South African parents’ perspectives and experiences of implementing childhood sexual abuse prevention during early childhood

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse is an increasing concern word wide. In recent years, the issue has grown increasingly complex and pervasive within the digital age, as technological advancements have significantly reduced the barriers to creating, accessing, and disseminating harmful digital content, including materials that exploit and endanger children. In South Africa, the incidence of child sexual abuse is high, with an increasing concern for early onset. Child sexual abuse prevention education is a psychoeducational prevention approach aimed at teaching children about privacy, bodily autonomy, and safety strategies to mitigate the risk of sexual abuse. Early childhood is a developmental stage marked by limited cognitive and verbal capacities, high dependency on adults, and an emerging sense of bodily autonomy; therefore, it is a crucial period to equip young children with foundational skills to recognize boundaries, assert themselves, and seek help. However, child sexual abuse prevention education remains under-researched in South Africa, particularly regarding parental involvement, and during early childhood, despite evidence that parents play a critical role in educating children about protective behaviours. This study explores South African parents' perspectives and experiences on implementing child sexual abuse prevention education during early childhood. A qualitative approach, involving semi-structured interviews with 12 parents, both mothers and fathers, was employed. The use of reflective thematic analysis identified three main themes: 1) the child sexual abuse narrative, 2) parental experiences with child sexual abuse prevention education, and 3) childhood sexual abuse prevention as a collective effort. Within the main themes, five subthemes were identified that elucidate parental experiences and perspectives: “The people we trust,” “Girls are more vulnerable,” “We weren’t taught to say no,” “Bend the tree while it’s still young,” and “It should be a team discussion. Sort of…”. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions in South Africa to empower parents during early childhood child sexual abuse 6 prevention education. Emphasis is placed on a collaborative, inclusive approach to child protection, and findings advocate for comprehensive, proactive strategies that address the evolving needs of South African parents, including more accessible and age-appropriate resources to promote a united front in safeguarding young children from sexual abuse.