A social work empowerment
programme for foster parents of
sexually abused children
H. J. Galloway
Potchefstroom
HELENA GALLOWAY
B Diac (SW) MA (SW) DPhil (SW)
Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the
degree
PHILOSOPHIAE DOCTOR
in
SOCIAL WORK
in the
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES
at the
NORTH-WEST UNIVERSITY (POTCHEFSTROOM CAMPUS)
Promotor: Prof C. Wessels Co-Promotor: Prof C. Strydom Potchefstroom
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to avail myself of the opportunity to express my gratitude towards the following people:
All honour and glory to God for His love and care. My family for your help and support.
Prof C. Wessels, my promotor for your support and patience. Prof C. Strydom, co-promotor for guidance.
All my colleagues for your persistant prayers and encouragement. Dr. Janine Delport for your language editing and support.
SUMMARY
TITLE: A social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children.
KEY TERMS: Child sexual abuse; foster care; foster children; foster parent; social work empowerment programme.
The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children.
This thesis consists of five sections:
SECTION A: Contains the problem statement, objectives and research
methodology, the limitations of the study and definitions of key words. The problem statement was formulated as follows: There is no existing scientifically developed and implemented social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children available in South Africa. This problem statement resulted in the development of four research objectives.
The intervention research model was utilised and implemented within a mixed methodology paradigm. Focus group discussions and the single system design generated quantitative and qualitative data.
SECTION B: Consists of four articles combined together, form the research report
on the achievement of the objectives. The four articles are:
Article 1: The implication of sexual abuse for foster care.
The aim of this article is to establish the implications of sexual abuse for foster care by means of a literature study. The impact of child sexual abuse depends on various factors like the age of the child, the amount of force used, the relationship between the child and the perpetrator, and the period over which the abuse took place. The impact of sexual abuse on the child also varies depending on the individual child. In order for the foster parent to assist the foster child to heal from
the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is necessary for the foster parent to have knowledge of and insight into such impact on the foster child.
Article 2: The empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children.
The aim of this article is to establish the empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children. A focus group discussion was used as a method to collect relevant qualitative data. Five (N=5) foster parents with foster children that have been sexually abused, identified from the caseload of a Child Welfare Society in White River and formed part of the discussion group. From the discussion group two categories, namely feelings, experiences and challenges of foster parents of sexually abused foster children and the needs of foster parents of sexually abused foster children were identified. Ten themes and sub-themes were derived and identified.
Article 3: The development and implementation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children.
The aim of this article is to develop and implement a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. A nine session programme was developed according to the needs identified in the previous article, and implemented over three days to seven (N=7) foster parents, selected according to a non-probability sampling method. It was presented through psychosocial group work as method.
Article 4: The evaluation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children.
The aim of this article was to evaluate the social work empowerment programme and the effect of the programme on the psychosocial functioning of the foster parents of sexually abused children. A single system design was followed to collect
data. Three standardised instruments were utilised during pre- and post-test. A self- developed questionnaire was used to gather qualitative data.
SECTION C: Summative findings, conclusions and recommendations and
contribution of the study.
SECTION D: Addendums.
OPSOMMING
Titel: ‘n Maatskaplike werk bemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met kinders wat seksueel misbruik is.
Sleutelterme: Seksuele misbruik van kinders, pleegsorg, pleegkind, pleegouer, maatskaplike werk bemagtigingsprogram.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om ‘n bemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders, te ontwikkel, te implementeer en te evalueer.
Hierdie proefskrif bestaan uit vyf afdelings:
Afdeling A: bevat die probleemstelling, doelwitte en navorsingsmetodologie, die
leemtes van die studie en omskrywings van sleutelterme. Die probleemstelling is soos volg geformuleer: Daar is nie enige wetenskaplike ontwikkelde en geïmplementeerde maatskaplike bemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders in Suid-Afrika beskikbaar nie. Die probleemformulering het aanleiding gegee tot die ontwikkeling van vier navorsingsdoelstellings.
Die intervensie navorsingsmodel is gebruik en geïmplementeer binne ‘n gemengde metodologiese paradigma. Fokusgroepbesprekings en die enkelstelselontwerp het kwantitatiewe sowel as kwalitatiewe data gegenereer.
AFDELING B: bestaan uit vier artikels wat gekombineer is om die navorsingsverslag
te vorm ten einde die bereiking van doelwitte weer te gee. Die vier artikels is soos volg:
Artikel 1: Die implikasie van seksuele misbruik vir pleegsorg.
Die doel van hierdie artikel is om vas te stel wat die implikasie van seksuele misbruik op pleegsorg is, deur middel van ‘n literatuurstudie. Die impak van die seksuele misbruik van kinders hang af van verskeie faktore, soos die ouderdom van die kind, die mate van geweld wat betrokke is, die verhouding tussen die kind en die oortreder, en die periode waarbinne die misbruik plaasgevind het. Elke individuele
kind ervaar ook die impak van seksuele misbruik verskillend. Dit is nodig vir die pleegouers om kennis te dra en insig te hê rondom die impak van seksuele misbruik op die pleegkind, sodat hulle in staat kan wees om die pleegkind by te staan en ook by te dra tot die genesing van die trauma.
Artikel 2: Die bemagtigingsbehoeftes van pleegouers van seksuele misbruikte kinders.
Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die bemagtigingsbehoeftes van pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders vas te stel. ‘n Fokusgroepbespreking is gebruik as ‘n metode om relevante kwalitatiewe data te bekom. Vyf (N=5) pleegouers wat kinders in hul sorg het wat seksueel misbruik is, is geïdentifiseer vanuit die gevallelading van ‘n Kindersorgorganisasie in Witrivier. Hulle het deel gevorm van die besprekingsgroep. Vanuit die besprekingsgroep is twee hoof kategorieё geïdentifiseer, naamlik gevoelens en ervarings van pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders, sowel as die behoeftes van pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte pleegkinders. Tien temas sowel as sub-temas is afgelei en geïdentifiseer.
Artikel 3: Die ontwikkeling en implementering van ‘n maatskaplike werk bemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders.
Die doel van hierdie artikel is om ‘n maatskaplikewerkbemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders te ontwikkel en te implementeer. ‘n Program bestaande uit nege byeenkomste is ontwikkel op grond van behoeftes soos dit uiteengesit is in die vorige artikel. Die program is geïmplementeer oor die loop van drie dae met sewe (N=7) pleegouers, wat geselekteer is deur ‘n onwaarskynlikheidsteekproeftrekking. Dit was aangebied deur gebruik te maak van ‘n psigo-sosiale groepwerk as metode.
Artikel 4: Die evaluering van ‘n maatskaplikewerkbemagtigingsprogram vir pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders.
Die doel van hierdie artikel was om die maatskaplikewerk bemagtigingsprogram sowel as die uitwerking van die program op die psigo-sosiale funksionering van die pleegouers met seksueel misbruikte kinders te evalueer. ‘n Enkelstelselontwerp is
gebruik om data in te samel. Drie gestandaardiseerde instrumente is gebruik as voor- en na-toets. ‘n Selfontwikkelde vraelys is gebruik om kwalitatiewe data in te samel.
AFDELING C: Opsommende bevindings, samevattings en aanbevelings en die
bydrae van die studie.
AFDELING D: Bylae.
AFDELING E: Saamgestelde bronverwysings.
FOREWORD
The article format has been chosen in accordance with Regulations A.7.2.3 as stipulated in the yearbook of the University of the North-West, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008 for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in Social Work. The content will comply with the requirements of one of the journals in social work, titled Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk.
KEYWORDS Child sexual abuse
Foster care Foster children Foster parent
Social work empowerment programme Empowerment needs
Focus group discussion
Psychoeducational group work Psychosocial functioning Evaluation
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SECTION A
INTRODUCTION ... 1
1. ORIENTATION AND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ... 1
2. RESEARCH QUESTIONS ... 5
3. CENTRAL THEORETICAL STATEMENT ... 6
4. AIM AND OBJECTIVES ... 6
5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 7
6. ETHICAL ASPECTS ... 25
7. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY ... 27
8. DEFINITIONS OF MAIN CONCEPTS ... 27
9. STRUCTURE OF RESEARCH REPORT ... 30
SECTION B ARTICLE ONE ... 38
THE DYNAMICS AND IMPLICATIONS OF SEXUAL ABUSED CHILDREN IN FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ... 39
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT ... 39
4. AIM AND OBJECTIVE ... 42
4.1 AIM ... 42
4.2 OBJECTIVE ... 42
5. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 42
6. DEFINITIONS ... 44
7. INCIDENCE OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ... 46
8. SYMPTOMS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ... 47
9. IMPACT OF SEXUAL ABUSE ... 51
10. MODELS TO DELINIATE THE IMPACT OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ... 52
11. DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES ... 61
12. PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING OF THE FOSTER PARENTS ... 66
13. LONG TERM EFFECTS OF SEXUAL ABUSE AND ITS IMPACT ON THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 69
14. EMOTIONAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF THE FOSTER CHILD AND ITS’ IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 71
15. SOCIAL SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF THE FOSTER CHILD AND ITS’ IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 75
16. SEXUAL ADJUSTMENT OF THE FOSTER CHILD AND ITS’ IMPLICATION FOR THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 77
17. BEHAVIOUR DYSFUNCTION OF THE FOSTER CHILD AND ITS’ IMPLICATIONS FOR FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 78
18. POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER SYMPTOMATOLOGY OF THE FOSTER CHILD
AND ITS’ IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 80
19. OTHER IMPLICATIONS FOR FOSTER CARE PLACEMENT ... 83
20. CONCLUSIONS ... 84
21. RECOMMENDATIONS ... 86
22. REFERENCES ... 86
ARTICLE TWO ... 97
THE EMPOWERMENT NEEDS OF FOSTERPARENTS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN 1. INTRODUCTION ... 98
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT ... 99
3. RESEARCH QUESTION ... 100
4. CENTRAL THEORETICAL STATEMENT ... 100
5. AIM AND OBJECTIVE ... 100
6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 101
7. DEFINITIONS ... 112
8. DISCUSSION OF EMPIRICAL DATA OBTAINED FROM FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS . 115 9. CONCLUSIONS ... 149
11. REFERENCES ... 152
ARTICLE THREE ... 160
DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SOCIAL WORK EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME FOR FOSTER PARENTS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN 1. INTRODUCTION ... 161
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT ... 161
3. RESEARCH QUESTION ... 164
4. CENTRAL THEORETICAL STATEMENT ... 164
5. AIM AND OBJECTIVE ... 164
6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 165
7. DEFINITIONS ... 178
8. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SOCIAL WORK EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME ... 180
9. PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL GROUP WORK ... 184
10. DESCRIPTION OF THE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME ... 190
SUMMARY OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME FOR FOSTER PARENTS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN ... 192
SESSION ONE: GETTING AQUAINTED, ORIENTATION AND PRE-TEST ... 197
SESSION THREE: BASIC EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN ... 203
SESSION FOUR: PSYCHOSOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD ... 205
SESSION FIVE: CHALLENGING BEHAVIOUR OF SEXUALLY ABUSED FOSTER CHILDREN AND HOW TO COPE WITH IT ... 210
SESSION SIX: CONTACT AND VISITATION BY BIOLOGICAL PARENTS ... 213
SESSION SEVEN: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FOSTER PARENT AND FOSTER CHILD ... 217
SESSION EIGHT: SELF AWARENESS AND SELF CARE OF THE FOSTER PARENT OF THE SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILD. ... 219
SESSION NINE: TERMINATION, EVALUATION AND POST-TEST ... 220
11. CONCLUSION ... 222
12. RECOMMENDATIONS ... 224
13. REFERENCES ... 227
ARTICLE FOUR ... 235
EVALUATION OF A SOCIAL WORK EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMMEFOR FOSTER PARENTS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN ... 235
1. INTRODUCTION ... 236
2. PROBLEM STATEMENT ... 236
3. RESEARCH QUESTION ... 238
5. AIM AND OBJECTIVE ... 239 5.1 AIM ... 239 5.2 OBJECTIVE ... 239 6. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ... 239 7. DEFINITIONS ... 242 7.2. PSYCHOSOCIAL FUNCTIONING ... 243
SUMMARY OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME FOR FOSTER PARENTS OF SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN ... 244
8. EVALUATION OF THE SOCIAL WORK EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME ... 247
8.1 QUANTITATIVE DATA ... 247 PARTICIPANT A1 ... 253 PARTICIPANT C2... 254 PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 255 PARTICIPANT CW4 ... 257 PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 258 PARTICIPANT M6 ... 259 PARTICIPANT J7 ... 261
RESULTS OF THE GENERALISED CONTENTMENT SCALE (ADDENDUM C4)... 264
PARTICIPANT C2... 265 PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 265 PARTICIPANT CW4 ... 266 PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 267 PARTICIPANT M6 ... 267 PARTICIPANT J7 ... 268
GROUP RESULTS FOR GENERAL CONTENTMENT SCALE (ADDENDUM C5) ... 268
PARTICIPANT A1 ... 269 PARTICIPANT C2... 270 PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 271 PARTICIPANT CW4 ... 272 PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 272 PARTICIPANT M6 ... 273 PARTICIPANT J7 ... 274
GROUP RESULTS FOR INDEX OF PARENTAL ATTITUDE ... 274
8.2 QUALITATIVE DATA ... 275
9. CONCLUSIONS ... 285
10. RECOMMENDATIONS ... 288
SECTION C: SUMMARISED FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ... 294
1. INTRODUCTION ... 294
2. SUMMARISED FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ... 294
3. TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS ... 303
4. RECOMMENDATIONS ... 303
5. CONTRIBUTIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ... 305
SECTION D ADDENDA SECTION E COMBINED REFERENCES ... 351
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1.1: RESEARCH PROCEDURE ... 11
TABLE 1.2: SYMPTOMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE ... 49
TABLE 1.3: PHASES OF ERICKSON’S PSYCHOSOCIAL THEORY. ... 64
TABLE 1.4: PHASES 6, 7 AND 8 OF ERICKSON’S MODEL ... 67
TABLE 1.5: LONGER TERM SYMPTOMATOLOGY ASSOCIATED WITH CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE ... 69
TABLE 2.1: DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE FOSTER CHILDREN ... 105
TABLE 2.2: CATEGORIES, THEMES AND SUB-THEMES ... 116
TABLE 2.2.1: CATEGORY 1, THEMES AND SUB-THEMES ... 119
TABLE 2.2.2: CATEGORY 2, THEMES AND SUB-THEMES ... 130
TABLE 3.1: BIOGRAPHICS OF THE FOSTER CHILDREN ... 173
TABLE 3.2: THE SOCIAL WORK GROUP WORK PROCESS ... 187
TABLE 3.3: SUMMARY OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME... 192
TABLE 4.1: SUMMARY OF EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME... 244
TABLE 4.2: INTERPRETATION OF SCALE SCORES OF COMPREHENSIVE MULTI SIFTING INVENTORY (CMSI) ... 252
TABLE 4.3: GROUP SCORES FOR COMPREHENSIVE MULTI SIFTING INVENTORY (CMSI) . 263 TABLE 4.4: GROUP RESULTS FOR GENERAL CONTENTMENT SCALE ... 268
TABLE 4.5: GROUP RESULTS FOR INDEX OF PARENTAL ATTITUDE ... 274
TABLE 4.6 : VALUE OF TOPICS INCLUDED IN EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMME. ... 278
LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1.1: MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS ... 62FIGURE 2.1: SUPPORT FOR FOSTER PARENTS ... 146
FIGURE 4.1: CMSI RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT A1 ... 253
FIGURE 4.2: PMSI RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT C2 ... 254
FIGURE 4.3: RESULTS OF CPFI FOR PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 255
FIGURE 4.5: CMSI RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 258
FIGURE 4.6: RESULTS FOR CMSI PARTICIPANT M6 ... 259
FIGURE 4.7: CMSI RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT J7... 261
FIGURE 4.8: GCS RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT A1 ... 264
FIGURE 4.9: GCS RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT C2 ... 265
FIGURE 4.10: GSC RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 265
FIGURE 4.11: GCS RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT CW4 ... 266
FIGURE 4.12: GCS RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 267
FIGURE 4.13: GCS RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT M6 ... 267
FIGURE 4.15: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT A1 ... 269
FIGURE 4.16: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT C2 ... 270
FIGURE 4.17: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT LW3 ... 271
FIGURE 4.18: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT CW4 ... 272
FIGURE 4.19: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT LW5 ... 272
FIGURE 4.20: IPA RESULTS FOR PARTICIPANT M6 ... 273
