{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7990"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/7990","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Approaching the language and processes for addressing and evaluating allegations of child sexual abuse in South Africa","abstract":"The two studies conducted focus on the processes for addressing allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) in South Africa. A comprehensive literature review revealed some of the pitfalls in South African systems for dealing with CSA allegations including a lack of guidelines for assessing allegations and insufficient research in the area. In the first study, mental health and legal/forensic professionals completed a questionnaire designed by the researcher to investigate the criteria they would use to establish the veracity of an allegation of sexual abuse. An indication of the degree of relevance of certain criteria (e.g. 'medical evidence of abuse') to assessment was established based on these results. In general, the responses of the two groups correlated but there were seven criteria on which they differed. Many of the participants also provided specific criteria in response to qualitative questions asking if there were any criteria they believe indicate that an allegation is definitely true or definitely false, indicating a belief that there are certain factors that conclusively point to sexual abuse and other factors that unambiguously indicate that an allegation is fictitious.","abstract_html":"The two studies conducted focus on the processes for addressing allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) in South Africa. A comprehensive literature review revealed some of the pitfalls in South African systems for dealing with CSA allegations including a lack of guidelines for assessing allegations and insufficient research in the area. In the first study, mental health and legal/forensic professionals completed a questionnaire designed by the researcher to investigate the criteria they would use to establish the veracity of an allegation of sexual abuse. An indication of the degree of relevance of certain criteria (e.g. 'medical evidence of abuse') to assessment was established based on these results. In general, the responses of the two groups correlated but there were seven criteria on which they differed. Many of the participants also provided specific criteria in response to qualitative questions asking if there were any criteria they believe indicate that an allegation is definitely true or definitely false, indicating a belief that there are certain factors that conclusively point to sexual abuse and other factors that unambiguously indicate that an allegation is fictitious.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Baker, Heather"],"institution":"Department of Psychology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Tredoux, Colin"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2004,"date_issued":"2004","date_published":"2004","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:22Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7990","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Tredoux, Colin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Baker, Heather"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-10-02T13:21:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-10-02T13:21:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2004"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSocSc"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7990"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-133)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The two studies conducted focus on the processes for addressing allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) in South Africa. A comprehensive literature review revealed some of the pitfalls in South African systems for dealing with CSA allegations including a lack of guidelines for assessing allegations and insufficient research in the area. In the first study, mental health and legal/forensic professionals completed a questionnaire designed by the researcher to investigate the criteria they would use to establish the veracity of an allegation of sexual abuse. An indication of the degree of relevance of certain criteria (e.g. 'medical evidence of abuse') to assessment was established based on these results. In general, the responses of the two groups correlated but there were seven criteria on which they differed. Many of the participants also provided specific criteria in response to qualitative questions asking if there were any criteria they believe indicate that an allegation is definitely true or definitely false, indicating a belief that there are certain factors that conclusively point to sexual abuse and other factors that unambiguously indicate that an allegation is fictitious."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Approaching the language and processes for addressing and evaluating allegations of child sexual abuse in South Africa"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Tredoux, Colin"],"dc:creator":["Baker, Heather"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-10-02T13:21:06Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-10-02T13:21:06Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2004"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-133)."],"dc:description.abstract":["The two studies conducted focus on the processes for addressing allegations of child sexual abuse (CSA) in South Africa. A comprehensive literature review revealed some of the pitfalls in South African systems for dealing with CSA allegations including a lack of guidelines for assessing allegations and insufficient research in the area. In the first study, mental health and legal/forensic professionals completed a questionnaire designed by the researcher to investigate the criteria they would use to establish the veracity of an allegation of sexual abuse. An indication of the degree of relevance of certain criteria (e.g. 'medical evidence of abuse') to assessment was established based on these results. In general, the responses of the two groups correlated but there were seven criteria on which they differed. Many of the participants also provided specific criteria in response to qualitative questions asking if there were any criteria they believe indicate that an allegation is definitely true or definitely false, indicating a belief that there are certain factors that conclusively point to sexual abuse and other factors that unambiguously indicate that an allegation is fictitious."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/7990"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Psychology"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Approaching the language and processes for addressing and evaluating allegations of child sexual abuse in South Africa"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSocSc"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:22Z"}