Risk factors contributing to child sexual abuse in the Ingwavuma district

M.A.The main purpose of the study was to investigate specific factors that may contribute to child sexual abuse in the community of Ingwavuma in KwaZulu-Natal. The social workers’ office caseload showed that the occurrence of this phenomenon outweighs other social problems that affect children in the district. This inquiry examined the relationships between environmental, personal and familial factors that contribute to child sexual abuse in the area. The researcher targeted the community of Ingwavuma, because she works in this area. Participants were child victims and their families. Only cases that were resolved were used, in order to avoid emotional distress. Cases were selected randomly from the caseload, and a qualitative approach was used in order to obtain a more thorough understanding, meaning, perceptions and other subjectivities of the social phenomenon of child sexual abuse. Extensive literature controls were used to validate the collected data. Content analysis of open-ended responses revealed that there is excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse by perpetrators. They also exercised force and threats to intimidate victims if they disclose the abuse to family members. The most dominant risk factors of child sexual abuse were the following circumstances: presence of step-parents in the household, poverty, unemployment, lack of supervision by parents, poor parent-child relationships, and strong adherence to cultural and traditional practices, children travelling long distances to school unaccompanied and inadequate housing. A unique finding of the present research was that the fruit of the marula tree, which grows in the vicinity of Ingwavuma, has similar effects to that of alcohol, if brewed. Notwithstanding that, further studies concerning this factor need to be done for validity purposes