Child sexual abuse incidents in the context of Bapedi in Polokwane, Limpopo Province: A phenomenological study

Abstract

This qualitative study was aimed at exploring and describing child sexual abuse incidents amongst Bapedi in Polokwane in order to understand their knowledge of this social phenomenon. A phenomenological design was used. Several studies show that children are being sexually abused in their families and outside, and such cases are not always reported or even disclosed. Purposive sampling was used to select caregivers of children from Bapedi clan who responded to semi-structured interviews and a thematic approach was used to analyse data. Findings reveal rape as the most sexual offence against children that is abhorred amongst Bapedi in Polokwane, and other sexual offences as normal cultural practices, taboos and minor things which can be resolved within the family setting without being disclosed to the legal authorities. Therefore, the inter-sectoral collaboration between stakeholders including traditional healers should be strengthened in order to develop programmes to address the risks of not disclosing child sexual abuse.

Keywords: Bapedi, Caregiver, Child Sexual Abuse, Disclosure.