Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Health
Advisor
MICHAEL G. SCHWAB
Abstract
Child sexual assault (CSA) has been reported all over the world. Studies indicated that South Africa has one of the highest incidences with far reaching social, physical and emotional consequences. However, non-disclosure is common, which increases the risk of revictimization. Understanding the complexities surrounding the low reporting and non-disclosure will provide guidance for better intervention of CSA in South Africa. This study explored the past experiences of adults who were sexually abused as minors, and how their experiences and outcomes may have been influenced by factors at the micro, meso, macro, and chrono-system levels of Bronfenbrenner’s social ecological model. The study was phenomenological and qualitative. In-dept interviews were conducted with nine participants using open ended questions regarding their experiences of CSA, family and community responses, and how these experiences determined their choice to disclose, not disclose, or recant earlier disclosure. Results showed that factors contributing to non-disclosure included poor family bonding, poor exposure to required information, patriarchy amongst male and female relationships, police bias by judging or accusing the victim, and light punishment for offenders, whereas recommendations to mitigate CSA include responder retraining, publicity and awareness creation, and an anti-corruption campaign. Implications for positive social change include improved population health through minimizing the deleterious outcomes of CSA on the victims and their families, social policy affecting family education and child care, and gender empowerment to improve reporting.
Recommended Citation
OZOR, CHIMA OBIORA, "Non-Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse: The Lived Experience of Victims in South Africa" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 13682.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/13682
