Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse : Social Constructionist and Traditional
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PERPETRATORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST AND TRADITIONAL EMPIRICAL APPROACHES 5 ' , CHANELLE VI LIA LYELL Thesis presented in fulfilment of the 'requirements „ of the degree - D. LITT:. ET PHIL. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE FACULTY OF ARTS at the RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY PROMOTER: PROF. MARIETJIE JOUBERT AUGUST 1998 Prefect (moved): But we have every desire to respect that compassion, Mrs Ponza. We should like you to tell us, however ... Mrs. Ponza (speaking slowly and distinctly): What? The truth? It is simply this ...that I am...yes, I am Mrs Frola's daughter ... All (with a sigh of satisfaction): AN Mrs Ponza (still speaking slowly and distinctly, carrying straight on): ...And Mr Ponza's second wife ... All (astounded and disappointed, in subdued tones): Oh? But how on...? Mrs Ponza (slowly and distinctly carrying on): Yes! And for myself, I am nobody! Nobody at all! Prefect: Oh, no, Mrs. Ponza, that just cannot be! You must be either one or the other! Mrs. Ponza: No! As far as I am concerned, I am just whoever you think I am. (She looks intently at them all, for a moment through her veil, and then goes out. There is silence) Laudisi: And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the voice of truth! (He throws a derisive, challenging glance round the company.) Are you happy now? (He bursts out laughing) Hal Hal Hal Hal Pirandello (1962, p.87) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am/ si,ncerely grateful/ to- the follow i44.0,people. who- helped/ mew make thi/s, study pos ,sthie: My Promoter, Prof Marie Ii Joubert, for her superior guidance, advize ct,nd. support All the/ mein/ who- ge,vter-owsly volkotteered/ to- participate. Cn. thi/s, study, without whose. co--operatto-n. thi* study would/ not have. been/pasiarie. Joan/ van/ N Ceicerki m y mentor and/ frtendi. Belycv, for her endiewpatte 14v eaCavuj, my the,k3: R 6cv, far tackUng , the. arcluows, to of typ Cn -this thesi.k. My parents; Hugh. and/ Laanda/, for their support and/ ong&Cvtg- Cvttere/st i vv my cant-I/nue& acacie,vnia Lto-ne/ who- offered/ support an& and/ who- tolerated,/ me/ througiv the/ worst of Mine* ---o0o--- TABLE OF CONTENTS CONTENTS PAGE SUMMARY (I ) OPSOMMING CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION AND OUTLINE OF THE STUDY 1.1 Opening Remarks 1 1.2 Outline of the Study 3 CHAPTER 2: SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM AS POST-MODERN PSYCHOLOGY 2.1 Introduction 5 2.2 Pre-modernism to Modernism to Post-modernism 6 2.3 Linear Causality vs. Systemic Thinking 13 2.4 Cybernetics 14 2.5 Constructivism 16 2.6 Social Constructionism 20 2.7 Concluding Remarks 25 CHAPTER 3: NARRATIVE AND PSYCHOLOGY 3.1 Introduction 26 3.2 Language and Meaning 26 3.3 Narrative 29 3.4 Defining Narrative 30 3.5 Purpose of Narratives 34 3.6 Narrative and Psychotherapy 35 3.7 Hermeneutic Psychotherapy 39 3.8 Concluding Remarks 41 CHAPTER 4: PERPETRATORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE: A REVIEW OF THE TRADITIONAL RESEARCH LITERATURE 4.1 Introduction 42 4.2 Historical Perspective — Paedophilia across Cultures and Times 42 4.3 Definitions and Terminology of Child Sexual Abuse 45 4.3.1 Problems with Definitions 45 CONTENTS PAGE 4.3.2 Definitions of Paedophilia 47 4.4 Social Interactional Skills 49 4.5 Affect with Specific Reference to Empathy 56 4.6 Sexuality and the Presence of Sexual Pathology 58 4.7 Substance Abuse 64 4.8 Abused-Abuser Hypothesis 67 4.9 Early Life and Childhood Sexualisation of Paedophiles 73 4.10 Distorted Cognitions 77 4.11 Socio-Cultural Critique of Paedophilia 82 4.12 Special Appeal of Children 89 4.13 Personality Correlates of Paedophilies 93 4.14 Grooming Process 96 4.15 Role of Pornography in Child Sexual Abuse 102 4.15.1 Child Pornography 104 4.15.2 Adult Pornography 107 4.16 Concluding Remarks 109 CHAPTER 5: A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONIST RESEARCH APPROACH 5.1 Introduction 110 5.2 Justification for Doing Qualitative Research 113 5.3 Social Constructionist Research 114 5.4 Research Design 114 5.5 Role of the Researcher 115 5.6 Position of the Participants 116 5.7 Data Collection 117 5.8 Data Analysis 118 5.9 Concluding Remarks 120 CHAPTER 6: NARRATIVES OF PERPETRATORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE 6.1 Introduction 121 6.2 Introducing the Participants 121 6.3 Emerging Themes 123 6.3.1 Childhood 123 6.3.2 Sex Education 131 6.3.3 Participants' Understanding of the Sexually Offending Behaviour 133 6.3.4 Selection of Children 138 6.3.5 Perception of the Effects of the Offending Behaviour on the Victim 142 CONTENTS PAGE 6.3.6 Perceptions of the Judicial System and the Effects of the Offending Behaviour on the Perpetrator 145 6.3.7 Impact of Pornography, Alcohol and Drugs on Their Behaviour 149 6.3.8 Value of Therapy and Control over Offending Behaviour 149 6.4 Concluding Remarks 151 CHAPTER 7: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS 7.1 Introduction 153 7.2 Social Interactional Skills 153 7.3 Empathy 156 7.4 Sexuality and Sexual Pathology 157 7.5 Substance Abuse 159 7.6 Abused-Abuser Hypothesis 160 7.7 Early Life 161 7.8 Understanding the Sexually Offending Behaviour 164 7.9 Socio-Cultural Critique of Paedophilia 165 7.10 Special Appeal of Children 168 7.11 Personality Correlates of Paedophiles 172 7.12 Grooming Process 173 7.13 Pornography 175 7.14 Value of Therapy and Control over Offending Behaviour 176 7.15 Perceptions of the Judicial System 177 7.16 Unspoken Themes 179 7.17 Concluding Remarks 180 CHAPTER 8: CONCLUSION 8.1 Discussion 182 8.2 Strengths of the Study 182 8.3 Limitations of the Study 184 8.4 Recommendations for Future Research 185 8.5 Final Comments 185 BIBLIOGRAPHY 188 (i) SUMMARY This study has aimed at exploring the narratives of perpetrators of child sexual abuse within a social constructionist research approach. Tape-recorded conversations were held with twelve participants who were engaged in a treatment programme at Childline Johannesburg and Childline KwaZulu Natal. The conversations with these men served to punctuate the participants' own experiences both in childhood and throughout the course of their adolescent and adult lives in order to elicit meaning and understanding of their offending behaviour. These narratives were compared to the traditional empirical research literature. The narratives highlighted some similarities to the traditional research literature; however, various differences were also noted. The similarities pertain particularly to: their experiences of having had traumatic and disruptive childhoods; an apparent lack of empathy for the victim; the employment of a wide range of rationalisations in order to explain their offences; a lack of self-esteem; a dearth of sex education in their home environment. Differences between narratives and the traditional research literature encompassed: the role of alcohol as a causal factor in offending; the belief in the abused-abuser hypothesis; the notion that most offenders begin their aberrant pattern of offending in adolescence; an absence of the popular stereotype that paedophiles are sexually and/or physically attracted to children. The participants in this study indicated an emotional attraction to their victims. ---o0o--- OPSOMMING Hierdie navorsing is daarop gemik om die narratiewe van kindermolesteerders met betrekking tot seksuele misbruik binne 'n sosiaal konstruksionistiese benadering na te vors. Gesprekke is met 12 deelnemers, wat betrokke was by 'n behandelingsprogram te Childline Johannesburg en Childline KwaZulu Natal, gevoer en op band vasgele. Gesprekke met die betrokke mans was daarop toegespits dat hulle punktuasie gee van hulle eie ervarings tydens hulle kinderjare, adolessensie en as volwassenes om sodoende betekenis en begrip vir hulle oortredings te genereer. Hierdie narratiewe is met tradisioneel empiriese navorsingsliteratuur vergelyk. Die vertellings het sekere ooreenkomste met die tradisionele navorsingsliteratuur uitgelig. Sekere verskille het egter ook na yore gekom. Die ooreenkomste het spesifiek betrekking op: traumatiese en ontwrigtende ondervindings tydens hulle kinderjare; in klaarblyklike gebrek aan empatie vir die slagoffer; die aanwending van 'n wye verskeidenheid rasionaliserings ter verduideliking van hulle oortredings; 'n gebrek aan eiewaarde; die gebrek aan seksonderrrig in die huislike omgewing. Verskille tussen vertellinge en die tradisionele navorsingsliteratuur het die volgende ingesluit: - die rol van alkohol as in oorsaaklike faktor vir oortredings; (iv) die opvatting van die oortreder-oortredingshipotese; die opvatting dat die afwykende patroon van oortreding reeds tydens adolessensie begin; die afwesigheid van die algemene stereotipe dat pedofiele 'n seksuele en/of fisiese aangetrokkenheid teenoor kinders ondervind. Die deelnemers aan die navorsing het 'n emosionele aangetrokkenheid tot hulle slagoffers openbaar. ---o0o--- CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION AND OUTLINE OF THESIS A policeman comes across a man who is on his hands and knees under a bright streetlight, apparently searching for something. In response to the policeman's enquiry, the man says he is looking for his key which he dropped as he attempted to put it in the keyhole of his front door. The policeman points out that the door is several metres away from where the man is searching. "Yes", the man replies, "but the light is better over here". 1.1 OPENING REMARKS Throughout the development of research on paedophiles and paedophilia, researchers appear to have behaved very much like the unfortunate man in the story, looking for answers where "the light is better". Traditional empirical research has identified certain variables perceived to be consistent with paedophilia, and these have been given priority by researchers to the relative exclusion and neglect of other factors. Traditional research has followed the scientific dictum that, in identifying and explaining these variables which occur in paedophilia, the researcher would be able to arrive at a true picture of the occurrence and existence of paedophilia itself. This current study has attempted to move away from a description of variables as identified by the traditional empirical research and endeavoured to capture as much as possible of the multi-faceted tapestry of the lives of paedophiles.