Visual methods in resilience research: reflections on its utility

ABSTRACT

The potential of the visual image to foster reflection and to mobilise individuals and communities into action coupled with its capacity to bridge language and cultural divides has made the inclusion of visual methods (VMs) increasingly popular in resilience research as well as in research on sexual violence. In spite of this popularity, VMs are not beyond criticism and there have been calls to scrutinise the efficacy of VMs in research. Our aim, in this article, is to reflect critically on the usefulness of VMs to increase understandings of resilience processes in girls with child sexual abuse histories. We also consider the effectiveness of VMs in initiating social change by following up on audience members who viewed a screening of digital stories that dealt with the CSA experiences of adolescent girls. Our findings suggest that VMs are effective in creating greater awareness of resilience processes but in terms of initiating social change, dissemination of outputs produced through VMs requires greater consideration and clearer guidelines.

KEYWORDS:

• Visual methods
• resilience processes
• child sexual abuse

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the girls who participated in this study as well as the child and youth centres that provided access.

Additional information

Funding

We gratefully acknowledge the PhD bursary support provided to the first author by Optentia Research Focus, North West University, as well as the Networks of Change and Well-being Project (funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC)).

Notes on contributors

Sadiyya Haffejee

Sadiyya Haffejee, PhD, completed her PhD studies at North-West University, South Africa. She is a practicing psychologist currently working at a Child and Youth Care Centre. Her research and publications focus on gender-based violence, youth, mental health, and resilience processes in South African youth.

Linda Theron

Linda Theron, D.Ed., is a Full Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Pretoria; an Associate of the Centre for the Study of Resilience, University of Pretoria; and an Extraordinary Professor in Optentia Research Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa. Her research and publications focus on the resilience processes of South African young people challenged by chronic adversity and account for how sociocultural contexts shape resilience (see www.Lindatheron.org). She is lead editor of Youth Resilience and Culture: Complexities and Commonalities (Springer, 2015). She is also an associate journal editor of Child Abuse & Neglect (Elsevier).