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Parent orientated sex education for pre-school children

Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to present guidelines for the composition of a parent
orientated sex education programme for pre-school children. An exploratory study
was undertaken to describe and investigate the nature and extent of parental sex
education to pre-school children. The investigation was done by first exploring
existing research literature and describing it. The empirical study was based upon
both the literature study and mothers' opinions on sex education.
Pre-school children are disproportionately !ll0re likely to be sexually abused with
devastating consequences which result in behavioural and emotional problems
throughout their lives. The ultimate responsibility of prevention of child sexual abuse
should be with the parent. However, two problems persist. Firstly, parents are often
the perpetrators and therefore it is not justified to leave the responsibility solely to the
parents. Secondly, parents who want to teach their children prevention strategies
often lack the skills and knowledge.
Therefore, the concept of a prevention structure in which the child can live and find
support should be put into practice by the school. Prevention strategies should
include sex education, a neutral home environment and a safe environment for
disclosure of sexual abuse. This prevention structure should include the teacher, the
social worker and the parent. These three components should support each other to
implement an atmosphere of prevention and healthy sexual development. Linking and inter-dependence are important because there is always a possibility that one of
the participants may be corrupt.
Social workers should provide an effective basis for a personal safety programme to
parents which should be supported and facilitated by schools. Training parents to
become sex educators encourages better parent-child communication, builds the
family support network, and has an impact on the ability of the family to deal more
positively with sexual concerns. This does not only result in the prevention of sexual
abuse but also contributes to the healthy sexual functioning, development and
understanding of the sexuality of pre-school children. Through parent orientated sex
education, parents can also dispel sexual myths and misinformation that their preschool
children gain from peers and other sources.
Despite the increasing public awareness devoted to sexual abuse and the advantage
of sex education, a formal prevention education structure has not yet been
implemented for pre-school children in South Africa.
The first objective of this study was to describe and investigate the extent of parental
sex education presented to pre-school children. The second objective was to
investigate the acceptability of a sex education programme for pre-school children.
The third objective was to describe the physical and sexual boundaries existing in the
home environments of parents of pre-school children and finally to determine the
sexual behaviours of pre-school children, which parents regard as acceptable. The main conclusions, based on the findings of the study, indicated that parents
were in favour of sex education for pre-school children and that they require more
information which would empower them to sex educate their pre-school children at
home. They were also in favour of a classroom-based sex education programme.
In conclusion it is recommended that a sex education programme is to be
implemented at pre-schools for parents of pre-school children, as well as a
classroom based sex education and a personal safety programme for pre-school
children. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die navorsing is om moontlike riglyne vir 'n ouer-georiënteerde
seksopvoedingsprogram vir pre-primêre kinders saam te stel. 'n Verkennende studie
is onderneem om die omvang en aard van ouer-georiënteerde seksopvoeding vir
pre-primêre kinders te ondersoek. Verder is bestaande navorsingsliteratuur
bestudeer en beskryf. Die empiriese ondersoek wat daarop volg, is gebaseer op
sowel die literatuurstudie as moeders se menings oor seksvoorligting.
Pre-primêre kinders het 'n groter kans om seksueel gemolesteer te word wat kan lei
tot die ervaring van emosionele- en gedragsprobleme, met vernietigende gevolge vir
die res van hul lewens. Die uiteindelike verantwoordelikheid om die kind teen
molestering te beskerm, berus by die ouers. Dit skep egter twee probleme. Ten
eerste is die ouer dikwels self die oortreder en daarom kan die verantwoordelikheid
nie uitsluitlik by die ouer berus nie. Tweedens, is die ouers wat wel seksopvoeding
aan hul kinders wil bied, dikwels weens 'n gebrek aan kennis en vaardighede,
onbevoeg om dit te doen.
Dit is daarom die skool se verantwoordelikheid om 'n voorkomende struktuur te skep
waarin die kind kan leef en ondersteuning kan vind. 'n Voorkomende strategie moet
seksvoorligting, 'n neutrale leefruimte sowel as 'n veilige omgewing vir die
bekendmaking van seksuele molestering insluit. Hierdie voorkomende struktuur moet
die onderwyser, die maatskaplike werker en die ouer betrek. Hierdie drie komponente moet mekaar ondersteun om "n atmosfeer van voorkoming en gesonde
seksuele ontwikkeling te implimenteer. Aangesien die integriteit van die partye nie
gewaarborg kan word nie, is noue skakeling en interafhanklikheid van die drie
komponente belangrik.
Maatskaplike werkers behoort "n effektiewe persoonlike veiligheidsprogram, wat deur
die skool ondersteun en gefasiliteer word, aan die ouers te voorsien. Ouers as
seksvoorligters bevorder die kommunikasie tussen ouer en kind, verstewig die
ondersteuningsnetwerk van die gesin en ontwikkel die vermoë om seksuele
aangeleenthede openlik te hanteer. Gevolglik word seksuele molestering voorkom
en gesonde seksuele funksionering bevorder. Die ouer verkry ook insig in die
seksuele ontwikkeling van die pre-primêre kind. Deur middel van ouer-georiënteerde
seksvoorliging, kan ouers mites en verkeerde inligting, wat dikwels deur die
portuurgroep oorgedra word, regstel.
Ten spyte van die toenemende mediadekking en bewuswording van die voordeel
van seksopvoeding, is daar nog geen formele opvoedkundige voorkomende
veiligheidsprogram in Suid-Afrika geïmplementeer nie.
Die eerste doelwit van die studie was om die omvang en aard van pre-primêre
kinders se seksuele opvoeding te ondersoek. Die tweede doelwit was om ouers se
aanvaarding van seksvoorligting van pre-primêre kinders te ondersoek; die derde
doelwit was om die fisiese en seksuele grense in die huislike omgewing te ondersoek
en laastens, om aanvaarbare seksuele gedrag van pre-primêre kinders te
ondersoek. Daar word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat ouers wel ten gunste is van ouergeoriënteerde
seksvoorligting vir pre-primêre kinders en dat hulle die behoefte het
aan leiding om dit te doen. Die ouers is ook ten gunste van die aanbieding van
seksvoorligting in die klaskamer.
Daar word aanbeveel dat 'n veiligheidsprogram, wat 'n ouer-georiënteerde
seksvoorligtingsprogram vir ouers van pre-primêre kinders, sowel as seksvoorligting
in die klas behels, in skole geïmplimenteer moet word.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/52393
Date03 1900
CreatorsCampbell, Joan
ContributorsMcCarthy, A., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format245 p. : ill.
RightsStellenbosch University

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