The Role Of Service Providers, Practitioners And Policy Makers In Promoting Awareness Of Child Sex Abuse

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION3

1.1Background of the Study3

1.2Purpose of the Study4

1.3Aims and Objectives4

1.4Research Questions5

1.5Ethical Considerations5

1.6Outline of the Study6

CHAPTER 02: LITERATURE REVIEW7

2.1Children Sexual Abuse (CSA)7

2.2Impacts of CSA in Young Children8

2.21Physical Manifestations of CSA in Young Children8

2.22Psychological Impacts of CSA in Young Children9

2.221Anger9

2.222Fear9

2.223Guilt10

2.224Helplessness10

2.225Isolation10

2.226Betrayal11

2.227Flashbacks11

2.3Detecting CSA12

2.4Difficulties Faced by CSA Survivors13

CHAPTER 03: METHODOLOGY15

3.1Research Philosophy15

3.2Research Design15

3.3Data Collection16

3.4Qualitative Research17

3.5Assumptions of Qualitative Research17

3.6Confidentiality18

3.7Time Frame18

REFERENCES20

CHAPTER 01: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

It is a bitter reality that millions of children are being abused sexually outside, and even within homes. Children are abused by persons who know them, or even their families. The sexual predator abuses the child's weaknesses to gain sexual satisfaction, and can be anyone. Child abuse involves, emotional, mental and physical abuse of a child through evident and surreptitious sexual acts, moods and gestures. Child abuse happens when the child is not capable of resistance or where informed consent is not possible for the victim. Child abuse also involves sexual activities that does not involve direct touching. In the Western world, child sexual abuse has become an issue of growing concern, which has started occurring frequently (Kendall-Tackett, et. a., 1993, pp. 164-80). Many researchers and theorists believe that the occurrence rate of child sexual abuse, in the Western society is very difficult to determine (Finkelhor, 1993, pp. 67-70; Goldman, et. al. 2000, pp. 305-14; Gorey & Leslie, 1997, pp. 391-398). Child sexual abuse (CSA) includes forcing or inducing a child to commit sexual activities. CSA also involves encouraging a child to act in various ways that are sexually inappropriate (NSPCC, 2011, pp. n.d). According to NSPCC (2011, n.d) it is very difficult to identify CSA activities, but there are various strategies that can be adopted to help preventing the children from CSA. Moreover, service providers, parents, practitioners and policy makers must adopt strategies in case of suspecting child abuse to prevent the child from getting sexually abused. Radford and colleagues (2011, pp. 5) conducted a study in the year 2010 that involved the assessment of occurrence rates of child sexual abuse in UK as 18 per cent for girls and 5 per cent for boys. The results are almost similar to a similar study conducted in 1985, which estimated the prevalence rates as 12 per cent for girls and 8 per cent for boys (Baker & Duncan,1985, pp. 457-67). During the period of 2009 and 2010, the UK police recorded more than 23, 000 cases of child sexual abuse. It is also widely believed that the chances for assault are six times more for the girls as compared to the chances of assault for boys, and there were 86 per cent of assaults recorded against girls in the same period (BBC News, 2011, pp. n.d; BBC News, 2010, pp. n.d).

Purpose of the Study

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a growing concern and a bitter veracity of our society. It is also a fact that children are abused by sexual predators only in regions where ...