D.Litt et.Phil. / Parents, educators, police officers, social workers, psychologists, the courts and child and youth care workers have raised important concerns about the increase of child-on-child sexual abuse among children younger than 12 years and their limited understanding of this phenomenon. New policy and legislation places the emphasis on assessment and intervention that takes account of the rights of children in conflict with the law including victims and the need for the diversion of children from the criminal justice system. The aim and objectives of the study are to explore the nature of child-on-child sexual abuse and their social and familial contexts with the view to making recommendations to inform assessment and intervention for children in conflict with the law. A descriptive and exploratory research design was employed. A mixed methods research design consisting of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was used for both the quantitative and qualitative part of the study based on predetermined selection criteria. In the quantitative component of the study, a questionnaire was administered to 50 boys between 6 and 12 years and to their mothers who were referred to The Teddy Bear Clinic for treatment for sexual acting out behaviours. The qualitative study consisted of a detailed analysis of six case files. The information gathered from the document study was over a longer period of time and consisted of more detailed information. O’Brien and Bera’s (1986) classification of young sex offenders guided the social worker’s assessment of the respondents who were in turn classified according to the levels of risk they presented to society. The findings confirm that this phenomenon exists with the youngest perpetrators in this study being six years old (2%). The majority of the respondents (66%) were 12 years of age and were engaged in more severe or intrusive sexualised behaviour such as attempted rape and rape (48%) and less severe behaviour such as touching of genitals (16%). About 60% of the boys were in the senior primary school. Thus this age group which marks the pubescent phase of development should be considered to be a high risk group to child sexual offending.

Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2001. / Research in the area of child sexual abuse is growing rapidly. A potpourri of literature in this field lacks one very important aspect- the workings of power in relation to abuse. The way in which power is exercised over people, is the most insidious ingredient of distress which sadly affects normal development This research is aimed at studying this core variable in the lives of victims of child sexual abuse. Its special focus is investigating the effect of sexual abuse from the perspective of the 'terrain of power' in which the victims are located. This is achieved by the use of a power-mapping methodology in a group of five victims. With such information a model of helping is displayed which seeks to directly increase power and resources to them. Posttesting in power map form presents the therapeutic gains of this method. Some evaluations of the study and recommendations are drawn from the implications of this thesis.

Child sexual abuse (CSA) affects children and their families daily in South Africa. Non-offending caregivers play an important role in their children’s recovery following CSA but there are no interventions to assist caregivers to overcome their emotional reaction to CSA disclosure and to assist them to help children their children recover. In this study, the process of developing a structured support group programme for non-offending caregivers in South Africa is discussed and its value for caregivers assessed. The programme has been developed to fit the needs of non-offending caregivers in South Africa, using an action research approach. The study utilised a mixed-method design, with a one-group pre-test, post-test design to assess the outcome of the psychoeducational support group program. The qualitative data from the psychoeducational support group sessions were used in conjunction with the pre-and post-assessment of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale (HADS), assessing levels of emotional distress, and the Parenting Stress Index (PSI-4-SF). The support group members were recruited for the study from Teddy Bear Clinic (TBC) and (WMACA) Kidz Clinic. Non-offending caregivers were invited to take part in the psychoeducational support group programme. Over five months, 60 non-offending caregivers were recruited for the study, 13 of whom were screened for the support group intervention and eight agreed to participate in the psychoeducational support group intervention. Two support groups met for eight sessions. Following the implementation of the program, the results from the pre- and post-intervention assessment were analysed and compared, in order to statistically determine the impact of the structured support group programme. Participants’ qualitative experiences during the support group session and feedback regarding their perceived personal benefits from their involvement was analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the research indicate that the caregivers experienced significantly less anxiety (p < 0.05), and some improvements in their depression levels (p = 0.58) as measured by the HADS. Of the seven non-offending caregivers six expressed less anxiety and five experiences less depression symptoms after the intervention. Parenting stress did not decrease significantly for the group as a whole, although the total stress (TS) scale score indicated that five of the seven group members experienced less parenting stress after the intervention. From the results of the study, it can be concluded that the support group had value to address the non-offending caregiver’s level of anxiety and depression, as well as to relieve parental stress for some participants. The qualitative results also showed that members learned some parenting skills on how to manage their own and their children’s emotional reaction to CSA. It was found that members who actively participated and attended all the sessions benefitted most. This intervention can fill the gap in treating non-offending caregivers following the disclosure of CSA. It can be implemented in Child abuse treatment centres to assist caregivers to help their children overcome the impact of CSA. / Dissertation (MA (Counselling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Psychology / MA (Counselling Psychology) / Unrestricted

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 312-347). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [71]-75).

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, 1994. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #029-0305. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [71]-75).

Thesis (Ph.D.)--York University, 2008. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 158-174). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:NR39059

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2006. / Title from title screen (sites viewed on August 11, 2006). PDF text of dissertation: 166 p. : ill. ; 1.32Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3208130. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm, microfiche and paper format.

(Finkelhor, 1986; Haugaard & Dickon Reppucci, 1988) have concluded that there is insufficient information on how to treat child sexual abuse (CSA). The reported incidence of CSA has substantially increased, hence, the need for treatment approaches has escalated. The purpose of this study was to provide clinicians who treat CSA with a descriptive account of the methods currently used by art therapists to treat sexually-abused children of differing ages who present with different issues. One hundred and forty-six certified and/or diplomaed art therapists, aged 26 to 66, who had training and experience in CSA treatment were solicited through the national art therapy associations in Canada and the United States. They responded to case-simulation surveys which consisted of a case history, photograph, and self-portrait of a hypothetical sexually abused girl aged 4, 8, or 13 who presented with either the issue of body image distortion or guilt. Open-ended or multiple choice research questions on the art therapist's treatment approach, choice of media, directives, use of time, use of therapeutic interactions, use of debriefing process, opinions on the function of art in the session, and method of evaluation were utilized to obtain a qualitative description of the art therapy approach to working with a child of a certain age presenting with a particular issue. A content analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the identification of thematic categories which described the goals, directives, debriefing process, and the function of art in the session. The responses to the questions on time use and media were analyzed similarly. The frequency of responses for the multiple choice answers and the thematic categories were calculated and then compared across the age and issue variables, in the form of percentages. A comprehensive clinical description of the art therapists' approaches to CSA treatment was obtained for the whole sample, and across age, and issue. The subjects' responses were paraphrased to illustrate these differences for each question. The main findings were: (a) art therapists addressed the main issues of CSA, as described by traditional verbal therapists (Sgroi, 1982), and employed both directive and nondirective styles in their approaches; (b) art therapists were sensitive to the developmental level of the child depicted in the case simulation and adapted their approach to meet the child's needs (i.e., the sessions with younger children were characterized by different media choices, and directives, the therapists spent more time being supportive and nurturing, provided physical contact, snacks, used art-as-therapy, spent less time discussing and more time playing and doing, allowing the child to work out her issues through using her body and the media whereas with the adolescents, art was used as psychotherapy and catharsis more frequently and discussion and debriefing were utilized to help change her thinking about the abuse experience), (c) art therapists responded differently to the body image distortion and guilt case simulations (i.e., activities designed to solicit representations of feelings and of the offender were more frequently reported for the guilt case simulations while self-portraits and safe places were more frequent in the responses to the body image distortion case simulations, and (d) the findings on the function of art in treating CSA replicated the earlier study by Marrion, Landell, and Bradley (1988). This study provided a clinical description of art therapists' approaches to treating CSA. It illustrated the function of the art directives, the use of media, the debriefing process, and the art products themselves. The descriptions of these may aid clinicians in understanding how this sample of art therapists worked with sexually-abused children and may prompt them to undertake training in this discipline as a way broadening their approach to working with sexually-abused children. / Graduate

A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1997. / Talking about child sexual abuse, hereafter referred to as CSA, makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. It has been defined as "the best kept secret", contributing to the maintenance of silence. For both men and women the prevalence of CSA is high among those seeking help for psychological problems. Theories relating to CSA include investigations into the causes, psychological effects on victims, treatment approaches and preventative strategies. Research in this area in a South African context is limited and in view of the fact that child abuse has reached staggering proportions in rural areas, it is important to investigate this phenomenon. Furthermore, it is understood that in KwaZulu-Natal traditional healers have multi-dimensional functions in traditional Zulu culture, with eighty percent of Zulu people consulting them before coming to modem healers. Conversely, there are instances where traditional and modern healers co-operate in areas of illness and health. The aim of this research therefore is exploratory in nature, seeking to understand and advance knowledge of CSA. The level of co-operation between the two systems where CSA is concerned is also investigated, with special contextual reference to South Africa in general and traditional KwaZulu Natal in particular. This research is a phenomenological explication of traditional healers’ views per se. In addition it indicates that to a limited degree, modern and traditional systems co-operate in the treatment of CSA in rural KwaZulu Natal.