werkers se sienings oor die seksuele mishandeling van seuns in die middelkinderjare te bepaal. Die doel van die studie is bereik na aanleiding van vyf doelwitte wat gestel is. Die doelwitte van die studie was om die middelkinderjare as ontwikkelingsfase binne ‘n menslike ontwikkelingsperspektief te bespreek en om die seksuele mishandeling van die seun as maatskaplike werk verskynsel te verduidelik ten einde begrip met betrekking tot die probleem van seksuele mishandeling van seuns te ontwikkel. Doelwitte wat gestel is ten einde die doel van die studie te bereik, het onder andere behels om seksuele mishandeling van seuns as maatskaplike werk verskynsel te beskou, deur te fokus op die definiëring van seksuele mishandeling, aanleidende faktore tot seksuele mishandeling, die vorme van seksuele mishandeling en die konteks en motivering van seksuele mishandeling van seuns. Om die verskillende tipes oortreders in die seksuele mishandeling van seuns te bespreek en om ondersoek in te stel na die motiverings van oortreders ten opsigte van die seksuele mishandeling van seuns, was ook as doelwit gestel. Hierdie studie se doelwitte was ook om ‘n ondersoek te doen na die sienings van maatskaplike werkers ten opsigte van die seksuele mishandeling van seuns in die middelkinderjare en om aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van die bevordering van maatskaplike werk dienslewering aan die seksueel mishandelde seun. Die literatuurstudie wat gedoen is het ‘n fondasie geskep om die probleem van die seksuele mishandeling van die seun in sy middelkinderjare, in die regte konteks te kan beskou. ‘n Verkennende en beskrywende studie is gedoen en het sewe-en-twintig maatskaplike werkers in die Wes-Kaap, Olifantsriviervallei area as geografiese gebied ingesluit. Semigestruktureerde vraelyste is benut om inligting in te samel. Die resultate was volgens ‘n kwalitatiewe- en kwantitatiewe navorsingsmetode verwerk en geanaliseer. Die empiriese ondersoek se bevindinge het die navorser in staat gestel om sekere gevolgtrekkings te maak. Na aanleiding van die literatuurstudie, die empiriese ondersoek, die bevindinge en die gevolgtrekkings wat daarop gevolg het, kon aanbevelings gemaak word aan maatskaplike werkers ten einde die maatskaplike werk dienslewering aan die seksueel mishandelde seun in sy middelkinderjare te bevorder.