A profile of the child–on–child sexual abuser in a children's home

Abstract

Child-on-child sexual abuse is seen as a severe social as well as a psychological problem, because of the current increasing dimension of sexual abuse in South-Africa. If the profile of a sexually abusive child in a children’s home is known, the individual development plan for the specific child can be accurately determined, in order to insure that the child receives the correct intervention. The risk that other children may be exposed to sexual abuse or sexual inappropriate behaviour might decrease, if the profile of a sexually abusive child in a children’s home is known. The purpose of the research study was to focus on child-on-child sexual abuse in a children’s home, explaining to the reader the reasons and consequences of child-on-child sexual abuse and also to determine a profile of a child-on-child sexual abuser in a children’s home. The researcher followed a qualitative approach. Four children who are or were perpetrators in child-on-child sexual abuse in a children’s home were intensively studied. Six social workers working with sexually abused children in children’s homes were interviewed. The interviews with the participants in the study focused on the following main themes: Theme 1 Removal of children from parental care Theme 2 Child-on-child sexual abuse in children’s homes Theme 3 The child as sexual perpetrator in a children’s home Theme 4 Intervention that the children received Theme 5 Reasons why children abuse other children Theme 6 Consequences of child-on-child sexual abuse Theme 7 A profile of the child-on-child sexual abuser in a children’s home. The results of the data were devided into subthemes for detailed clarification of the respondents’s experiences in order to make usefull recommendations.