The purpose of this project was to examine the predictors of risky sexual behaviors and poor eating behaviors for women who experienced childhood sexual abuse, including family hardiness, and depression in a structural equation model. A second group of those who had not been sexually abused as children was also tested using the same structural equation model.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent, pattern and forms of child sexual abuse amongst university students / to investigate the degree of sexual coercion / to examine victim-perpetrator relationships / to determine the extent to which students are bothered by the event at the time of completing the Early Sexual Experiences Checklist / to establish the age of the student at the time the event occurred and also the age of the other person involved when the event occurred / and to determine the frequency of the coercive event.

This study sought to explore and describe the recollections of young adults who were exposed to domestic violence within the family structure during childhood, so as to develop an understanding of the systems and structures needed to develop effective services to child victims of domestic violence. It is envisaged that services to these children could aid as an important preventative strategy, in that newly acquired behaviour and thinking patterns could assist them to defer from engaging in violent relationships, thereby, breaking the cycle of violence. The research study was conducted by means of a qualitative research approach and made use of the phenomenological, contextual, explorative and descriptive research designs. The purposive sampling technique was used and semi-structured interviews were employed to obtain the data. Tesch’s (cited in Creswell, 2009:186) proposed eight steps for data analysis were employed. Data verification focused on credibility/authenticity, transformability, dependability and conformability. It is envisaged that the findings and conclusions of this study could inform the planning of services to children exposed to domestic violence. / Social Work / M.A. (S.S.)

Explores why revictimization occurs in women who were sexually abused as children. Examines variables such as nature and severity of childhood abuse, attachment, and self-esteem to identify predictors of repeated abuse. A correlational-regression approach was used to test the hypothesis that lower positive attachment to parental figures, mediated by low self-esteem, will be associated with revictimization in adulthood. Approximately 150 women (Age = 18 to 54; M = 27) from various communities across Southern California participated in the study. Results did not support the hypothesis. Though self-esteem was correlated with both attachment and revictimization individually, there was no mediational effect of self-esteem between parental attachment and revictimization.

Thesis ((M.A. (Social work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Survivors of child sexual abuse experience a lot but various challenges in their everyday lives. The overall aim of the study was to describe the experiences of male adult survivors of child sexual abuse at Ga-Matlala, Limpopo Province. The study objectives were to identify types of child sexual abuse cases at Ga- Matlala uperpetrated prior 1994; to determine how adult male survivors of child sexual abuse handle their life problems; to describe the social impact of child sexual abuse on male adult survivors; and to recommend appropriate professional intervention to male adult survivors of child sexual abuse. The study utilised descriptive research design. The data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews from three (3) survivors of child sexual abuse who were sexually abused prior 1994 who are residing at Ga-Matlala area. The sample consisted of survivors of child sexual abuse drawn from the database of Bakone Tribal Council compiled and administered pre 1994. A thematic analysis method was selected. Thematic analysis organises and describes data set in detail. The data was analysed in eight steps.Ethical considerations such as voluntary participation, permission to conduct the study, anonymity, confidentiality and no harm to respondents were considered.The researcher found that two survivors indicated to be having abilities to resolve their personal problems while one participant has indicated to be having problems in resolving his personal problems. All three survivors indicated to be engaged in an intimate relationships. All there survivors indicated to have had experienced child sexual abuse more than once and they also indicated to have had experienced more than one type of sexual abuse. Two participants out of three survivors had not reported of imitating what they experienced while one has adopted the lifestyle but he is not doing it with children like it was done to him. All survivors indicated to have forgiven their perpetrators. All of survivors indicated that their childhood experience had a negative impact in their childhood lives and it still has a negative influence in their adult life. All three survivors indicated to have not accessed professional assistance in their childhood even during their participation in the study they have not yet accessed professional intervention towards their past traumatic experience. However, all three survivors acknowledged the fact that post traumatic intervention is important to their personal growth with regard to finding closure, gaining confidence and finding coping strategies that will be helpful in facing their personal problems with an open mind and positivity of finding solutions without tracing their childhood past into it. The researcher concluded that all the participants of the study had experienced different kinds or types of child sexual abuse and it has negatively impacted them. Being involved in an intimate relationship was not difficult for the survivors as all of them were engaged in intimate relationships. All three survivors need to access professional help for them to overcome the impact of their past child sexual abuse experience. There is a huge difference/gap regarding the previous findings and the current findings mainly because most of the previous studies were European based than African Based (South Africa) and it was also showing a gap between European based Theories and African based theories when dealing with child sexual abuse. The main recommendation that the researcher had was to motivate the survivors to participate in the process of accessing professional help to enable them to deal with their current lives without tracing everything back to their childhood.

Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige perspektief is in hierdie studie onderneem. 'n Oorsig oor seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat dit reeds vanaf die vroegste tye voorgekom het en tans kommerwekkende afmetings aanneem in die Republiek van Suid-Afrika, sonder dat die opvoedkundige sielkundige as lid van 'n multi-professionele span betrek word by terapeutiese hulpverlening. 'n Beskrywing van seksuele kindermolestering binne gesinsverband het getoon dat seksuele kindermolestering verskeie vorme aanneem en dat die oortreders daarvoor verantwoordelik is dat ouerskap en gesinstrukture ontoereikend verwerklik word. Dit bied aan die opvoedkundige sielkundige die moontlikheid om vanwee sy toeganklikheid en professionele deskundigheid as lid van 'n multiprofessionele span toereikend terapeutiese hulp te verleen aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind. Terapeutiese hulpverlening aan die seksueel gemolesteerde kind binne gesinsverband is onderneem vanuit 'n Sielkundige Opvoedkundige benadering met relasie terapie as wyse van hulpverlening / This study investigates therapeutic aid to the child who is sexually abused by a family member, from the viewpoint of Psychology of Education. An overview of sexual abuse of children in the family context indicates a long history of occurence and present statistics show an alarming increase in reported cases with educational psychologists seldom being included in a multi-discipl inary thera-peutic team. A description of sexual abuse of children in the family context suggests that this may take different forms and the perpetrators are responsible for the breakdown in parenting and family structures. Educational psychologists are, because of their professional expertise and accessibility, able to offer thera-peutic aid to the sexually abused child as a member of a multi-professional team. Therapeutic aid to the sexually abused child in the family context is undertaken with Relationship Therapy as a medium of aid / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Sielkundige Opvoedkunde)

An understanding of factors that contribute to Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is of considerable importance to inform the prevention and treatment of the disorder. Moreover, gaining a better understanding of the factors that contribute to the etiology of CPTSD is of interest since most research to date focuses on the etiology of PTSD. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to test the hypothesized prediction between childhood exposure to violence, childhood attachment, current interpersonal factors, and CPTSD symptoms. Using data from a community clinic and shelter serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, a partial least squares path analysis approach was employed to test the model’s strength in predicting contributing factors of CPTSD. Results support the proposed model, however, an alternative and more parsimonious model was found to be superior and revealed relationships between interpersonal variables and CPTSD. Specifically, women who reported child abuse and poor attachment with either parent, a perceived lack of current emotional and tangible support, and recent intimate partner violence (IPV) also reported symptoms of CPTSD. However, other variables, such as adult attachment avoidance and anxiety did not influence IPV or CPTSD as expected. Ultimately, the current findings lend support for Herman’s (1992) original conceptualization of CPTSD symptoms observed in survivors of prolonged and repeated trauma. Implications of these findings are discussed and results highlight the importance of assessing the contextual factors (e.g., social support, family environment) when a victim of prolonged trauma comes for treatment. Lastly, treatment implications and specific points of intervention are presented.

The purpose of this study was to examine how parental separation is related to eating disturbances and assertiveness in females who struggle with bulimic symptoms. Two-hundred ninety-two undergraduate females from the University of North Texas comprised the subject group. Using pen and paper measures of assertiveness, bulimia, and parental separation, support was found for the prediction that there would be a relationship between assertiveness and parental separation. Likewise, partial support was found for the prediction that there would be a relationship between bulimia and parental separation. Parental separation was found to affect levels of bulimia and assertiveness. Finally, it was found that subjects endorsed greater emotional independence from fathers than from mothers.

M.A. / According to the Child Protection Unit (1997) 25% of young South African females experience some form of childhood sexual abuse before they are 18 years old. Alongside this frighteningly high statistic is an increasing trend for these victims to report these transgressions and, particularly during adulthood, speak out about their experiences. Childhood sexual abuse results in a number of potentially devastating long term effects that limit the adult survivor's capacity to enjoy life to the fullest extent possible. The manner in which each adult survivor perceives her experiences of childhood sexual abuse is unique, as is the way in which she deals with these resulting effects. A variety of therapeutic interventions are available to these women, one of which is narrative therapy. This study is aimed at exploring the adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse's understanding of the use of narrative therapy as a method of intervention. A qualitative methodology is utilised to explore the manner in which adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse understand narrative therapy, and how it can be used to help them deal with the long term effects that are a result of their abusive experiences. The focus of this research is therefore on the adult survivor who has been and still is, a recipient of narrative therapy. The theoretical basis for the intervention with the adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse is established in the discussion of childhood sexual abuse and the adult survivor, as well as narrative therapy and the historical constructs, like postmodernism, constructivism, and social constructionism, that are instrumental in the development of this interventive technique. For the aim of this study a representative sample of two respondents is used. That is two adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse who are actively involved in the narrative therapy process. This sample lends itself to in-depth interviewing where the respondents ii are able to explore their own perceptions of narrative therapy and how this method of intervention has impacted on their own experience of reality. the data is gathered by means of field notes, audio-tapes which are transcribed, and a thorough literature review. Analysis of the data collected is done manually and according to a schedule. The schedule is developed according to coding categories that are identified when working through the raw data. Coding is done by the researcher and a co-decoder in order to compare the results. In the coding process the researcher and co-decoder utilise the schedule to code the transcribed audio-tapes and field notes. The information gleaned from the data gathering and analysis is used to identify central themes. These themes are offered as results. The results obtained are compared to relevant literature in order to further the validity of the research. From the study, methodological and theoretical conclusions can be drawn. The methodological conclusions have to do with the method of research utilised in this study. Regarding the contextual aims of the empirical study, certain theoretical conclusions are drawn. The results and conclusions indicate the adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse's perception of the use of narrative therapy as a treatment methodology. Recommendations are offered on the basis of the study and the conclusions drawn. The methodology and context of the empirical study ensure the connection of the results and conclusions to the aims and objectives of this study. The research indicates that adult survivors perceive the use of narrative therapy as being extremely valuable and effective in the treatment of childhood sexual abuse.

As an MFA candidate at the Florida Atlantic University, I began in figurative painting and ended with abstract ink and pencil drawings in my thesis work. In between was a progression of artistic experimentation in theme, technique and medium to explore issues of female identity and childhood sexual abuse. From a girl trapped in a dark fairytale to a pregnant woman followed by a pedophile to a new mother frustrated that her own ambitions have been usurped, the final transformation of female identity into fierce protector came after confronting memories of child abuse. Using India ink and pencil drawings, my thesis work recreates scenes of a struggle between the same attacker and a powerful mother. She spins her own hair into a delicate, but powerful, barrier that keeps her daughter safe. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014.. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection