Citation

Adlem A. Child Abuse Res. South Afr. 2017; 18(2): 1-20.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, South African Professional Society on the Abuse of Children)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Over the past few decades healthcare professionals have witnessed sexual abuse as a phenomenon with far-reaching effects on children and adolescents. It occurs across cultures and socio-economic groupings with profound long-term social and psychological consequences including interpersonal, sexual and emotional disorders. The aim of this article is to offer a summary of relevant literature and results of a research study on the indicators and psycho-social impact of sexual abuse on the adolescent survivor of sexual abuse (ASSA) through a narrative sand play process (NSPP). For the purposes of this study the author made use of semi-structured interviews as a means of gathering information during the narrative sand play process. Using the concurrent triangulation research design, quantitative and qualitative data were collected concurrently. The design was exploratory and descriptive to find answers to the research question. In theory as well as through the implementation of this programme the results have shown how the indicators and psycho-social impact of sexual abuse on the ASSA assist professionals in understanding the ways through which the adolescent attempts to survive with the scars of abuse. The individual needs of ASSA direct the professional in the implementation of an appropriate therapeutic intervention programme. These findings suggest how the professional can explore the indicators and psycho-social impact of sexual abuse on the ASSA through the use of the NSSP.

Language: en