M.A. / Sexual abuse of children has been a consistently high profile public issue throughout the late 1980’s and continues to be one. Nest and Woodhouse (1990:3) indicate that child sexual abuse and how to deal with it has become topics of enormous concern a preoccupation for health professionals no less than the media. Recent evidence points to an alarming prevalence of experiences of abuse, especially by young girls who become captive victims in their own homes. The researcher was therefore motivated to conduct this study because the incidents of child sexual abuse have increased dramatically in Soweto. Within the Western culture disclosure of sexual abuse and related interventions is well studied. In our black culture though, sexual abuse is regarded as a taboo, hence it is difficult for victims to report these cases. Even parents of abused children are not open about this problem and this makes it difficult for parents to deal with sexual abuse. The dilemma of non-disclosure causes a need for information about how parents in sexual abuse cases should handle the problem. The study focuses on formulating guidelines to help social workers in dealing with this issue of taboo. In this study the researcher conducted a groupwork with mothers of sexually abuse children in order to set a basis to develop a group intervention programme. Gomes-Schwartz (1990:20) indicates that mothers' responses to the disclosure often influence the relationship with their children. Developing a group intervention programme to address these damaged relationships is relevant to social work practice in South Africa. The aim of this study is to develop a group programme for mothers of victims of sexual abuse and to develop a treatment plan based on the literature survey. This is done by means of a literature survey (general) in the related field of child sexual abuse. The data gained from the literature study were used to develop a group programme and to make conclusions and recommendations in this regard. / Dr. E. Oliphant

MSc (Med) (Paediatric Neurodevelopment), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / The intersection of two marginalised groups of children, the disabled and the abused, was the focus of this research report. The study examined data from the Teddy Bear Clinic over an eight-year period and detected differences in the prevalence of sexual abuse, physical abuse and neglect of disabled and non-disabled children. The population of disabled-abused were further classified according to age, population group and gender in order to elucidate relationships between variables that might affect prevalence of maltreatment. A summary of the results shows that specific sub-populations of the disabled (the physically, mentally and learning disabled) had prevalence rates peculiar to them. The mentally and physically disabled had increased rates of sexual abuse, whilst the learning disabled had increased prevalence for neglect. Analysis of those children with multiple disabilities revealed no risk for neglect but they were at increased risk for sexual abuse. Disabled children are therefore not a homogeneous group.

No description available.

This research attempted to examine the reasons why children and youths disclose their sexual victimization, as well as the manner of their disclosure, specific to the school setting. An original questionnaire was developed, and given out to all the school social workers from one social service agency. Each worker chose, non-randomly one case of sexual abuse disclosure. / It was hypothesized that if a child or youth had decided to disclose their sexual victimization in the school setting they would do so in a planned and overt manner, choosing an adult with whom they had a close, positive and trusting relationship; a positive authority figure. Both hypotheses were borne out, although the strongest predictors of planned disclosure in this study, were that the victim had a positive relationship with the adult they told, knew them fairly well, and that they were being abused by their natural father or live-in father-figure.

The goals of this study were to determine the proportion of children that were identified in the 2005 & 2006 at one youth protection agency as victims of sexual abuse or as at risk of becoming victims; to describe the family members and offenders and to determine what decisions concerning treatment and restrictions of contact were consistent with a model of best practice. Information on 18 variables was collected and grouped into child, abuse, offender, and agency response categories. In total, 70 children or about 3% of investigated cases involved either victims or children at risk of sexual abuse. Best practice responses for treatment were followed in 90% of the cases for treatment but only 70% of the cases for restrictions of contact; this difference was statistically significant. Findings show importance of specialized sexual abuse training for workers, managers and judges, more treatment resources for nonoffending parents and further research involving a larger sample and validated best practice model.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-98). 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:MR19633

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2007. / Title from title screen (site viewed Feb. 22, 2008). PDF text: v, 117 p. : ill. ; 11 Mb. UMI publication number: AAT 3275066. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in microfilm and microfiche formats.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Rhode Island, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-118).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-106). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (PhD(Prakt. Teol.)--Universiteit van Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 325-339).