South African Parents' Perspectives and Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education During Early Childhood.
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| Title: | South African Parents' Perspectives and Experiences of Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Education During Early Childhood. |
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| Authors: | Theron, Lana1 (AUTHOR), Muller, Jacomien1 (AUTHOR) jacomien.muller@up.ac.za |
| Source: | Journal of Child Sexual Abuse. May2026, Vol. 35 Issue 4, p470-494. 25p. |
| Subject Terms: | *Human services programs, *Qualitative research, *Sex education, *Parent-child relationships, *Parent attitudes, *Parenting, *Early intervention (Education), *Research methodology, *Comparative studies, *Children, Child sexual abuse & psychology, Prevention of child sexual abuse, South Africans, Statistical sampling, Interviewing, Questionnaires, Descriptive statistics, Judgment sampling, Thematic analysis, Psychology of parents |
| Geographic Terms: | South Africa |
| Abstract: | Childhood sexual abuse is an increasingly urgent concern, particularly as technological advancements have made it easier to create and distribute harmful content. In South Africa, the incidence of child sexual abuse is very high. Child sexual abuse prevention education, which teaches children about privacy, bodily autonomy, and safety strategies, is a key approach to mitigating risk. However, child sexual abuse prevention remains under-researched in South Africa, particularly regarding parental involvement, and during early childhood, despite evidence that parents play a critical role in educating children about protective behaviors. This study explores South African parents' perspectives and experiences on implementing child sexual abuse prevention education during early childhood. A qualitative approach, involving semi-structured interviews with 12 parents, was employed. The use of reflective thematic analysis identified three main themes: 1) the child sexual abuse narrative, 2) parental experiences with child sexual abuse prevention education, and 3) childhood sexual abuse prevention as a collective effort. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in South Africa to empower parents in early childhood child sexual abuse prevention, emphasizing a collaborative approach to protecting children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of Child Sexual Abuse is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Childhood sexual abuse is an increasingly urgent concern, particularly as technological advancements have made it easier to create and distribute harmful content. In South Africa, the incidence of child sexual abuse is very high. Child sexual abuse prevention education, which teaches children about privacy, bodily autonomy, and safety strategies, is a key approach to mitigating risk. However, child sexual abuse prevention remains under-researched in South Africa, particularly regarding parental involvement, and during early childhood, despite evidence that parents play a critical role in educating children about protective behaviors. This study explores South African parents' perspectives and experiences on implementing child sexual abuse prevention education during early childhood. A qualitative approach, involving semi-structured interviews with 12 parents, was employed. The use of reflective thematic analysis identified three main themes: 1) the child sexual abuse narrative, 2) parental experiences with child sexual abuse prevention education, and 3) childhood sexual abuse prevention as a collective effort. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in South Africa to empower parents in early childhood child sexual abuse prevention, emphasizing a collaborative approach to protecting children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 10538712 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10538712.2026.2673330 |
