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Child Abuse Research in South Africa

Child Abuse Research In South Africa is the journal of the South African Society on the Abuse of Children and promotes academic and professional discourse amongst professionals involved in child-care work in South Africa. It publishes high-quality, peer-evaluated, applied, multidisciplinary articles focusing on the theoretical, empirical and methodological issues related to child abuse in the light of the current political, cultural and intellectual topics in South Africa.
Publisher | South African Society on the Abuse of Children (SAPSAC) |
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Frequency | Bi-annually |
Coverage | Vol 1 Issue 1 Apr 2000 - current |
Accreditation(s) |
Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) |
Language | Afrikaans/English |
Journal Status | Active |
Collection(s) |
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The perceived utility value of two attachment measures in care and contact recommendations by family counsellors : a pilot study
Currently, in the South-African context, more than 52% of divorces involve children. This reality created a need for family counsellors to mediate and inform the court on the best interest of affected children concerning care and contact decisions post-divorce. The Family Advocates offices do not currently use validated attachment measures to determine caregiver-child attachment. The lack of validated attachment measures in care and contact recommendations is a concern since research indicates that the better the attachment with a caregiver, the better the post-divorce adaption of the children. This study explored the perceived utility value of two attachment measures (Parental Bonding Instrument and Child-Parent Relationship scale) in care and contact recommendations of family counsellors. Family counsellors received training in using these two measures as part of their care and contact assessments in addition to following their usual assessment protocol. Data-collection entailed semi-structured qualitative interviews with the family counsellors about their opinions and experiences of the value of these measures in making recommendations about the care and contact of children. This study has the potential to inform the current practice of the family counsellors in order to add evidence-based measures to their assessment protocols for care and contact recommendations. Evidence-based assessments carry a more prominent weight as evidence in court, making recommendations more credible. The establishment of the utility value of using attachment measures in care and contact assessments may offer an initial exploration of using such measures in the local practice context.
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Religio-cultural beliefs, and children accused of witchcraft : describing the child-witch phenomenon
Child abuse is a world-wide phenomenon that has in recent years received much attention While research and advocacy surrounding child abuse has gained momentum, it can also be expressed in unique ways, such as African children accused of witchcraft. Most research on children accused of witchcraft in however, appears in unpublished literature and as such, the expression and understanding thereof is limited. Belief in supernatural entities, like witches and witchcraft exist in many religious and cultural systems and are believed to be the agents of misfortune. Generally, a person accused of witchcraft is likely to experience physical and psychological harm, with historic and contemporary evidence supporting this. This study aims to describe children accused of witchcraft, through an analysis of secondary data. The overall was to examine news reports, advocacy agencies and various commentaries on children accused of witchcraft toward providing firstly, a description of an expression of child abuse in Africa, which seems to be underreported; and secondly, the representation of religio-cultural beliefs in ways that justify the abuse of children. Data took the form of news reports, as well as information from web pages and advocacy agencies. A content analysis of secondary data was undertaken, and three themes identified are discussed namely, 1) protagonists of violence; 2) consequences of witchcraft accusations and 3) religio-cultural beliefs and justification of accusation. This research contributes to understanding an expression of child abuse, as well as indicates how religio-cultural beliefs may be represented in a way that is used as a justification to violence.
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Exploring the efficacy of child protection interventions post Cyclone Idai : a case of Chipinge, Zimbabwe
The aim of this article, which is based on a review of theoretical and empirical literature including policy documents and biographies, is to explore the scope and level of child protection responses in the wake of the Cyclone Idai disaster in Zimbabwe. This article will also investigate the extent of deprivation and vulnerability of children who survived the landfall in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and the perspective of agencies on their lived experiences. The article further explores learning from South African responses in the wake of natural disasters. Among other implications for social work practice, the article provides recommendations for Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the delivery of children's services in Zimbabwe.
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Parents and teachers' perceptions of corporal punishment in Zimbabwean schools : a case of Tafara 1 High School in Harare
Corporal punishment has generally been used as a disciplinary measure for ill behaviour in Zimbabwe before it was outlawed in 2017 through a High Court ruling that declared article 60(2) (c) of the Educational Act unconstitutional. Before 2017, the use of corporal punishment in Zimbabwean schools was every day. However, different actors included educationists and civic organizations that disputed and advocated against its use. The sentiments against the use of Corporal punishment followed many countries that passed laws and policies that restricted the use of corporal punishment. This study examined the perceptions of parents in low-income communities on the use of corporal punishment as a correction measure in schools. The introduction of policies through a Government Gazette (2013) governing the use of corporal punishment has been received with some reservations among the parents, caregivers, education sector, civil society and the children themselves. Some individuals still believe in the use of corporal punishment. The study focused on the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary tool in schools, with specific reference to Tafara 1 High School.
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A theoretical analysis of the nexus between criminal behaviour and psychiatric disorders in children
This article provides an interdisciplinary theoretical lens through which to interpret and understand the nexus between criminal behaviour and psychiatric disorders in children. The study confirmed the existence of similar socio-cultural, biological, and psychological risks associated with the causation of both criminal behaviour and the development of psychiatric disorders in children. Furthermore, it indicated that the causal link is not based on a singular factor but is an amalgamation of multidimensional factors which affect both the development of psychiatric disorders and criminal behaviour in children. Based on the multi-factorial causation, the theoretical discussion inclusive of the dual taxonomy, biosocial, somatic marker hypothesis, and the general strain theory draws knowledge from the psychological, biological, neuroscientific and criminological sciences. It is argued in this submission that it is imperative to be cognisant of the causal link between bio-psycho-social functioning and criminal behaviour to ensure that the best interest of a child with a psychiatric disorder who come in conflict with the law, is upheld.
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Youth experiences of alcohol and illicit substance use in the family and community context
Regarding large-scale social disorganisation, poverty and unemployment in contemporary South Africa, many youths are exposed to alcohol and illicit substances in the family and community context. Substance use typically leads to an upsurge in economic offences, while the illicit drug-trade frequently engenders violent transgressions. The availability and exposure to alcohol and illicit substances often also increases the propensity for youths to experiment with these substances, potentially leading to addiction and a significant number of youths coming into conflict with the law. In addition, a large proportion of the youth populace may be at risk of jeopardising their social goals, destabilising their bond to the family, and becoming detached from school or other prosocial activities. Moreover, substance use is typified by academic failure, increased susceptibility for youth-gang membership and a surge in impulsive, hedonistic and violent behaviour. Several authors concur by emphasising that more individuals are detained for narcotics-related offences in comparison to any other, with arrestees frequently testing positive for illicit substance use. Both first-time and repeat offenders are often also under the influence of alcohol or illicit substances whilst contravening the law. Against this background, a qualitative approach was utilised, to gauge the unique experiences and views of youth regarding their use of and exposure to alcohol and illicit substances in their social milieu. Data was obtained using a purposive sample of 20 detained male youths and analysed by frequency and percentage distributions together with narrative accounts from the participants. The findings revealed that the majority of youth in the sample (60%) regard the frequent use of alcohol and illicit substances as a pertinent predictor for youth misconduct and as a key factor that contributed to their most recent transgression. It is thus envisaged that these findings will stimulate further research and facilitate the expansion of knowledge regarding the use of alcohol and illicit substances as a fundamental socio-criminogenic risk factor associated with youth offending.
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© Publisher: South African Society on the Abuse of Children (SAPSAC)

© Publisher: South African Society on the Abuse of Children (SAPSAC)