The perceptions of social workers regarding the relationship between sexualized behaviour and self-nurturing amongst children in middle childhood

Abstract

There are very few extensive sample studies that target normative versus pathological sexual behavioural problems. Debate exists around the role of attachment when treating children who come from chaotic backgrounds. Children from these backgrounds may lack the stability and predictability that they need in order to develop the appropriate skills to regulate their affects, understand and maintain healthy and safe relationships, and develop a strong sense of self and good behavioural control mechanisms. Because of a lack of knowledge regarding sexualised behaviour, social workers working with children in middle childhood may find it difficult to distinguish between appropriate and less appropriate sexualised behaviour in children in their middle childhood. It may happen that appropriate sexualised behaviour in children is labelled as problematic, while the function of the behaviour may in fact be defined as an act of self-nurturing. The researcher has since asked the question about the link between sexualised behaviour and self-nurturing amongst children in children’s homes. The relationship between these two variables can have a significant effect on the way professionals view children who display sexualised behaviour in institutions where there is a lack of affection and significant attachment to adult figures. Children in middle childhood who display sexualised behaviour have specific needs that role players, specifically social workers, have to keep in mind in order for effective intervention to take place. If discrepancies exist in this area, it could impact negatively on the implementation of services rendered to these children. For the proposed study the collective case study design was the most appropriate design as the researcher collected and analyzed qualitative data by to doing semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interviews were used to gain a detailed picture of participants’ beliefs or perceptions about, or accounts of the particular topic. Qualitative data was analyzed by means of planning for the recording of the data, managing and organizing the data, reading and writing memos, generating themes, categories and patterns in order to prove or contest a hypothesis. In order to ensure the success of the study, the researcher did a pilot study before the main investigation itself and ethical aspects were adhered to by the researcher throughout the study. Through the empirical study, it can be concluded that there is a significant relationship between sexualized behaviour and trauma that children experience. However, when sexualized behaviour as a nurturing mechanism becomes obsessive, compulsive and there is no balance, then only can it be viewed as a problem and should be addressed. It is important to remember that ‘sexual play’ should be seen as a normal part of childhood development. There was general consensus that sexualized behaviour could be regarded as a self-nurturing mechanism. Focus was put on the needs of children and how it related to inappropriate sexualized behaviours and self-nurturing as a need in itself. It was recommended that there should be improved service delivery to children, who manifest with sexualized behaviour, training for professionals and lastly continual research on the subject. AFRIKAANS : Daar is weinig grootskaalse ondersoeke gerig op die normatiewe teenoor die patologiese seksuele gedragsprobleme gedoen. Debatte bestaan rondom die rol van bindings wanneer kinders behandel word wat uit chaotiese agtergronde kom, By kinders vanuit hierdie agtergronde mag die stabiliteit en voorspelbaarheid ontbreek wat nodig is om die toepaslike vaardighede van hul gevoelens, die begrip om gesonde en veilige verhoudings te verstaan en die ontwikkeling van ’n sterk gevoel van eiewaarde en goeie gedragskontrolemeganismes te ontwikkel. As gevolg van die gebrek aan kennis rakende seksuele gedrag, kan maatskaplike werkers wat met kinders in hulle middel-kinderjare te doen het, dit moeilik vind om te onderskei tussen toepaslike en mindertoepaslike seksuele gedrag by hierdie kinders. Dit mag gebeur dat toepaslike seksuele gedrag by kinders as problematies bestempel word, terwyl die funksie van die gedrag egter gedefinieer kan word as ‘n daad van selfkoestering. Die verband tussen seksuele gedrag en selfkoestering by kinders in die kinderhuis word daarom deur die navorser bevraagteken. Die verhouding tussen hierdie twee veranderlikes kan ’n betekenisvolle uitwerking hê op die professionele uitkyk op kinders wat seksuele gedrag openbaar in inrigtings waar daar ’n gebrek is aan affektiewe en betekenisvolle gehegtheid teenoor ’n volwasse figuur. Kinders in hul middelkinderjare wat geseksualiseerde gedrag openbaar, het spesifieke behoeftes wat deur die maatskaplike werker in ag geneem moet word ten einde effektiewe ingryping te verseker. Indien daar teenstrydighede op hierdie gebied bestaan, kan dit ‘n negatiewe impak hê op die implementering van die diens wat aan hierdie kinders verleen word. Die kollektiewe gevallestudie was die mees toepaslike ontwerp vir die voorgestelde studie. Die navorser het kwalitatiewe data ingesamel en ontleed deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gebruik met die doel om ’n gedetailleerde prentjie van die deelnemers se menings oor, persepsies van en verklarings rakende die onderwerp te skets. Kwalitatiewe data is ontleed by wyse van die beplanning van die data-opname, bestuur en organisering van die data-opname, lees en skryf van memos, ontwikkeling van temas, en kategorieë en patrone om die hipotese te bewys of te betwis. Ten einde die sukses van die studie te verseker het die navorser ’n voorafstudie voor die hoofnavorsing gedoen. Die navorser het aan alle etiese vereistes gedurende die navorsing voldoen. Deur die empiriese studie wat gedoen is, kan daar tot die gevogtrekking gekom word dat daar ‘n betekenisvolle verband is tussen die geseksualiseerde gedrag en die trauma wat die kinders beleef het. As geseksualiseerde gedrag, as ’n meganisme tot selfaktualisering, obsessief, kompulsief en ongebalanseerd is, dan kan dit beskou word as ’n probleem en moet dan aangespreek word. Dit is egter ook belangrik dat ‘seksspeletjies’ gesien moet word as normal in kinders se ontwikkeling. Daar was algemene konsensus dat geseksualiseerde gedrag beskou kan word as ’n meganisme tot selfkoestering. Fokus word geplaas op die behoefte van die kind en hoe dit in verhouding staan tot die onvanpaste geseksualiseerde gedrag en selfkoestering as ‘n behoefte. Verbeterde dienslewering vir kinders in wie geseksualiseerde gedrag manifisteer, opleiding vir professionele werkers en laastens voortdurende navorsing rakende die onderwerp, word aanbeveel. Copyright