Child Abuse Research in South Africa - latest Issue

In this article, the significance of the role of theory to the research process as a prime objective of the social sciences is focused upon. Theories offer insight and strategies for the helping professions and help researchers to gain insight into and explain empirical observations, such as why people commit crimes or some commit more crime than others. It is common cause for the helping professions to integrate interdisciplinary knowledge to provide meaning and understanding to empirical data. In the current study the ecological systems theory is used as a platform to induce a criminologically relevant theoretical framework to explain female youth sex offending. Ecological systems theory is advocated as a result of the fact that the environmental circumstances in which the young female sex offender finds herself are dynamic and necessitate continuous adaptation to an ever-changing environment, which is best explained within the context of an ecological approach. The research was conducted at the “Teddy Bear Clinic” in the Parktown North and Soweto Offices in Gauteng, South Africa. The research participants were diverted to the Support Programme for Abuse Reactive Children offered by the Teddy Bear Clinic where purposive sampling was used to select a convenience sample of eight young female sexual offenders between the ages of 12 and 18 years. Semi-structured interviews, guided by an interview schedule, were conducted to collect data. The collated data was evaluated in terms of the ecological systems theory and supportive propositions, to conceive a theoretical framework that aims to explain female youth sex offending. The purpose of this framework is to guide future research, and inform interventions and policy development.

Adolescence, as a stage of life, initiates psychosocial and psychosexual changes in teenagers. Amid the (sometimes confusing) process of sexual development and maturation, many adolescents have access to cutting edge media technologies and could access or be exposed to content which is sexual in nature. Sexting refers to the sending, receiving and/or forwarding of nude or sexually suggestive photographs and/or sexually explicit messages across social media platforms. In the case of minors, sexting is considered a criminal offence. This article describes the gendered experiences of secondary school learners regarding online victimisation and the expectancies (positive and negative) of sending and receiving sexts. Data was collected from 83 learners (mean age of 14.3 years) attending two private schools in Gauteng. The self-administered questionnaire contained standardised scales which allowed for total scores to be calculated. Significant differences featured between male and female learners on 8 of the 14 variables measuring online victimisation, including “People have posted rude or mean things about me online”, “People have asked me to send sexy pictures/photographs online” and “People have continued to engage sexually with me online, even after I asked them to stop”. The sextpectancies measure revealed gendered differences insofar as positive attitudes towards sending sexts, but not regarding negative sentiments toward sending texts. However, gender differences featured across both positive and negative expectancies of receiving texts. The results suggest gendered policy responses to adolescent sexting. The challenges of gaining access to and participation by adolescents on topics of the present nature will also be discussed.

Despite legislative interventions aimed at improving the protection of children, educator-on-learner sexual abuse persists, and is even on the increase. Focussing on prosecuting educator offenders and holding the state vicariously liable clearly does not have the desired effect. The author considered the prospect of holding the state directly liable when it fails to prevent and respond to educator-on-learner abuse, by basing liability for certain cases not only on the wrongful conduct of educators as employees, but also on the state’s own omission of its constitutional or statutory duties. In this article, the author investigates the feasibility of such a strategy within the South African legal framework.

Child abuse remains a major issue in South Africa. In many cases, the emergency removal of a child from his/her family is necessary in order to protect the child from further harm. Working with children and families in these contexts is a specialised field within social work, and as such requires specialised interventions. There is a gap in terms of providing professionals with a practice model for implementing emergency child protection interventions with children at risk. This study aims to address this gap by means of developing a model for practice. In the development of such a practice model, this article describes the various elements which need to be incorporated into the model: legislation, intervention strategies, social work theories, the best interest of the child standard and ethical principles.

This article dealing with the child trafficking as horrible and terrible trade manner. The issue of human trafficking huge concern for most nations including Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, trafficking in person has long been a common practice - a practice affecting individuals and communities irrespective of age, gender and ethnicity. Child trafficking in Ethiopia is one of the main social problems. This problem is aggravating by prevalence of poverty and traffickers’ desire to exploit vulnerable individuals. It is also known that trafficked children experience physical and emotional abuse – exposed rape, starvation, and battery; and are deprived of their needs for normal development - no education, poor health and safety. Notably, children are trafficked both inside and outside of the country. It is extremely challenging to find out the extent and prevalence of this problem, which also complicates the search for an appropriate solution to the problem in Ethiopia. The focus of this secondary systematic review is to highlight and explore the nature and current situation of this problem by examining the profile of the traffickers, actors, associated factor and effect in the current scenario and national response on child trafficking in Ethiopia. The reviewed result from articles, researches and journals reflects that children from a poor family, broken family, living in poverty, persistent unemployment, low social infrastructure, minimum wages, inflation, and social insecurity has a high risk of being trafficked. Result revealed that trafficking has a negative impact on the country image, health and psychological behaviour of the trafficked person.

The prevalence and risk factors for complex developmental trauma (CDT) were examined in a convenience sample of 723 secondary school students attending a high school in Durban, South Africa. Prevalence rates for CDT were high in the study sample (8.2%), with a current diagnosis of CDT being independent of a current diagnosis of PTSD in 70% of cases. Consistent with predictions, a current diagnosis of CDT was more likely (OR = 16.0) in cases where exposure to domestic violence had been both chronic (>1 year) and had occurred at an early age (0-6 years). A current diagnosis of PTSD was not found to be related to childhood exposure to domestic violence. Study findings are discussed in relation to their implications for intervention and for future research.

Violence, abuse and the exploitation of children has become a growing concern worldwide and in South Africa. Child trafficking is a human rights violation and it impacts a child’s development. Children who have been trafficked require an array of assistance in order to heal and recover optimally. This paper looks at select social and legal needs identified in a qualitative study on children who were trafficked to and/or rescued in South Africa. This study hopes to contribute to debates on child trafficking and on social work interventions with child victims of trafficking, especially in Southern Africa.