Social workers’ perspectives on the use of emotional-support dogs during the testimony of child sexual-abuse victims in South African criminal courts
Abstract
In this study the researcher considers that the criminal court process can
be incredibly intimidating to children, and therefor extra protective measures should be
set in place to prevent that the child witness experiences any further trauma or stress. The
researcher found the use of emotional-support animals during the child sexual-abuse
victim’s testimony a one of the protective measures that is being implemented in
different court systems around the world. This article focuses on the perspectives of
forensic social workers on the use of emotional- support dogs during the testimony of
child sexual-abuse victims in criminal courts in South Africa.
The aim of the study is to explore, from forensic social work perspectives,
the benefits and the challenges when using emotional-support dogs for child sexual abuse
victims testifying in criminal court proceedings. A qualitative and explorative study
design was followed by conducting semi-structured interviews with eight social workers
employed by and affiliated with The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children (TTBC) and
two dog handlers from Touch Our Pets therapy dogs (Top Dogs). All the participants are
SOCIAL WORKERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON THE USE OF EMOTIONAL-SUPPORT DOGS DURING THE
TESTIMONY OF CHILD SEXUAL-ABUSE VICTIMS IN SOUTH AFRICAN CRIMINAL COURTS
involved in, or aware of, the emotional-support animals programme implemented by
TTBC.
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- Health Sciences [2060]