The influence of socio-cultural practices amongst Vhavenda towards the disclosure of child sexual abuse: Implications for practice

Abstract

Children across many societies worldwide are vulnerable. They are often  victims of sexual abuse which is a major global health and social problem. The major issue regarding child sexual abuse is its disclosure. This paper aims to explore socio-cultural practices amongst VhaVenda towards the disclosure of child sexual abuse. The ecological and socio-cultural theories were employed to obtain more insights about this study. It was found that social and cultural backgrounds within which people find themselves play significant roles in the process of disclosing child sexual abuse. Recommendations are subsequently made on how different stakeholders should participate in creating atmosphere that enables disclosure to take place without being influenced largely by socio-cultural practices.

Keywords: Child, Child Sexual Abuse, Disclosure, Socio-Cultural, VhaVenda.