Social Work Prevention Programmes for Pre-Teen Sexual Offenders

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Social Work Prevention Programmes for Pre-Teen Sexual Offenders SOCIAL WORK PREVENTION PROGRAMMES FOR PRE-TEEN SEXUAL OFFENDERS by JOAN CAMPBELL Dissertation presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work at the University of Stellenbosch Promoter : Professor S. Green April 2005 Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Declaration I, the undersigned, herby declare that the work contained in this dissertation is my own original work and has not previously, in its entirety or in part, been submitted at any University for a degree. ___________________________ SIGNATURE 25-11-2004 DATE Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za SUMMARY It is generally accepted that pre-teen sexual offences are becoming a widespread problem in South Africa and social workers are ill-equipped to render a competent service to prevent these youth offenders from re-offending. To date, the social, judicial and legislative systems do not provide any definite guidelines to prevent pre-teen sexual offenders from re-offending. The purpose of this study was to present guidelines which could serve as a framework when designing prevention programmes for pre-teen sex offenders. With the results of the study an attempt will be made to augment the knowledge and skills in this area in the social service delivery system, in order to render a professional and effective service to prevent pre-teen sexual offenders from re- offending. The objectives of the study were: first, to explain policy under the South African criminal justice system regarding crime according to the Sexual Offences Act, no 23 of 1957, and the Child Care Act, no 74 of 1983, as well as government and non-government services available to children under the age of 13 who sexually offend; second, to describe the social and personal circumstances of pre-teen sexual offenders in order to illustrate the nature of the deviant sexual behaviour of these children and to determine the need for prevention programmes; third, to reflect on the nature and function of prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders and to investigate the need for social workers to utilize these programmes in welfare agencies in South Africa; fourth, to determine the nature of social work programmes which social workers in welfare agencies are using to address the needs and/or problems of pre-teen sexual offenders; and finally, to describe the knowledge and practice skills needed by social workers to design prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders. The literature review was focused on research findings relating to issues examined in this study. An exploratory research design for the study was confined to a purposive sample of 79 respondents who were identified from a universe of 130 social workers to assess their need to develop prevention programmes in order to render a competent service to pre-teen sex offenders and their families. The results were analysed mainly quantitatively. The empirical study enabled the researcher to draw certain conclusions. The main finding was that pre-teen sex offences were on the increase, and that social workers therefore required ever greater knowledge and skills to empower them to use existing prevention of re-offending programmes for pre- teen sexual offenders, or alternatively, needed to develop their own such programmes. A number of recommendations flowed from the findings. The main recommendation was that welfare organisations rendering child care service should ensure that social workers have at their disposal a diverse knowledge and skills base consisting of the most significant prevention models and approaches to enable them to design their own prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders. The welfare organisations should further supply social workers with training opportunities to enable them to design prevention programmes, thereby empowering them to render a professional service to pre-teen sexual offenders and their families. Finally, preventing pre-teen sex offenders from re- offending should be a state-driven initiative and national and provincial governments should provide adequate policies and facilities for the implementation of prevention programmes for pre-teen sexual offenders. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za OPSOMMING Dit word algemeen aanvaar dat die problem van voor-tiener seksuele oortreders ernstige afmetings in Suid Afrika aanneem en dat maatskaplike werkers nie toegerus is om ‘n effektiewe diens aan hierdie kliëntegroep te lewer om sodoende heroortreding te voorkom nie. Die maatskaplike en regstelsel, asook wetgewing, beskik tans oor geen definitiewe riglyne rakende die voorkoming van heroortreding deur voor-tiener seksuele oortreders nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om teoretiese en praktiese riglyne daar te stel vir die ontwikkeling van individuele voorkomingsprogramme vir voor-tiener seksuele oortreders. Met die resultate van die studie sal probeer word om die maatskaplike werk diensleweringstelsel bedag te maak op spesifieke kennis- en praktykvaardighede ten einde ‘n bevoegde diens aan voor-tiener seksuele oortreders te lewer. Die doelwitte van die studie is as volg: eerstens, om die regstelsel ten opsigte van kinders en jeugdige seksuele oortreders te verduidelik aan die hand van die Wet op Kindersorg, (Wet 74 van 1983) en die Wet op Seksuele Oortredinge (Wet 23 van 1957), sowel as staats- en nie-staatsdienste beskikbaar vir kinders onder die ouderdom van 13 jaar wat seksueel oortree; tweedens, om die sosiale en persoonlike omstandighede van voor-tiener seksuele oortreders te beskryf om sodoende die omvang van afwykende seksuele gedrag te illustreer en die behoefte aan voorkomende programme te demonstreer; derdens, om die omvang en funksie van voorkomingsprogramme vir voor-tiener seksuele oortreders te ondersoek en om vas te stel of maatskaplike werkers ‘n behoefte het om sulke programme aan te wend in welsynsorganisasies; vierdens, om vas te stel watter programme tans deur maatskaplike werkers in welsynsorganisasies gebruik word om in die behoeftes van die voor-tiener seksuele oortreder te voorsien; en laastens, om die kennis en praktykvaardighede te beskryf wat nodig is vir dienslewering aan die voor-tiener seksuele oortreder. In die literatuurstudie is gefokus op sake wat in hierdie navorsing te berde gebring is. ‘n Verkennende navorsings ontwerp is benut om die studie te doen en ‘n doelbewuste steekproef van 79 respondente uit ‘n universum van 130 maatskaplike werkers is ingesluit om te bepaal of hulle ‘n behoefte het om voorkomingsprogramme te ontwikkel om sodoende ‘n effektiewe diens aan voor-tiener seksuele oortreders en hul gesinne te lewer. Die resultate is hoofsaaklik kwantitatief ontleed. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is bepaalde gevolgtrekkings gemaak. Die vernaamste bevinding was dat daar ‘n toename is in voor-tiener seksuele oortredinge en dat maatskaplike werkers ‘n behoefte het aan kennis en praktykvaardighede om hulle in staat te stel om hul eie voorkomingsprogramme te ontwikkel vir intervensie met voor-tiener seksuele oortreders. Aanbevelings voortspruitend uit die bevindinge sluit in dat die welsynsorganisasies wat fokus op kindersorgdienste moet verseker dat maatskaplike werkers oor grondige kennis en vaardighede sal beskik ten opsigte van spesifieke modelle en benaderings om sodoende hulle eie voorkomingsprogramme vir voor-tiener seksuele oortreders te ontwikkel. Welsynsorganisasies moet verder maatskaplike werkers oplei om hulle te bemagtig om self voorkomingsprogramme te kan ontwikkel en sodoende ‘n effektiewe diens aan voor-tiener seksuele oortreders en hul gesinne te lewer. Ten slotte moet inisiatiewe vir die voorkoming van voor-tiener seksuele oortredinge deur die staat geloods word en die nasionale en provinsiale regerings moet voldoende wetgewing en fasiliteite vir die implementering van voorkomingsprogramme vir voor-tiener seksuele oortreders beskikbaar stel. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my sincere thanks to the following individuals for their invaluable assistance - Professor Sulina Green for her professional guidance, encouragement and inspiration. - The University of Stellenbosch for financial assistance. - The respondents who participated in the study without whose co-operation the study would not have been possible. - Helaine Pelser for assistance with the editing of the thesis. - My husband, Mark, for the technical layout of the thesis as well as his encouragement and support. - Our three daughters, Myrna (12), Jamie (9) and Emma (5) for having patience with me while working on the thesis. - My Creator, who blessed me abundantly and who gave me the strength to persevere. Stellenbosch University http://scholar.sun.ac.za Contents Chapter Page Number CHAPTER 1 ...........................................................................................................1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY....................................1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Outline of the problem.............................................................................................2 1.3 Motivation for the study...........................................................................................3 1.4 Aim of the study .....................................................................................................6 1.5 Field of research .....................................................................................................6 1.6 Research methodology ............................................................................................7
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