The prevalence of child sexual abuse in South Africa is alarmingly high. Child
protection officials’ task is challenging due to the fact that most cases of child
sexual abuse are never reported as a result of the stigma attached to child
sexual abuse.
This article explains the vulnerable position of the children of uniform
members of the military due to the fact that one or both parents are absent
from the family due to fragmentation.
Two main reasons are causing fragmentation. The first reason that can be
mentioned is the fact that the soldier him–/herself has decided not to relocate
the family to his/her workplace. Cultural beliefs, housing crisis or other
practical challenges might play a role in the parent’s decision.
The second reason for fragmentation is the fact that soldiers are obliged to
attend military courses or to represent their country during a peace operation
on the African continent. These military obligations cause physical and
emotional absence of the parental figure, which might leave the child in a
vulnerable position to fall victim to child sexual abuse. Fragmentation impacts
negatively on the parental relationship as well as on the safety of the child.
The deployed parent often is left with no choice but to unwittingly leave the
child with a harmful caretaker.
The aim of the study was to establish the knowledge of parents in the military
regarding child sexual abuse.
The objectives of the study were:
· To investigate parents in the military's basic knowledge of child sexual
abuse in preventing their children from falling victim to sexual perpetrators. · To provide guidelines to military parents for preventing and recognising
child sexual abuse.
Data collection took place by means of interviews with ten South African
National Defence Force members. A self–developed interview schedule was
used to establish the parent's knowledge regarding child sexual abuse.
The results indicated the limited knowledge of parents in the military regarding
child sexual abuse. Many parents viewed sexuality as a taboo topic. Some
parents presented with an attitude that someone else is responsible for their
child's sexual education. Still, the parents indicated that they would like to
improve their communication with their children in order to empower and
protect the child against sexual perpetrators. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/4807 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Holm, Henliëtte |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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