Fisiese, seksuele en emosionele kindermishandeling en- verwaarlosing : 'n argiefstudie

Date
2007-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study was to identify, describe and explain the differences between boys and girls regarding the different variables of child abuse and neglect. A review of the literature concerning child abuse and neglect was undertaken. Emphasis was placed on the different variables that correlate with child abuse and neglect: gender, age, type of abuse, general wellbeing and type of injuries, social relationships and circumstances, economical circumstances and the different variables that are related to the perpetrator of child abuse and neglect. Archive material of 256 children (124 boys and 132 girls) from Tygerbear Children's Hospital, at Tygerberg Hospital, were researched. All the subjects were eighteen years or younger and reported at the Hospital between 01 April 2004 and 31 March 2005. Comprehensive reports drawn up by social workers were used to capture data from which the different variables and statistics of child abuse and neglect were identified, descnbed and explained. Findings from the data indicate that sexual abuse was the most common form of abuse for the whole group of subjects. Boys are neglected more often than girls and they experienced more physical injuries than girls. Girls, on the other hand, are more prone to sexual abuse and experience more injuries of a sexual nature, while in total the whole group presented with injuries of a more sexual nature than any other type of injury. The findings also indicate that boys are abused or neglected more often in the evenings compared to girls who are abused or neglected more often during the mornings, but for the whole group, abuse takes place more often during the afternoon. Mothers tend to abuse or neglect boys more often than girls, while fathers do not usually abuse one gender more than the other. Boys compared to girls are more often abused by perpetrators between the ages of 13 and 21, but for both genders in total the perp~trators of abuse are between 22 and 34 years of age. Further analysis of the type of abuse and age of the perpetrator indicated that the perpetrators of sexual abuse against boys, was significantly different from the age of the perpetrators of the other types of abuse and neglect against boys. Most of the cases of child abuse and neglect happened at home and it was the girls who reported the offences to the police more often than the boys. The last finding indicated that the fathers and the mothers of the whole group abused alcohol significantly more often than any other substance. And that the fathers of boys who are abused or neglected, are significantly more likely to abuse alcohol than the fathers of girls who are abused or neglected. This study is mainly descriptive, while some of the findings were explained. A number of the reports were not fully completed, but were still included in the study to develop an understanding of the amount of information regarding child abuse and neglect that were not available. To improve the quality of future research on child abuse and neglect, especially in the Western Cape, efforts should be made by organizations to capture data of child abuse and neglect more carefully and completely.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die ondersoek was om die verskille wat tussen seuns en dogters rondom die veranderlikes van kindermishandeling en -verwaarlosing voorkom, hetsy dit fisiese, seksuele of emosionele kindermishandeling en verwaarlosing is, vas te stel, te beskryf en te verklaar. 'n Literatuurstudie oor kindermishandeling en -verwaarlosing is onderneem. Daar is hoofsaaklik gefokus op verskillende veranderlikes wat verband hou met kindermishandeling en -verwaarlosing, naamlik geslag, ouderdom, tipe mishandeling, algemene welsyn van die kinders en die tipe besering wat hulle opgedoen het, sosiale verhoudings, maatskaplike omstandighede, ekonomiese omstandighede as ook die veranderlikes wat verband hou met die oortreder van kindermishandeling en verwaarlosing. Argiefmateriaal van 256 kinders (124 seuns en 132 dogters) van Tygerbeer Kinderhospitaal, by Tygerberg Hospitaal, is ondersoek. Die deelnemers was almal agtien jaar of jonger en het by die hospitaal aangemeld tussen 01 April 2004 en 31 Maart 2005. Omvattende verslae van die maatskaplike werkers en bekendstellingsvorms is as die databronne vir die argiefstudie gebruik, waama beskrywende statisitiek ten opsigte van die veranderlikdes van kindermishandeling en -verwaarlosing geldentifiseer en ontleed lS. Uit die resultate blyk <lit <lat vir die totale groep, word kinders beduidend meer seksueel mishandel, terwyl seuns beduidend meer verwaarloos word en dogters weer beduidend meer seksueel mishandel word. Vir die totale groep was die mees algemene besering geslagsdeelbeserings, terwyl die seuns se beserings van 'n meer fisiese aard was en die dogters s'n van 'n meer seksuele aard. Verder is daar ook gevind da~, vir die totale groep kinders het mishandeling en verwaarlosing beduidend meer in die middag plaasgevind, terwyl seuns meer gereeld in die aand mishandel is en dogters weer meer gereeld in die oggend mishandel is. Moeders was meer geneig om hul seuns te verwaarloos as hul dogters, terwyl vaders geen onderskeid getref het tussen seuns en dogters wanneer hulle kinders mishandel of verwaarloos het nie. Vir die totale groep word kinders beduidend meer deur oortreders tussen die ouderdom van 22 en 34 jaar mishandel, maar seuns word meer gereeld as dogters deur oortreders tussen die ouderdom van 13 en 21 jaar mishandel. Die ouderdomme van oortreders wat seuns seksueel mishandel, het beduidend verskil van die ouderdomme van die oortreders van die ander tipes mishandeling teenoor seuns. Dogters het weer meer gereeld as seuns die voorval by die polisie gaan aanmeld en byna al die voorvalle het by die huis plaasgevind. Laastens is daar ook bevind dat, vir die totale groep misbruik beide die vaders en die moeders beduidend meer alkohol as wat hulle enige ander substans misbruik en dat die vaders van seuns wat mishandel of verwaarloos word, beduidend meer alkohol misbruik as die vaders van dogters wat mishandel ofverwaarloos word. Hierdie studie is oorwegend 'n beskrywende ondersoek, met sekere van die bevindinge wat wel verklaar is. 'n Groot aantal van die bekendstellingsvorms was nie volledig voltooid nie, maar is ten spyte daarvan by die studie ingelsuit om vas te stel tot in watter mate inligting rondom die veranderlikes van kindermishandeling en -verwaarlosing nie beskikbaar is nie. Om die kwaliteit van verdere navorsing oor kindermishandeling en verwaarlosing, veral in die Wes-Kaap, te verbeter, sal die betrokke organisasies 'n sterker poging moet aanwend om die kwaliteit van data-insameling te verhoog, sodat meer volledige inligting beskikbaar kan wees.
Description
Thesis (MSc) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Child abuse -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Case studies, Dissertations -- Psychology
Citation