Family Resilience Resources in Coping With Child Sexual Abuse in South Africa

Abstract

The aim of this qualitative study was to identify resources of family resilience that help families cope with child sexual abuse. Data were collected from a purposeful sample of parents representing nine poor families living in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The narratives of the participants were analyzed thematically. The results indicate that the families, despite adverse situations, utilized internal and external resilience resources. Internal resources were the parents’ relationship with their children, their own emotional functioning and attitudes, the children’s ability to cope with the abuse, boundaries in the family, insight into their children’s emotional needs, and sibling relationships. External family resources were the support of extended family members, friends, and a local community-based nonprofit organization working with child sexual abuse and schools. The empowering role of the identified resources for family resilience should be enhanced in interventions, while future studies could further explore these aspects in families confronted with child sexual abuse.

Keywords:

• poor families
• relationships
• resources
• social support

Notes

1. Colored refers to a unique racial identity (different from that of “Black” and “White”) that was created and shaped by South Africa’s political history. People belonging to this racial category are seen as multiracial or a genetic hybrid, which originated during colonialism through the sexual encounters of Dutch and British colonists with slaves from India and East Africa and the indigenous Khoi and San people of the Cape (Erasmus & Pieterse, 1999).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Theresa Vermeulen

Theresa Vermeulen completed her master’s thesis in psychology at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. She is a registered social worker and is continuously furthering her professional development.

Abraham P. Greeff

Abraham Greeff is a researcher and lecturer in family psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.