Struikelblokke in die hantering en verwysing van seksueel misbruikte kinders deur maatskaplike werkers in nieregeringsorganisasies

Abstract

The profession of social work is already used for years by the legal system to assist courts in evaluating a person's personal circumstances and the course of justice. In practice it is often taken for granted that a person, who is qualified as a social worker, has the necessary knowledge and equipment to assist courts. This misconception prevails among the members of the social work profession itself. The need for expert testimony in South African courts increases and social workers are not trained to provide this need. Social workers who are employed by non-governmental organizations have unique experiences. Through training and education, social workers are taught skills on how to remain professional during service delivery, but subjective experiences and the influence remain part of human nature. The purpose of the research was to determine the obstacles social workers at non-novernment organisations experience in handling and referral of sexual abused children. The research followed a qualitative approach. Registered social workers from NGO`s in the Free State Province participated in this investigation where semi-structured interviews were conducted and notes were taken. According to the results from this study it was found that social workers in NGO`s, especially in rural areas, do not have a specific guideline to follow in matters concerning how to deal with the sexual abuse of children. Each social worker has his or her own way of dealing with these issues. Forensic assessments are not being followed and therefore is there little conviction of the offenders. The social workers report only the matter to the police and approach the children`s court to protect the children. The cases are not pursued, because the children are now safe. Social workers in this research who work in the field of forensic social work and are legally involved in matters of this kind, realize that this is a complex area that requires specialized knowledge, skills and experience. The social workers in rural areas, who were involved in this study, are under tremendous pressure with high caseloads, too little time and no available means. Real attention should be paid to the necessary training to empower them to make the necessary forensic assessments that could eventually lead to more convictions of offenders. Only then will they be acting in the best interests of the child