The incidence of both childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders is rising. A study of 422 undergraduate college females was undertaken using self report format to determine the incidence of childhood sexual abuse and eating disorders in a college population, and to determine the relationship between the two. In all, 57% of the women surveyed reported experiencing some form of sexual contact before the age of 14. Using the EDI-2 to assess risk of eating disorder development, 42% of these formerly abused women were found to be at risk for the development of an eating disorder. This was not found to be statistically different from the risk of eating disorder development experienced by the nonabused females in this population. However, there were differences found on the dimensions of Interpersonal Distrust, Interoceptive Awareness and Ineffectiveness, indicating that two of the major issues in eating disorder development for the abused women are trust both of themselves and of others, and self-esteem.

New research shows that adult participation in children’s play is beneficial for learning and development in early childhood. It is particularly socio-dramatic narrative play, in which children and adults co-construct the play events that is beneficial. Research also shows that teachers in the Swedish preschool tend not play with children. The Swedish Education Act and the Swedish Preschool Curriculum contain goals to strive for, specifically regarding play. Greater efforts and insight is needed to pave the way to increase the benefits for children through the use of play (Broström, 2017). The purpose of this study is to develop knowledge that contributes to understanding of the relationship between pretend play and children’s’ learning and development, as well as the development of preschool didactic and pedagogical activities based on this knowledge. To achieve this aim we drew on Cultural Historical Activity Theory to develop and conduct a case study at a municipal preschool. Data was gathered through observations of preschool children and staff in two units and through individual, semi-structured interviews with eight preschool teachers. We found that the preschool teachers rarely engaged fully in children’s play; however, when they did engage with the children in play, their involvement ranged from a slight involvement, to being a stage hand in the play, or being passively engaged in joint play with children. Our cultural-historical analyses revealed mediating activities that have an effect on if and how teachers engage in play with children. We conclude by arguing that teachers need more education about what type of adult child joint play that is beneficial and that the preschool directors have an important job to help manage the preschool teachers time and provide opportunities for them to reflect and document their work in such way that more time could be set apart for them to commit to being fully engaged with children in narrative pretend play.

Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) is a societal problem whose origins date back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It is found in all levels of society, from the wealthiest to the poorest; and the short-term and long-term impacts it has on the lives of the victims, can be devastating. There are many reasons for the occurrence of child sexual abuse, but in all cases, the ultimate accountability rests on the shoulders of the sexual offender. The nature of child sexual victimisation varies from verbal suggestions to violent physical force. Irrespective of which type the child is being subjected to, as the weaker partner in the pedagogical relationship with the adult, s/he is never able to defend herself/himself. The global phenomenon, and the increase in CSA, has given rise to the research question, namely: How does child sexual abuse impact on the school life experiences and academic performance of learners at school? The purpose of this research study was to provide insight into the following issues: • The nature and identification of the symptoms of child sexual abuse; • The manner in which sexually abused children manifest their experiences of sexual abuse at school; • How sexually abused children cope with their learning tasks; and • Recommendations for educators. The literature relating to CSA was reviewed, with the aim of establishing a solid theoretical foundation for the study. CSA has been looked at holistically, encompassing the accepted definitions, the related concepts, the nature of sexual abuse, the prevalence and incidence of CSA, the possible causes, the short-term and long-term impacts, and the suggestions by adult survivors for use by educators in their efforts to help abused learners. 11 In an attempt to provide acceptable answers to the research problem, a mixed- method research design was implemented. The research study was conducted in two phases: Stage 1 consisted of an exploration of the research problem by means of the following question put to the participants: In your experience as an adult survivor of child sexual abuse how did the abuse impact on your school life experiences, including your academic performance? A total of nineteen participants from the Eastern Cape Province shared their experiences, by means of writing their life story as a narrative. Purposive and availability sampling of adult survivors was undertaken. In order to ensure the trustworthiness and authenticity of the research methodology, Guba’s model of data verification was used. Accepted ethical measures were taken into consideration and adhered to during the research. The analysed data were taken directly from the narratives that the individual participants saved onto flashdrives. Consensus by the researcher and coder was reached regarding the identification of themes, categories and subcategories. The following four significant themes emerged, based on the results of the data analysis: Theme One: Health, sexuality and the sexual experiences of sexual abused children and adolescents. Theme Two: The social development of sexually abused children and adolescents. Theme Three: School-related experiences and academic performance of sexually abused children and adolescents. Theme Four: Advice and suggestions from adult survivors for young victims of CSA. 12 Stage 2 offered recommendations to the teachers of learners who are, or have been sexually abused, derived from the findings of Phase 1. The conclusion was reached that CSA does have an impact on the academic performance of learners. Therefore, teachers are in need of a greater understanding and awareness of CSA, in order to help these learners.

Two-hundred and twenty-four participants who reported a history of child abuse trauma were recruited from the internet, clinical (community outpatient) and prison settings and completed a battery of assessment measures, including Briere's Child Maltreatment Interview Schedule (CMIS) (slightly modified), Detailed Assessment of Traumatic Stress (DAPS), Cognitive Distortion Scale (CDS), and Inventory of Altered Self Capacities (IASC); van der Kolk's Self Inventory of Disorders of Extreme Stress (SIDES-SR); Nijenhuis's Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ-20); and a modification of the CMIS to assess for adult victimization experiences (Adult Victimization Survey or AVS; Dietrich, unpublished instrument). It was hypothesized that Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Affect Dysregulation, and Problems with Interpersonal Relatedness would be associated with later revictimization experiences during adulthood with this sample, and that disturbances in ability to regulate self capacities and other complex posttraumatic sequelae would be associated with perpetration of physical or sexual violence during adulthood. Data were analyzed for 207 individuals who reported childhood maltreatment per the CMIS. Results provide partial support for the hypotheses. Women were significantly more likely to report revictimization, and male inmates were significantly more likely to perpetrate against others. Whereas PTSD and Somatoform Dissociation are the strongest dynamic predictors of any sexual or physical revictimization, Impaired Self Capacities are more often associated with revictimization by intimate partners in particular. Trauma-specific dissociation was associated with a decreased risk of revictimization, whereas peritraumatic and trait dissociation did not enter predictive models. Posttraumatic sequelae were not associated with increased risk of physical perpetration with these samples; however, IASC scores were associated with an increased risk of sexual perpetration and victim-based cognitive distortions were associated with decreased odds of sexual violence. These findings provide partial support for the Complex PTSD (Herman, 1992a) construct. Results are discussed in terms of implications for treatment, further study, and classification. Limitations are noted. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this study was to provide an in-depth description of the lived experience of recovery for young adult women who had been sexually abused as children. Nine women participated in the study. In order to be a part of the study, the women were between the ages of 16 and 25 at the time of the first interview, and had been sexually abused before the age of 12 by a family member. Family members could include parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. The sexual abuse must have been repetitive in nature and lasted for a period of 6 months or longer. The women had also participated in some type of therapy, for at least 6 months, where sexual abuse was the primary focus. As well, the women had some awareness that they were in recovery and were able to talk about their own experience of recovery. The interviews and the data analysis followed a phenomenological approach. The researcher conducted four interviews with each participant over a twenty month period. Ten common themes representing the lived experience of recovery from sexual abuse for young adult women emerged. The lived experience of recovery (1) involves working through the denial of being sexually abused, (2) diminishes the lasting effects of sexual abuse, (3) helps the person move from a victim stance to a survivor stance, (4) is a journey of self-discovery, (5) fosters the possibility for improved relationships with family members, friends, and partners, (6) reduces the negative influence of the perpetrator, (7) encompasses a variety of therapeutic encounters, (8) helps the person to explore the ambiguity of memory, (9) influences future direction, and (10) is a complex process with no clear resolution. The descriptions of each theme illustrate how the women were able to confront and transform the trauma of being sexually abused. The findings of this study describe how young adult women perceive the lived experience of recovery and illuminate what needs to take place so that recovery is possible. The lived experience of recovery is an interactive phenomenon which requires the women to explore the meaning of recovery both intrapersonally and interpersonally. As the women's thoughts, perceptions, beliefs, feelings, and expectations change internally, the ways in which they interact with the world around them shift as well. The lived experience of recovery is both complex and perplexing. The findings from this study offer recommendations for counselling research and practice in the area of sexual abuse for young adult women. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to describe female adult children's experiences when they return to the parental home to live, and to develop theory to explain the processes and consequences involved in the return to the parental home. Primary data sources included 1 1/2 hour audiotaped, semi-structured interviews with 15 female adult children who had returned to the parental home to live. Other sources of data included individual and conjoint interviews with parents and daughters from a subset of four families, and field notes about the interviews. Grounded theory methodology (Strauss & Corbin, 1990, 1998) was used. Transcribed interviews were systematically analyzed to develop a theoretical model, in which the core social and psychological process was labelled "regrouping." In response to life events and personal choices, women return to the parental home to regroup--to recuperate, reenergize, contemplate and pursue lifeplans. Their intention is to enhance personal well-being and to secure a better quality life in the future. Regrouping is embedded in the life context of female adult children's specific life-events and choices, living environments, family and social relationships, and sociocultural scripts -- all conditions that can hinder or facilitate the process. Regrouping is a cyclical rather than a linear process. Female adult children who had returned to the parental home did not experience a simple, uncomplicated linear forward movement towards attaining valued personal goals. Rather, they experienced an oscillating pattern of “faltering” and "advancing" in their efforts to realize valued goals. This experience has implications for the development of a fluctuating sense of self or self-image, the fulfilment of personal goals, the quality of the experience as positive or negative, and for family relations. The contribution of the theoretical model to the literature is the discovery that returning home in adulthood may be a strategy for managing change and transition in one's life and for attaining certain lifespan development tasks (e.g., individuating from parents, establishing a career, and attaining financial security). Implications for counselling practice, and the self-help needs of adults who have returned home to live are noted. Suggestions for facilitating returning adult children's personal development (i.e., clarifying personal goals, weighing the pros and cons of returning and remaining at the parental home, maintaining self-esteem, seeking social support) and facilitating family relations . (i.e, having realistic expectations of parents, being sensitive to mothers, negotiating privacy and boundaries, managing cross-cultural dynamics) are discussed. It is suggested that future research extend the application of the theory to men, as well as more diverse ethnic groups. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

D.Litt. et Phil. / Incidence and prevalence rates of child sexual abuse and incest are shockingly high. Children of both genders are sexually abused every 25 minutes in South Africa. This abuse results in emotional, spiritual, social, interpersonal, sexual, psychosomatic, neurological and cognitive disturbances. Many of these consequences persist into adulthood. Adult survivors do not always link their symptoms or problems with their childhood sexual abuse experiences. Those that do seek help for those symptoms only in adulthood. Specialised treatment models have been developed for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. These treatment approaches neglect the spiritual consequences of childhood sexual abuse and have overlooked the value of incorporating the religious or spiritual beliefs of clients into the therapy. Hypnotherapeutic strategies have been successful in treating traumatic conditions, yet, they are not intended for treatment of adult survivors of childhood incest and sexual abuse. This study results in an understanding of the long-term spiritual consequences of adult abuse survivors. A treatment approach, integrating concepts of existing abuse focused models, hypnotherapeutic strategies and the spiritual beliefs of clients is developed to compensate for the aforementioned limitations. To enhance the treatment outcome, principles of Tibetan psychology and rational-emotive therapy were integrated into the treatment approach. The experiences of five female adult survivors’ of the long-term spiritual consequences of the abuse, and their experiences of the hypnotherapeutic approach was assessed in a pilot study. Questions regarding the consequences of the abuse, hypnosis and spirituality were included in the pilot study questionnaire. The results obtained from this study were integrated into the intervention study. The intervention study also consisted of five adult females and the therapy process was defined with reference to the long-term consequences and strategies comprising five modalities (spiritual concepts, Tibetan psychology, cognitive therapy, hypnotherapy, and existing incest focused treatment models). The data obtained from the pilot and intervention studies were qualitatively analysed within an action research methodology. The action research approach consists of four action research cycles. The first cycle comprised the literature review; the second the pilot study; the third the intervention study, and; the fourth, an integration of the above cycles. Findings obtained from the pilot study showed that participants do suffer serious long-term spiritual consequences as a result of having been sexually abused as children. Participants of the pilot study unanimously concluded that the hypnotherapeutic strategies made the therapy more meaningful for them. This corresponds with findings from clinically researched studies. Participants particularly benefited from their visualisations, their self-hypnosis audio-tapes, breathing techniques and from the integration of their personal spiritual beliefs and visualisations into the therapy. The hypnotic trance resulted in greater recall of childhood memories. The interpersonal functioning of the participants improved as well as feelings of guilt, sadness, fear and anger. Conclusions drawn from the interventions study indicate that the synthesis of strategies obtained from the four modalities proved to be a valuable therapeutic treatment approach with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. As a direct result of the therapy clients were able to heal many negative consequences of the abuse. Clients established healthier interpersonal boundaries, resolved feelings of sadness, fear, aggression, resentment and self-doubt. A few clients formed healthier body-images, became more assertive and self-confident. Certain clients were able to forgive the perpetrators and others found it easier to interact with the perpetrators after their therapy. Furthermore, clients were able to find meaning in their abuse experiences and some decided to be of service to mankind after their therapy. This study is a comprehensive guideline for professionals working with such survivors. Findings in this study may assist professionals to acquire an understanding of the experience of childhood sexual abuse and hypnotherapy as experienced by female survivors. It provides insight into the long-term psychological and spiritual consequences suffered from the abuse. It is hoped that the findings of this study will inform future research, contribute towards theory-building in this field, and assist professionals with their clinical practices. / Prof. W.J. Schoeman Dr. R. Pelser.

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The results of this study revealed that despite the childhood sexual abuse event, the victims were able to change their views in a positive direction with regard to the benevolence of the world and people as they marched through life and presumably experienced positive events.