Child sexual abuse workers emotional experiences of working therapeutically in the Western Cape, South Africa
Date
2013-10
Authors
Capri, Charlotte
Kruger, Lou-Marie
Tomlinson, Mark
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Springer US
Abstract
South African child sexual abuse workers active in low-income communities
bear witness to stories of sexual and physical abuse, neglect, pervasive
deprivation, and violence. North American, British, and European workers’ emotional
experiences have been captured in the literature, and a gap remains to be filled
by those of their South African colleagues. This research aims to focus on the
emotional experiences of social workers who engage therapeutically with sexually
abused children in the Helderberg basin of the Western Cape, and resonate in some
way with readers working in situations of poverty and trauma in other parts of the
world. This study employed an explorative inductive research method, and followed
a critical realist and contextual constructionist approach. Multiple-case study data
collection took place by means of semi-structured interviews with social workers
who engage therapeutically with sexually abused children. Data were examined by
means of thematic analysis, and psychoanalytic theory was employed to analyse
defences that surfaced during interviews. There were similarities in emotional
experiences between South African participants and their abovementioned counterparts.
The research also identified salient features of working with child sexual
abuse in South Africa. The emotional experiences of doing such work, coupled with
participants’ ways of managing sexually abused children’s material, gave rise to possible vicarious traumatisation symptoms and allowed for a psychoanalytic
understanding to be put forward. The research also reports on useful measures that
might enable individuals to continue interventions. To enable ongoing effective
therapeutic engagement, social workers should have access to opportunities for
acknowledging countertransferences and processing dynamic material defended
against. The research contributes to knowledge of working in South Africa by
exploring the emotional experiences of those who help sexually abused children
daily, and by investigating the psychological impact prolonged therapeutic
engagement has on workers active in Western Cape low-income communities.
Description
Please cite as follows:
Capri, C., Kruger, L-M. & Tomlinson, M. 2013. Child Sexual Abuse Workers’ Emotional Experiences of Working Therapeutically in the Western Cape, South Africa. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal , 30(5):365-382, doi:10.1007/s10560-012-0295-8.
The original publication is available at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10560-012-0295-8
Capri, C., Kruger, L-M. & Tomlinson, M. 2013. Child Sexual Abuse Workers’ Emotional Experiences of Working Therapeutically in the Western Cape, South Africa. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal , 30(5):365-382, doi:10.1007/s10560-012-0295-8.
The original publication is available at http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10560-012-0295-8
Keywords
Child sexual abuse workers -- Psychological aspects, Child sexual abuse workers -- Emotional experiences, Child sexual abuse -- Therapy
Citation
Capri, C., Kruger, L-M. & Tomlinson, M. 2013. Child Sexual Abuse Workers’ Emotional Experiences of Working Therapeutically in the Western Cape, South Africa. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal , 30(5):365-382, doi:10.1007/s10560-012-0295-8.