Experiences of psychologists working with female childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors
- Authors: Ntshangase, Nandisile Elaine
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Adult child sexual abuse victims -- Counseling of , Child sexual abuse , Sexually abused children , Psychologists , Psychology
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/42694 , vital:36681
- Description: Clients who experienced childhood sexual abuse may interact with psychologists in compelling ways. By virtue of the symptoms and personality implications, for instance, strong patterns of borderline and histrionic personality functioning, have been linked to the history of sexual abuse. Implicit to this, is that it is likely that the client will challenge the therapist with regards to both the theoretical approach taken, as well as the therapeutic style adopted. In addition, such clients are likely to project their need for a therapeutic interaction that is both genuine, empathic and at the same time, flexible. In light of this, it is not uncommon for healthcare practitioners to consider such clients as “difficult” in some way or the other. This could impact the psychologist as well, increasing the risk of psychologist stress, frustration and burnout. This study explored South African psychologists’ experiences working therapeutically with female clients who experienced sexual abuse during childhood. The focus was on understanding how the psychologists theoretically understood and practically worked with these clients. A qualitative approach was used and interviews with psychologists practising in the Eastern Cape of South Africa were conducted. The transcripts of the semi-structured interviews were thematically analysed. The thematic analysis yielded three themes, namely, 1) challenges experienced by psychologists; 2) preferred approaches to therapy and 3) coping skills utilized. The study applied the ethical principles concerned with trustworthiness, credibility and reliability.
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- Date Issued: 2019
A systematic review of online child sexual abuse: victim risk and offender profile and methodologies
- Authors: Sleeman, Ananda
- Date: 2017
- Subjects: Child sexual abuse , Child pornography , Sexually abused children , Online sexual predators
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/10761 , vital:26821
- Description: The purpose of this treatise was to synthesize the current research, nationally and internationally, both qualitative and quantitative, concerning online child sexual abuse. The study focused on crimes of a sexual nature perpetrated against children, with or without consent, in an online environment. The aim was to clearly articulate the characteristics of victims, including both their vulnerabilities and their protective factors and to provide offender profiles, including their methodologies. Method: A systematic search for peer reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2006 was conducted. The final sample included 73 articles, which were arranged in order of publication, and the top and bottom interquartile range was selected for review and coding. Results: 36 articles were thematically coded in order to identify the most prominent themes in the articles. The result of this review was a typology of victims and offenders, as well as offender methodologies that reflects an aggregation of the most prominent research on the subject of online child sexual abuse. Conclusion: Much of the common knowledge concerning online child sexual offenders and their victims is incorrect. The typologies identified in this review show a much more diverse picture of both offenders and victims than is held in popular knowledge. This research has identified the damage that misinformation can do, and has highlighted the need for accurate, empirically sound information to be made available to parents, teachers, health care professionals and youth.
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- Date Issued: 2017
Child care workers' management of sexualised behaviour displayed by children in residential child and youth care centres
- Authors: Pietersen, Marisa
- Date: 2012
- Subjects: Child care workers -- South Africa , Child sexual abuse , Sexually abused children -- Care , Child sexual abuse -- Psychological aspects , Children -- Institutional care , Social work with children , Sexually abused children -- Counseling of , Child sexual abuse -- Prevention
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9991 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/1644 , Child care workers -- South Africa , Child sexual abuse , Sexually abused children -- Care , Child sexual abuse -- Psychological aspects , Children -- Institutional care , Social work with children , Sexually abused children -- Counseling of , Child sexual abuse -- Prevention
- Description: Children have been shown to respond differently to the hurt that they suffer at the hands of others. Some of these responses involve internalised behaviours (i.e., repression of feelings, bodily symptoms, etc.); whilst others hurt manifest as externalised behaviours, such as physical attacks on others. These may include sexualised behaviours. The latter is particularly common amongst (but not restricted to) children who have been sexually abused (The American Psychological Association, 2001). For the purposes of this study a distinction is made between developmentally appropriate sexual behaviour and non normative sexualised behaviour which evoke complaints from and discomfort in those involved in the behaviour. The manifestation of these sexualised behaviours is especially pronounced amongst children in institutional care; and hence, it calls for constructive and effective management by the child care workers who are primarily responsible for their safe care and behaviour modification whilst in the institution. This qualitative study – with an exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design – served to explore how the child care workers’ effective management of such behaviours could be enhanced, so that the emotional wellbeing of both the “offender” and the “perpetrator” of this behaviour can be promoted. A non-probability purposive sampling technique was employed to recruit research participants from three different child and youth care centres in Port Elizabeth. A total number of 10 research participants were involved and data was collected up to the point of data saturation. Thematic content analysis was utilised for the analysis of the data and the necessary strategies were employed to enhance the trustworthiness of the data and to meet all the ethical requirements of the study. The main findings alert to the key requirements of Child and Youth Care Workers; it confirms the occurrence of sexualised behaviours; the urgent need for a consistent approach to the management of such behaviours; and for enhanced team work between the helping professionals in the team. The value of the study is embedded in the contributions it can make to practical interventions for children in institutional care, and to the sparse body of knowledge in this area.
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- Date Issued: 2012