Towards a framework to facilitate child sexual abuse disclosure within an African context: a qualitative study.

Abstract

South Africa has achieved international acknowledgment for making many favourable strides towards constitutional reform. However, the country has also become internationally infamous for its high prevalence of gender-based violence. It is violence against children in particular which is at the forefront. Surviving trauma has been shown to have lasting psychological and physical effects, especially when it is kept as a secret. As the world grapples with alleviating a pandemic, so too are the child survivors of gender-based violence, who often do not disclose the sexual trauma they have experienced. The purpose of the current study was to work towards creating a uniquely African framework for the disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten community health workers. The participants were selected using purposive sampling, a technique of non-probability sampling. VCRM was used to analyse the data collected indicating five prevailing themes. The themes revealed the understanding of CSA disclosure, facilitators of CSA disclosure, current methods of obtaining disclosure, factors which hinder CSA disclosure and offered recommendations towards an African centred framework. Recommendations of the study brought out proposed solutions and areas of concern which need to be addressed. Much of the work which needs to be done was suggested to derive from a systemic level. This implies that families and governmental institutions need to make strides towards change for the betterment of children’s safety and psychological well-being.