How children make meaning of sexual trauma : towards decolonized African centered child-centric psychological interventions

Abstract

This thesis presents the narratives of 16 children between the ages of 9 and 11 years who experienced sexual violence and trauma, within poly-victimisation, and live in South African townships. The study aimed to determine and provide an in-depth understanding of how children make sense of experienced sexual violence and trauma through African-centred and child-centric theorising. The intersectional oppressions of race, class, gender, and age undergirded the framework with feminism as a salient theme. The framework offered a perspective for the reshaping of contextual and developmentally appropriate psychological trauma interventions. The study positioned children as knowledge producers who can offer insights and a deeper understanding of lived experiences. The study addressed the alienating nature of psychology praxis due to psychology’s colonial, inherently biased, unresponsive, and adult-centric orientation. It provided a contextual analysis of locale in understanding sexual trauma and as enrooted in Apartheid history. Methodologically, the study was situated within the qualitative interpretivism paradigm using participatory child-centric art-based life story research. Recruitment was through child welfare organisations and minimized re-victimisation. Ongoing child assent was sought while African and institutional protocol alongside child rights required negotiation and self-reflexivity. Main themes include the abnormality of life in townships and collective witnessing and -healing. The study offers a conceptual framework for decolonising African-centred and child-centric interventions for Black children and highlights the centrality of language in psychology praxis. Recommendations include macro-level strategies for policymakers about GBV interventions for improved child safety and strategies for decolonising understandings of the impact of sexual violence.