Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with various immediate and long-term effects, including interpersonal maladjustment. Research has demonstrated a relationship between CSA and subsequent parenting outcomes, such as feeling less confident in the parenting role or being more likely to use harsh discipline practices. The current study examined the relationship between CSA and subsequent parenting skills, specifically perceived parenting competence and parenting practices. This study also examined the potential internalizing, externalizing, and overall problems in children of mothers sexually abused in childhood. Taking into consideration the failure in the literature to account for the role of other variables in determining parenting difficulties, this study examined the mediational role of childhood physical abuse and maternal depression on the parenting outcomes of mothers. The findings of this study indicated that sexually abused mothers did not significantly differ from nonabused mothers in how effective they felt as mothers. Contrary to the hypotheses, the results did not suggest that CSA mothers were more lax or over reactive than their nonabused counterparts. However, the findings revealed that compared to nonabused mothers, sexually abused mothers were more likely to employ hostile parenting practices. In addition, the results of the current study revealed that CSA mothers who reported being more lax in their parenting were more likely to have children who exhibited more externalizing and internalizing behavior problems as compared to the control group. In contrast, there were no significant correlations found between the parenting practices of nonabused mothers and their children's behaviors. The results provided support for maternal depression as a mediator in the relationship between CSA and parenting practices, specifically over reactivity and hostility. Maternal depression did not mediate the relationship between CSA and maternal self-efficacy, or between CSA and laxness. This study found support for the role of childhood physical abuse (CPA) as a mediator in the link from CSA to hostile parenting. However, the findings did not suggest that CPA mediated the relationship between CSA and the other parenting outcomes under study. Possible interpretations of the results are presented. Clinical implications and directions for future research are also discussed.

No description available.

The sexual abuse of children is recognised worldwide as a problem of significant proportions. It is generally acknowledged that South Africa has one of the highest rates of sexual crime in the world. Despite high prevalence figures for child rape in South Africa, there has been no systematic attempt to explore the nature and scope of the problem in this country. The identification of factors which increase a child's risk for sexual abuse is of considerable importance in the design and implementation of appropriate prevention interventions. With this in mind, this investigation set out to identify psychosocial aspects associated with child sexual abuse in an urban sample of South African children. The main question that guided this investigation was: What were the psychosocial factors that might have contributed to the sexual abuse in the study sample? An integrated conceptual framework with some of the most frequently occurring etiologic factors across existing theoretical perspectives was used as a lens for understanding the various factors that might have contributed to child sexual abuse in the study sample? The identification of psychosocial aspects involved a file review of 245 cases of child sexual abuse reported to the Crisis Centre Unit at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital during the period of November 2002 - April 2003. The site for data collection for this study was the Durban Region which is located in KwaZulu Natal and which has the second highest incidence rate for child sexual abuse in South Africa. A recording sheet was completed by the researcher with which data from the sample of content was taken. A wide range of variables was tapped, including ethnic distribution, socioeconomic status of the family, age and sex distribution of the child, type of family constellation, relationship of perpetrator to the child and probable psychosocial factors or mechanisms that contributed towards the sexual abuse. Descriptive statistics and the chi-square test of significance were used to analyse the data. The results showed clearly that situational factors (absence of other adults at home, poor or no supervision, child alone or unprotected and abduction) appeared high on the list among the psychosocial aspects. Other factors included child factors (child mentally retarded), perpetrator factors (psychiatric illness, unemployment and drug and alcohol abuse) and parental factors (marital problems in parents). Though the results showed clearly that situational factors appeared high on the list among the reported probable factors, whatever information obtained through socioeconomic status, family constellation, ethnicity and relationship of perpetrator to the child has thrown some light on understanding the various factors related to child sexual abuse in a South African setting. Living in a housing condition that was not protective, living in a family with a low income and living in a broken family setup, all of which have been associated with higher risks of abuse, were factors that were prevalent in most cases in the study sample. The results of this study indicated that sexual abuse is a complex phenomenon caused by the interaction of a wide variety of equally complex variables which is congruent with the conceptual framework for this study (based on a content analysis of different theories) that views child sexual abuse as a complex multifactorial phenomenon and not a simplistic cause and effect event. The research, therefore, concludes with recommendations to policy makers on primary prevention of child sexual abuse. This would mean actively involving themselves in programmes that assist in the eradication of poverty and, provision of better housing, recreational and after-school care. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Durban-Westville, 2004.

This study attempts to empirically validate the fixated-regressed typology utilized in the child sexual abuse literature. The sample consisted of 136 consecutive cases of convicted child molesters tried in Pima County, Arizona over a two-year period (1984-1985) for whom case history, MMPI, pre-sentence reports, and police report data were collected prior to sentencing. Application of the criteria defining fixated versus regressed status yielded a unimodal and continuous distribution of child molesters, rather than the bimodal distribution predicted by theory. In a multiple regression analysis, three independent variables, i.e., whether the victim and offender were related, an offender's prior non-sex-criminal record, and offender age, significantly enhanced the accuracy of predicting an offender's degree of regression. Alternative conceptualizations to the fixated-regressed typology are described, and implications for understanding child molesters are discussed.

Sexual abuse of children has been a problem for decades not only in South Africa, but internationally. There is little evidence that any preventative measures are working effectively. In this study the focus was not on the victim but on the perpetrator of sexual abuse. The researcher aimed at enabling eight adult male sexual offenders to describe explicitly their lived experience of child sexual abuse. The study used a method in which offenders were asked to describe their feelings prior to, during the process and after sexually abusing the child. The researcher believed that verbalisation of how it feels to sexually abuse the child would augment the available knowledge about perpetrators. This information may be used in devising ways and means of minimising the occurrence of sexual abuse. It might serve as a springboard for professional 1 people working with offenders to uncover cognitive skills for sexual offenders to 4 use whenever having thoughts of sexually abusing the child. [i] Respondents were Blacks, Indians and Whites who had been sentenced and were in treatment programmes either at the Correctional Supervision Centre or at Childline in Durban. Treatment at these rehabilitation centres was a condition of sentence for all of them. Their ages ranged from 25-48 years. Five of them were married and three were single men. Svensson"s (1986) phenomenological method 'NaS used in analysing data. The findings of this study revealed that for these offenders the major contributing factors to this behaviour was a conflictual adult heterosexual relationship and the fact that other females have more than one sexual partner. Findings also revealed that children are experienced by sexual offenders as being satisfying sexually, non-judgemental, non-threatening and accepting. These findings were examined in relation to theory, their implications for future research, the strengths and shortcomings of the study were also described. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

This study ws aimed at understanding the particular experiences of children who have been sexualy abused, with regrds to their experiences in court.With the high prevalence of sexual abuse in South Africa, many children are forced to testify against the alleged perpetrators of these crimes in public courts. Several reforms have been introduced into the child justice system, inorder to make the process of child testimony more child-friendly. The research explicated the children's expereinces of the new courtroom procedures and it was found that some aspects of the legal process were indeed experienced as a form of secondary traumatisation.

Sexual abuse of children has been a problem for decades not only in South Africa, but internationally. There is little evidence that any preventative measures are working effectively. In this study the focus was not on the victim but on the perpetrator of sexual abuse. The researcher aimed at enabling eight adult male sexual offenders to describe explicitly their lived experience of child sexual abuse. The study used a method in which offenders were asked to describe their feelings prior to, during the process and after sexually abusing the child. The researcher believed that verbalisation of how it feels to sexually abuse the child would augment the available knowledge about perpetrators. This information may be used in devising ways and means of minimising the occurrence of sexual abuse. It might serve as a springboard for professional people working with offenders to uncover cognitive skills for sexual offenders to use whenever having thoughts of sexually abusing the child. Respondents were Blacks, Indians and Whites who had been sentenced and were in treatment programmes either at the Correctional Supervision Centre or at Childline in Durban. Treatment at these rehabilitation centres was a condition of sentence for all of them. Their ages ranged from 25-48 years. Five of them were married and three were single men. Svensson"s (1986) phenomenological method was used in analysing data. The findings of this study revealed that for these offenders the major contributing factors to this behaviour was a conflictual adult heterosexual relationship and the fact that other females have more than one sexual partner. Findings also revealed that children are experienced by sexual offenders as being satisfying sexually, non-judgemental, non-threatening and accepting. These findings were examined in relation to theory, their implications for future research, the strengths and shortcomings of the study were also described. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1999.

This study ws aimed at understanding the particular experiences of children who have been sexualy abused, with regrds to their experiences in court.With the high prevalence of sexual abuse in South Africa, many children are forced to testify against the alleged perpetrators of these crimes in public courts. Several reforms have been introduced into the child justice system, inorder to make the process of child testimony more child-friendly. The research explicated the children's expereinces of the new courtroom procedures and it was found that some aspects of the legal process were indeed experienced as a form of secondary traumatisation.

Thesis (M.A.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2007. / "Specialization: Criminal Investigations"--T.p. Title from PDF title page (viewed on Oct. 30, 2007). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-87). Also available via the Internet.