Sabinet | Riglyne vir maatskaplike werkers wat peuters forensies assesseer : geesteswetenskappe
oa Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe - Riglyne vir maatskaplike werkers wat peuters forensies assesseer : geesteswetenskappe
Author Carel Van Wyk1
Source : Litnet Akademies : &apos;n Joernaal vir die Geesteswetenskappe, Natuurwetenskappe, Regte en Godsdienswetenskappe, Volume 12, Issue 3, Dec 2015, p. 113 - 142
Keyword(s) : Forensic social work, Forensiese maatskaplike werk, Guidelines for forensic assessment, Peuter, Riglyne vir forensiese assessering, Seksuele kindermishandeling, Sexual abuse of the child and Toddler
Die forensiese assessering van peuters is ingewikkeld, tydrowend en gewoonlik nie maklik uitvoerbaar nie. Die peuter se vlak van sosio-emosionele kognitiewe ontwikkeling bied die grootste uitdaging aan die maatskaplike werker wat die forensiese assessering doen. Die doel van hierdie studie is ondersoek na die betekenis wat deskundiges heg aan die assesseringsprotokolle wat gevolg word wanneer hulle peuters forensies assesseer. Op grond daarvan is met riglyne vorendag gekom wat maatskaplike werkers kan volg wanneer peuters forensies geassesseer word. Hierdie riglyne dien dus as &apos;n raamwerk waarbinne die bestaande forensiese protokolle toegepas kan word. &apos;n Kwalitatiewe navorsing-denkmodel het gegeld. &apos;n Algemene proses van kwalitatiewe inligting-ontleding is aangewend om die inligting, wat deur middel van &apos;n onderhoudsgids tydens &apos;n groepbespreking ingesamel is, te verwerk. Deelnemers aan die onderhoud is deur middel van &apos;n doelbewuste nie-ewekansige steekproef gekies op grond van hul geografiese beskikbaarheid (Vrystaat), registrasie by die Suid-Afrikaanse Raad vir Maatskaplike Diensberoepe, aantal jare ervaring (minstens vyf), en opleiding (nagraadse kwalifikasie en/of kursusse in forensiese assessering). Daar is gepoog om vyf deelnemers te kies, maar slegs vier deelnemers het aan genoemde insluitingsmaatstawwe voldoen. Die volgende kernbevindinge is na die inligtingsontleding gemaak: die kognitiewe en taalontwikkelingsvlak eie aan die peuterontwikkelingsfase maak forensiese assessering van die peuter ingewikkeld en dikwels selfs onmoontlik, en peuters kan nie &apos;n onderskeid tussen fantasie en realiteit tref nie; &apos;n andersoortige benadering tot die forensiese assessering met die peuter behoort gevolg te word, waar die fokus op die versameling van agtergrondinligting val; die forensiese assessering van peuters is tydrowend; &apos;n parallelle terapeut behoort betrek te word; aangesien seksuele mishandeling dikwels nie by die peuter bevestig kan word nie, is die beveiliging van die peuter noodsaaklik; en duidelike riglyne vir maatskaplike werkers wat peuters assesseer, is nie beskikbaar nie. Riglyne vir maatskaplike werkers wat peuters assesseer, is gevolglik ontwikkel.
Guidelines for social workers who forensically assess toddlers
Unfortunately it is a fact that the sexual abuse of children is not abating, and that the younger the child, the higher the risk of sexual abuse. Also, the younger the child, the more challenging it is to do a forensic assessment. The attributes of the phase of development in which a child finds him-/herself offer various challenges to the social worker who has to assess the toddler forensically. Literature indicates that it is extremely important to consult collateral sources to assess a toddler forensically. These collateral sources may include the parents, other family members, relatives and day-carers. The social worker who is doing the forensic assessment has to integrate the information gained from the various sources to create a holistic picture of the psycho-social functioning of the toddler. Standardised measuring instruments, such as the "Child Sexual Behaviour Inventory", the "Child Behaviour Checklist" and the "Child Development Inventory", may also be used to collect information regarding the toddler&apos;s sexual behaviour and development. When the toddler is assessed forensically it will take between three and six hours, which have to be spread over several sessions. It is emphasised that alternative hypotheses and explanations for the toddler&apos;s sexual behaviour should be investigated and that his/her sexual behaviour should not be blamed on sexual abuse without further investigation. If an unambiguous conclusion about sexual abuse cannot be reached, the social worker who is responsible for the forensic assessment will focus on the continued protection of the toddler.
To be able to conduct an effective forensic assessment the social worker must have profound knowledge of the development phase of the toddler. The toddler may, for example, be in the pre-operational phase of cognitive development. This means, inter alia, that the toddler cannot relate a logical course of events, and that ego-centredness, finalism, nonrealism, concrete thinking, juxtaposition and syncretism are prevalent. Perceptual development is in process. The toddler&apos;s spatial orientation has not, therefore, developed fully, and he/she cannot distinguish between different parts of the body. Toddlers cannot think in metaphors or in a symbolic way. They also cannot necessarily recall occurrences correctly; therefore, one cannot rely on the toddler&apos;s memory. In the final analysis toddlers are more susceptible to suggestion. The aim of this study is, therefore, to analyse the meaning social workers who are doing forensic assessments of toddlers attach to the forensic protocols utilised by them. Based on this, broad guidelines were formulated that social workers may follow when doing forensic assessments of toddlers. The aim therefore did not include an analysis and/or expansion of existing forensic assessment techniques and methods which may be used when toddlers are assessed forensically.
Persistent Link : http://hdl.handle.net/10520/EJC182677