This study examines primary school educators' attitudes towards the sexual abuse of children in a South African black community. The aims of this study are threefold: to assess educators' knowledge and attitudes towards, and management recommendations for child sexual abuse. to examine differences in the attitudes of male and female educators and lastly, to look at differences in opinions of different age groups of educators. A sample of 155 educators in the Edendale area was randomly selected. These schools fall under the ex- Department of Education and Training and are traditional African schools. Educators were asked to read a case vignette describing a child sexual abuse case. They were then asked to respond to a questionnaire divided into three categories - knowledge, attitudes and management recommendations. Educators were asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed with the various statements. The data was analysed using means, frequencies and standard deviations for each statement. To examine the effects of age and gender, chi-square tests for independent samples were conducted per statement. Results showed that teachers have some knowledge in the area of child sexual abuse and were able to identify emotional and behavioural signs in the classroom, but that they had insufficient knowledge about the incestuous abuse of children. Results also indicated that teachers have a positive attitude towards intervention. Teachers agreed that a child needs to receive treatment from psychologists and that abuse should not be kept secret. In looking at significant differences in the gender of the educators, it appeared that more female teachers thought that young children are more traumatized by abuse than older children, and that more female teachers felt that a child should directly confront the perpetrator. Lastly, results showed that teachers know some procedures for dealing with abused children. In-service training was recommended as a means of helping teachers deal effectively with sexually abused children. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.

All forms of child abuse are associated with a variety of short- and long-term negative effects. In particular, adult victims of child abuse have been known to experience more insecure forms of attachment to significant others in adulthood (McCarthy & Taylor, 1999; Muller, Lemieux, & Sicoli, 2001). It was hypothesized that particular forms of child abuse would be associated with particular forms of insecure attachment in adulthood and that adult attachment style would act as a mediator between child abuse history and negative outcomes. Five hundred fifty-two female and 294 male university student completed questionnaires on their child abuse history, adult attachment style, self-esteem, current psychological symptoms and a number of demographic variables. Regression analyses, ANCOVA’s and bootstrapping mediation analyses were completed. Physical abuse was associated with attachment avoidance and psychological maltreatment was associated with attachment anxiety. Some support was also found for associations between neglect and physical abuse with attachment anxiety. Sexual abuse was not associated with either attachment avoidance or attachment anxiety. Social support, as a control variable, was also found to be an important predictor of attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. While it was hypothesized that there would be differences between high and low severity sexual and physical abuse on adult attachment anxiety, no statistically significant differences were found. Both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were found to partially mediate the relationships between child abuse and psychological symptoms and child abuse and self-esteem. These findings provide more detailed information regarding the importance of adult attachment in the area of child abuse and implications for the support and treatment of child abuse victims. One’s child abuse history can provide important information regarding one’s attachment tendencies in adulthood impacting important adult relationships including the therapy relationship.

No description available.

No description available.

This research tested the hypothesis that men who batter possess enhanced abilities to self-monitor and self-control their self-presentation, and that this ability is developed through childhood learning. A random telephone survey of male heads of household was used to determine self-monitoring skills, battering behavior, and a childhood history of observing violence.In Shelby County, Tennessee, 212 men were interviewed by 6 trained interviewers. Subjects were divided into "violent" or "non-violent" groups based upon their responses to survey questions 28-45 (Straus', 1979, Conflict Tactic Scale). They were also divided into "history" and "no-history" groups based upon their answers to questions 51-54 (which asked about observing violence as children). These groups were then compared using the self-monitoring scale scores obtained from the first 27 survey questions (The Lennox-Wolfe Self-Monitoring Scale). Other questions, concerning demographic information and conditions surrounding current violence were also cross-tabulated with the different groups using a chi-square test.Of the 212 men in the sample population, the 52 who admitted violent behavior also achieved the highest scores on the self-monitoring scale. These results indicate that men who batter are also the most skilled at self-monitoring and in charge of their projected image. However, no conclusive evidence was found to support the theory that exposing children to violence will result in the development of enhanced self-monitoring skills. Upon examining the situations surrounding violence with a partner, some interesting results were obtained. Men who report being violent are more likely to be violent at night, in the home, and in the presence of children. No relationship was found between the use of alcohol and violent behavior.

This two-study dissertation aimed to develop a comprehensive understanding of mental health need identification, service referral process, availability of services, and type of mental health services in Ontario for children who have experienced maltreatment with a specific focus on childhood sexual abuse (CSA). The first study was descriptive and involved an email questionnaire completed by Directors of Service in each of the 53 Ontario Children’s Aid Societies (CAS). While the primary purpose of study 1 was to inform the sample for study 2, it also provided information about the identification of mental health needs and the referral process to mental health services for children who have experienced maltreatment. Based on the finding that the majority of mental health service referrals are made to community-based psychologists (80%), study 2 was designed to assess the availability, type, and empirical support of treatments provided by Ontario psychologists and psychological associates to children who have experienced CSA. Through the first provincial census of child and adolescent psychology clinicians registered with the College of Psychologists of Ontario, this study addressed the following questions: (1) What are the demographic, work setting, and treatment provision characteristics of these clinicians? (2) Within this population, what is the proportion and distribution of clinicians who provide treatment to children who have experienced CSA?; (3) To what extent do these treatment services map onto empirically-supported treatments (ESTs) for children who have experienced CSA?; and (4) How do clinicians’ demographic, work setting, treatment provision characteristics, and attitudes toward ESTs predict their approach to intervention? Results indicated that clinicians who worked with children who have experienced CSA differed significantly from other clinicians in terms of age, work setting, self-reported theoretical orientation, and clients’ primary presenting problems. Moreover, clinician age, self-reported theoretical orientation, time devoted to clinical training activities, and general attitudes toward ESTs predicted the use of ESTs among clinicians who work with children who have experienced CSA. Limitations and implications for future research are addressed within each study.

All forms of child abuse are associated with a variety of short- and long-term negative effects. In particular, adult victims of child abuse have been known to experience more insecure forms of attachment to significant others in adulthood (McCarthy & Taylor, 1999; Muller, Lemieux, & Sicoli, 2001). It was hypothesized that particular forms of child abuse would be associated with particular forms of insecure attachment in adulthood and that adult attachment style would act as a mediator between child abuse history and negative outcomes. Five hundred fifty-two female and 294 male university student completed questionnaires on their child abuse history, adult attachment style, self-esteem, current psychological symptoms and a number of demographic variables. Regression analyses, ANCOVA’s and bootstrapping mediation analyses were completed. Physical abuse was associated with attachment avoidance and psychological maltreatment was associated with attachment anxiety. Some support was also found for associations between neglect and physical abuse with attachment anxiety. Sexual abuse was not associated with either attachment avoidance or attachment anxiety. Social support, as a control variable, was also found to be an important predictor of attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety. While it was hypothesized that there would be differences between high and low severity sexual and physical abuse on adult attachment anxiety, no statistically significant differences were found. Both attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety were found to partially mediate the relationships between child abuse and psychological symptoms and child abuse and self-esteem. These findings provide more detailed information regarding the importance of adult attachment in the area of child abuse and implications for the support and treatment of child abuse victims. One’s child abuse history can provide important information regarding one’s attachment tendencies in adulthood impacting important adult relationships including the therapy relationship.

Diverse, but significant, phenomena have combined to raise both the profile of issues related to religion and child abuse and the need for professionals to understand and respond appropriately to them. The nature of some of these issues is explored and attempts made to clarify them. Data collected by the author primarily from questionnaires completed by professionals involved in child protection and safeguarding work are analysed and discussed. Some patterns are identified and explored. Finally, it is suggested that, despite the apparent emergence of a more general recognition and acknowledgement of these issues amongst many professionals, relevant day-to-day practice remains largely dependent on individual views and attitudes. Moreover, practitioners are able to continue with `religion-blind¿ and `belief-blind¿ approaches without these being significantly challenged by agency policies or by professional cultures.

No description available.

The spread of HIV and AIDS is a serious and increasing global problem with the sharing of contaminated injection equipment a primary cause of HIV infection in the developed world. Mathematical models of disease transmission allow us to assess the impact of different epidemiological and behavioural assumptions on the long term behaviour of disease. Initially a simple deterministic model is examined which allows intravenous drug users to progress through three different infectious stages after initial infection with HIV and prior to the development of AIDS. This model is then developed to also allow contaminated injection equipment to exist in three different states of infectivity. The resulting model contains a number of parameters, which while potentially important, are extremely difficult to estimate. In response to this, several special cases are examined which represent intuitive upper and lower bounds for the spread of disease. In each case an equilibrium and stability analysis is presented. Later these special cases, together with a generalisation of them, are compared with a well established single stage infectivity model to ascertain whether the inclusion of variable infectivity increases the predicted spread of disease. We find that the impact of variable infectivity depends on a number of factors and can lead to either an increase or decrease in the prevalence of disease. Testing drug users for the presence of HIV has been proposed as a method of reducing the incidence of HIV. Using the previously discussed upper and lower bound variable infectivity models, we examine the effect of testing addicts for HIV using a number of different infectivity assumptions. We find that under certain conditions HIV testing can be an effective control strategy against the future spread of HIV. This is followed by a short discussion of sensitivity analysis of these models. While predominantly discussing deterministic models we conclude with a brief discussion of stochastic models and demonstrate the behaviour of these models using simulation.