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Biography

Nosisa Mabetshe was a postgraduate researcher at Walter Sisulu University and holds a Master of Arts Degree. She is currently a departmental administrator in the Faculty of Commerce and Administration at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa.

Emeka E. Obioha is a full Professor of Sociology and Chair of research in the Faculty of Humanities Social Sciences and Law at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. His research interests and areas where he has published extensively include: Social problems, deviance, social control, policing, conflicts, urban ecosystems, development capabilities and systems equilibrium analysis.

Ishmael Mugari holds a Doctorate in Police Science and his research focuses on criminology, police accountability, police strategy and national security issues.

Elphina N. Cishe is an Associate Professor of Educational Sciences and Acting Nedbank Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Development at Walter Sisulu University, South Africa. Her research focuses on social theory, social policy, qualitative social research and curriculum theory.

Abstract

Child sexual abuse is a global problem and is prevalent in South Africa. Child sexual abuse significantly harms the victims. This study looked at child sexual abuse prevention, focusing on the community, school system, and social workers. A mixed methods research method was used. Data were collected from 115 questionnaire respondents, of which 15 in-depth interview participants were selected. The sample was selected using purposive sampling and stratified random sampling techniques. Low reporting of incidents is hindering the effective response to child sexual abuse. The study revealed the significant role parents and community members could play in preventing child sexual abuse. The results also show that the school system plays a crucial role in educating children about inappropriate touches, discussing prevention skills with children, and encouraging children to report incidents of child sexual abuse. The study found that limited training for educators was a significant obstacle in the school system. Social workers play their part through advocacy and awareness campaigns and assisting the police during investigations. The study recommends a multi-sectorial approach to encourage reporting of child sexual abuse cases and training educators on responding to child sexual abuse.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

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