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Effectiveness of child protection services rendered to children in need of care

and protection : a study of Childline South Africa

Article · December 2019

DOI: 10.31920/2050-4950/2019/8n2a2

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 Ubuntu: Journal of Conflict and Social Transformation
Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019
• Indexed at: EBSCO, ProQuest, J-Gate and Sabinet
• Accredited by IBSS

Pp 31-52

Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to

Children in Need of Care and Protection: A Study of
Childline South Africa

Eleanor Alvira Hendricks

University of Fort Hare, South Africa
ehendricks@ufh.ac.za

&

Pius Tangwe Tanga

University of Fort Hare, South Africa
ptanga@ufh.ac.za

Abstract

South Africa has 20.3 million children out of which 63% live in circumstances
of extreme poverty. The aim of the study was to explore the effectiveness of
child protection services rendered to victims of child abuse by Childline South
Africa. A qualitative approach and an exploratory research design were used in
conducting this study as these approaches allowed participants to share first-
hand experiences on the issue under investigation. Purposive sampling method
was employed to select participants for the study. Ninety participants were
selected to participate in this study to share their experiences as former victims
of child abuse counselled by Childline. The data obtained through in-depth
interviews and document analysis was analysed thematically and supported by
the relevant literature. The findings revealed that the different types of
specialised programmes offered by Childline South Africa namely sexual
therapeutic programme (for victims of sexual abuse); rehabilitation programme
(for children in conflict with the law); and prevention campaigns against child
marriage assist victims in recovering from a specific type of abuse they
encountered and living a normal life. Furthermore, the legislation that
mandates Childline ensures that all victims receive justice. The study concluded

31
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

that Childline renders effective services to victims of child abuse.

Recommendations drawn from the study, were that there was a need for
creating awareness on services rendered by Childline South Africa in rural areas
of South Africa, as not all citizens are cognisant of the existence of the
institution. Furthermore, it was recommended that the contact details of
Childline be displayed at all schools and police stations across the country to
enable victims receive the assistance they require.

Keywords: Child Protection; Programmes; Effectiveness; Childline, Child abuse

Introduction

Childline South Africa was established in 1986. Childline generally

renders therapeutic/ counselling services to abused children up to age
eighteen mostly from poverty-stricken backgrounds (Childline South
Africa, 2017). Millions of children in and around South Africa are
exposed to neglect, physical and sexual abuse, starvation, exploitation,
exposure to violence and many more forms of victimisation on a daily
basis (Maniglio, 2010). According to Etheridge (2016), every one out of
three children are abused across South Africa on a daily basis. Therefore,
child protection services are very essential in all communities across
South Africa, regardless of the socio-economic stance of a community,
to ensure equality and development of all children.
Hence, the aim of the study is to explore the effectiveness of child
protection services rendered to victims of child abuse by Childline South
Africa. Child protection programmes have become more required in
South Africa over the past decade due to the alarming rates of child
suicides broadcasted via televised media and in newspapers (Etheridge,
2016). The research questions that guided this study was:

1. How effective are the child protection programmes offered by

Childline in empowering victims?
2. What legislation is used by Childline to curb child abuse?

Overview of Literature

There are more than one billion children across the globe who are
exposed to various types of abuse, neglect and exploitation on a daily
basis (UNICEF, 2013). Therefore, it is important to have establishments
that render services in aid of saving the children because violation during
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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

childhood has long-term consequences. There is a strong link between

childhood abuse and adult mental disorders and adult substance abuse
(Maniglio, 2010). Childline works in support with Department of
Education, Department of Health, Department of Justice and
Constitutional Development, Social Development, parents, caregivers
and communities to ensure that children are protected and receive the
necessary care to enable them have a bright future. This section of the
paper covers the different types of child abuse, risk factors associated
with child abuse, and the theoretical framework.

The different types of child abuse

South Africa has millions of orphaned and vulnerable children even with
the progressive legislation on child protection many families and
children‟s homes still face challenges in protecting and caring for their
children (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2015). South Africa has
inherited a long-standing history of violence and inequality. Furthermore;
the country has high rates of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV),
which left many children orphaned. Several children across South Africa
have their childhood taken away at a young age (especially orphans)
where children have to take care of ill parents or their younger siblings in
child-headed households (Varga, 2009). Children as providers of child
headed households are often obliged to earn an income and support their
families often resulting in practicing commercial sex work, crime,
unwanted adolescent pregnancies, substance abuse, sexually transmitted
diseases and various other types of abuse (Richter and Dawes, 2008).
According to Childline South Africa (2017), there are six types of abuse
child, clients of Childline South Africa fall victim to.

1. Physical abuse: This is any act that results in inflicted injury or

death to a child. This can be bruises and wounds, cuts and scratches,
fractures or sprains, poisoning, burns, and any repeated injury for which
the explanation is inadequate or inconsistent. Below is a table portraying
statistics of physical abuse on children in South Africa as a whole and per
province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

33
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW
2 505 300 50 495 50 200 250 100 50
million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

2. Sexual abuse: Involves forcing or enticing a child to take part in

sexual activities. It is abuse whether the child has consented or not. This
can be flashing, peeping, fondling, and exposure to pornographic
material, oral sex, penetration of the anus, rape, sodomy or prostitution. .
Below is a table portraying statistics of sexual abuse on children in South
Africa as a whole and per province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).
SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW
4 1, 750 150 1, 100 200 400 315 85
million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
000 000

3. Neglect: Means deliberately not providing for a child's physical

needs (such as food, warmth, shelter or protection from danger). Failure
to seek, follow through with medical care, failure to make provision for
the child's education. Leaving children alone at home or in a car. Below
is a table portraying statistics of neglect on children in South Africa as a
whole and per province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW
1 200 120 20 200 40 150 120 100 50
million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

4. Violence: Includes any activity by a person, organisation or

context that does not allow a person to reach their human rights. This
can be: verbal, physical, emotional armed conflict, political orientated
violence. Below is a table portraying statistics of violence on children in
South Africa as a whole and per province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW

2,5 300 250 100 500 120 50 1, 100 80

million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000
000
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5. Exploitation: Means the exposure of a child to the following

situations: child labour slavery, sexual exploitation, child-pornography,
child trafficking and forced removal of body parts. . Below is a table
portraying statistics of exploitation on children in South Africa as a
whole and per province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW
1,8 350 200 50 800 20 45 200 55 80
million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

6. Emotional and Psychological Abuse: Is a pattern that harms

or limits a child's emotional development or sense of self-worth. It can
take the form of criticism, threats or rejection, ignoring, isolating, taking
advantage, corrupting, cursing at a child & lying to a child. . Below is a
table portraying statistics of psychological abuse on children in South
Africa as a whole and per province (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

SA WC EC NC GP FS M.P KZN LP NW
1,5 200 500 100 250 50 50 100 150 100
million 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 000

Risk factors associated with child abuse

Four major factors are mainly associated with child abuse. These factors
are parent or guardian factors; family factors; child factors and
environmental factors.

Parent or guardian factors

Parents and guardians face multiple challenges as individuals, which

stems from their childhood; these challenges create certain character
traits within parents/guardians, which at times deem to be problematic in
terms of raising children. Some of the major characteristics of
parents/guardians that have a major impact on the lives of their children
will be discussed below (Childline South Africa, 2017):

35
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

The persona of a parent/guardian

When parents/guardians portray no consistent set of characteristics or

behavioural traits, they are being associated with parents/ guardians who
suffer from mental illness without bearing knowledge. Some of the
personality traits include low self-esteem, individuals who believe that
events that occur in their lives is beyond their control and that forces
from outside their domain should intervene to change the situation, poor
instinct for immediate decision making, anti-social behaviour, anxiety and
depression. Often these character traits are associated to people who
tend to maltreat their children against their better judgement (Child
Welfare Information Gateway, 2015).

Substance abuse

The use of substances impedes normal functioning, when a person is

intoxicated, their emotional and physical rational becomes impaired and
they lose control of their surroundings. Therefore, experts indicate that
there could be a link between substance abuse and child maltreatment or
child abuse. Substance abuse may be a contributing factor for between
one-third and two-thirds of maltreated and abused children in the child
welfare system (Planned Parenthood Association of South Africa, 2018).
The complexity of co-occurring family problems often makes it difficult
to understand the full impact of substance abuse on child maltreatment.
During the past ten years, prenatal exposure of children to drugs and
alcohol during their mother's pregnancy, and its potentially negative
developmental consequences, has been an issue of particular concern to
service providers (Jewkes, 2010). According to Maniglio (2010) in South
Africa, the number of children conceived each year due to parental
substances is alarming and the ultimate concern is that one million
babies (and rising) born each year three hundred thousand are born to
mothers infected with HIV virus (infected whilst under the influence of
substances).

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Parental history of abuse

While the estimated number has not exactly been established, child abuse
literature and statistics indicates that some abusive parents or guardians
were victims of child abuse and neglect during their upbringing. Research
by Callendar and Dartnell (2010) suggest that about one-third of all
individuals who have been abused as children will subject their children
to ill-treatment and abuse, further contributing to the cycle of abuse.
Children who either experience abuse or witness violence between their
parents or guardians may learn violent behaviour, deem it acceptable and
may learn to justify that behaviour (Callender and Dartell, 2010).

Child raising approaches

Parents and guardians who have negative attitudes about children‟s

behaviour and have lack of knowledge about their child‟s development,
may play a contributing role in child abuse (Teddy Bear Clinic for
Abused Children. 2013). Therapists have found that parents or guardians
who physically abuse their children have both more negative and higher
than normal expectations of their children‟s performance, as well as less
understanding of appropriate developmental norms (Payne and Gainey,
2010). A parent's lack of knowledge about normal child development
may result in unrealistic expectations and culminate in inappropriate
punishment. Therapists further found that abusive parents often
compare their children to each other without understanding
individualisation and parents are therefore more likely to use harsh
discipline strategies and less likely to use positive reinforcement strategies
such as time outs, reasoning, and recognising and encouraging the child's
successes (Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children, 2013).

Adolescent parenthood

Adolescent mothers are single parents‟ majority of the time. These young
mothers are exposed to stigma and often judged within their families and
communities. Thus, causing major stress on adolescent mothers. Due to
challenges such as low socio-economic status, unemployment, lack of
support and lack of knowledge on parenthood many of these mothers‟
results to abusing their children out of their own personal frustration
(Joubert, 2005).

37
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

Theoretical framework

This study adopted Bandura's social cognitive theory, which emphasises

the social origins of behaviour in addition to the cognitive thought
processes that influence human behaviour and functioning. Bandura's
social-cognitive approach represents a break from traditional theories by
proposing that cognitive factors are central to human functioning, and
that learning can occur in the absence of direct reinforcement. For
Bandura, learning can occur simply through the observation of
behavioural models and in the absence of reinforcement (Bandura, 1997).
Child protection services are rendered to children, schools, families and
communities in aid of educating stakeholders of children‟s rights and also
how to deal with the infringement of child rights by service providers of
welfare organisations such as Childline.
Bandura (1997:57) stressed that reinforcement from the external
environment was not the only factor influencing learning and behaviour.
He described intrinsic reinforcement as a form of internal reward, which
could be manifested in feelings such as pride, a sense of ability, strength,
and satisfaction or of accomplishment. Persons who are involved in the
lives of children (parents, guardians, educators, domestic staff, sport
personnel, sponsors, counsellors, healthcare practitioners‟ and many
more) should be educated in everything, proper child protection entails,
this will enable them to make decisions that are in the best interest of the
child (Corcoran, 2006). For the purposes of this study this means
educating persons that care for abused children that “child protection
ensures that children are safe and that their development and growth
progresses positively, the development of children include physical;
emotional; religious; financial; psychological and cultural needs are met.
The social cognitive theory also maintains that not all observed
behaviours would in fact be mimicked. There are four conditions that
must be met: attention, retention, production and motivation. The
subjects must be paying sufficient attention to the message or intended
behaviour to know what to do, they must be able to recall it at the point
of decision, they must have the ability to produce it and finally they must
be sufficiently motivated to perform it, despite possible deterrents
(Parekh and de la Rey, 1997). Behaviour is learned, behaviour is also
influenced by surroundings such as families and communities. It was duly
noted whilst analysing case documents, that majority of cases reported to
Childline were from the rural areas/townships of South Africa. Hence,
child victims need intervention to overcome the abuse and heal
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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

completely from it. Social workers from Childline and other welfare
organizations also encourage intervention with parents of abused
children to educate them on various types of abuse and how to protect
their children. This is encouraged, as most parents in rural areas are
single mothers and they parent the same way their mothers did which
often leaves room for vulnerability and ultimately abuse.

Programmes Implemented By Childline to Enhance Skills on

Child Protection

Childline South Africa offers a variety of very effective child protection

programmes. Some of the most renowned programmes will be discussed
below:

Residential therapeutic programme for victims

The Department of Health‟s Policy Guidelines for Youth and Adolescent

Health (2017) identifies gender considerations as fundamental to the
health of young people. In the Policy Guidelines, the vulnerability of
young women where sexual health is concerned is recognised and sexual
exploitation, sexual abuse, gender-based violence and coercive sex and
gang rapes are areas of great concern. It was concluded that gender-
based violence is a key health risk factor for women across the age range
(Klein, 2012). Varga (2009) contends that gender ideology and gender
roles enforce double standards in behaviour and inhibit the ability of
adolescents to negotiate with a partner. Such asymmetry of gender roles
creates a disproportionate impact on and violence against female
adolescents. Constructions of masculinity in part rely on sexual
performance, particularly the construction of “isoka”, a dominant and
sexually vigorous version of masculinity. Salo (2013) explains that
ethnographic research in Post-Apartheid Planned Parents Association of
South Africa (2018) “illustrates how young men and women in that
context see themselves as free to choose between two sets of sexual
norms, each of which is associated with oppositional notions of gendered
personhood. These norms are „sex for procreation‟ and „sex for pleasure
and consumption‟ for men and „desirability‟ for women. Playing to the
expectations of both sets of sexual norms leads to contradictory, unsafe
sexual behavior”. The residential therapeutic child protection programme
provides children who are victims of sexual abuse with the opportunity
to start a process of healing, recovery and re-integration into society.
39
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

Parental therapeutic programme

Therapeutic work is also done with parents/caregivers who are requested

to attend the residential programme with the child. Parents are taught
how to praise and reward a child on achievements, emotional nurturing,
physical touch, building your child‟s self-esteem, boundaries, and
practical ideas for coping at home, knowing your child. The therapists
also provide support to any parents/caregivers who themselves may have
been abused and struggling with psychosocial consequences of the abuse.
Each therapist provides therapeutic counselling and services to between
4 and 7 children and his/her parents/caregivers (Callendar and Dartnall,
2010).

Community outreach programmes

Social workers organise campaigns, community based workshops and

presentations to educate communities the dangers children face
(abduction, molestation, rape, drugs, child prostitution, child
pornography etc.). According to Joubert (2005) community outreach
programmes are popular across South Africa during child protection
week every year, many stakeholders get involved during this time and
share information on not only child protection but career options for
students as well.

Rehabilitation programmes

Children are one third of the world population of which the African
continent accounts for the highest rate of child population. Children are
supposed to be nurtured and protected as they are the future leaders of
the world. However, the sad reality is that at any given time there are
more than one million children detained in correctional facilities. Bearing
cognisance of this reality Childine provides rehabilitation services to
substance users in the form of a treatment plan that caters for the needs
of each child individually after thorough assessment has been done.
Moreover, treatment plans include conflict management skills,
communication skills and practicing of self-control (Bhana, 2010).

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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

Methodology

An exploratory research design favors using a qualitative method to

collect data. A qualitative approach “is an inquiry process of
understanding based on distinct and methodological traditions of inquiry
that explore a social or human problem where the researcher builds a
complex, holistic picture, analyses words, reports detailed views of
informants and conducts the study in a natural setting” (Srivastava and
Thomson, 2009). Owing to the nature of the problem that was explored
by this study, an exploratory research design was employed as it focuses
on in-depth analysis of child protection programme files, the
organisation (Childline) and policies of child protection.
The population of the study consisted of 12, 8 million children across
South Africa whom have experienced some form of abuse. Below is a
table, which indicates the number of child victims out of the 12, 8 million
whom have been victims of abuse in 2018 (Statistics South Africa, 2018).

Easte West North Freest Gaute Nort Mpumala Kwaz Limpo

rn ern ern ate ng h- nga ulu po
Cape Cape Cape FS GP West MP Natal LP
EC WC NC NW KZN

1,8 2,5 500 750 2,2 1 1,2 2 900

milli millio thousa thousa millio milli million millio thousa
on n nd nd n on n nd

Purposive sampling was used to select participants. According to De Vos

et al (2011:218) purposive sampling is “a sample that composes elements
that contain the most characteristic, representative or typical attributes of
the population”. Social workers based in the various 9 regional offices
assisted the researcher by selecting five boys and five girls aged between
14 and 17 whom are active participants the therapeutic process. The ten
participants per province were selected based on how active and vocal
they were and based their progress in terms of healing/ surviving.
The data was collected thorough using face-to-face in-depth
interview, Kumar (2014) define an in-depth interviewing as “a face-to-
face encounters between the researcher and informants directed towards
understanding informants perspectives on their lives, experience or
41
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

situations as expressed in their own words”. The use of an in-depth

interview in this study assisted in obtaining more information as the
participants were able to explain and elaborate when responding, it
further assist in getting information first hand. In-depth interviews
allowed more detailed questions to be asked by the researcher and both
researcher and participants could seek clarification where something was
unclear or needed further elaboration.
Corbin and Strauss (2015:78) state, “thematic analysis is a type of
inductive analysis of qualitative data, it is used to analyse classifications
and present themes that relate to the data. It illustrates the data in detail
and deals with diverse subjects interpretations.
Ethical aspect adopted for the purpose of this study was
confidentially where participants were assured that their identities will be
kept confidential/ secret. Informed consent, social worker whom
selected the participants had conversed with selected participants‟ parents
regarding the research and they willingly agreed. Thus, the parents signed
the consent form and the participants signed an accent form as they were
all under the age of eighteen. Furthermore, the researcher explained to
participants that they are free to leave at any time they feel
uncomfortable in order to avoid harm. Lastly, the researcher received
ethical clearance from the University of Fort Hare to conduct the
research.

Findings and Discussion

Children meet numerous people on a daily basis and many times these
individuals notice something suspicious about children but they do
nothing about their suspicion (South African Police Services, 2012).
Therefore, child protection services are essential in most communities
across South Africa.

Biographical information of participants

Ninety children were interviewed they were 45 males and 45 females, the
children were aged between 14 and 17 years. All the participants were
black. Participants 1 to 10 were from the Western Cape; participants 11
to 20 from the Eastern Cape. Participants 21 to 30 were from Northern
Cape; participants 31 to 40 were from Gauteng; participants 41 to 50
were from Free State. Participants 51 to 60 were from Mpumalanga;
participants 61 to 70 were from North West; participants 71 to 80 were
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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

from Limpopo and participants 81 to 90 were from Kwazulu Natal. All

90 participants had been exposed to various forms of abuse hence
selected participants could answer interview questions based on their
experiences.

Theme 1: effective child protection programmes rendered by

ChildLine South Africa

Violation of children is a global phenomenon of growing concern that

affects millions of children from underprivileged backgrounds daily. Yet
child abuse and neglect are vastly underreported to authorities such as
South African Police Services or Social Welfare agencies as observers of
this type of child injustices are afraid to come into conflict with the
perpetrators (Childline South Africa, 2017). Under this theme, four major
subthemes were identified as effective programmes protecting children
against abuse and neglect.

Subtheme 1: Sexual therapeutic programme

Gender based violence is a key health risk factor for women across the
age all ranges (Klein, 2012). Varga (2009) contends that gender ideology
and gender roles enforce double standards in behaviour and constrains
the ability of adolescents to negotiate with a partner. Hence, all 90
participants agreed that the sexual therapeutic programme assisted them
in overcoming the abuse and the self-blame.

Participant 1 mentioned that:

I have been a repeated victim of sexual violation from the age of six and
this programme really assisted in empowering me with knowledge on the
topic of sexuality.

Participant 23 explained that:

As adolescent females we are classified as vulnerable which

means that we are at high risk of being violated sexually without
our consent. The sexual therapeutic programme has assisted me
to understand that there are policies in place to protect
adolescents against sexual violation.

43
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

Participant 58 said:

I was a victim of rape and Childline assisted me with counselling but

not only that the social worker wrote a report for court and this
ensured that the perpetrator who raped me was incarcerated. Today I
can proudly say that I am a survivor and not a victim.

The Department of Health‟s Policy Guidelines for Youth and Adolescent

Health (2017) identifies gender considerations as fundamental to the
health of young people. In the Policy Guidelines, the vulnerability of
young women where sexual health is concerned is recognised and sexual
exploitation, sexual abuse, gender-based violence and coercive sex and
gang rapes are areas of great concern. Such asymmetry of gender roles
creates a disproportionate impact on and violence against female
adolescents. Constructions of masculinity in part rely on sexual
performance, particularly the construction of “isoka”, a dominant and
sexually vigorous version of masculinity. Salo (2013) explains that
ethnographic research in Post-Apartheid Planned Parents Association of
South Africa (2018) “illustrates how young men and women in that
context see themselves as free to choose between two sets of sexual
norms, each of which is associated with oppositional notions of gendered
personhood. These norms are „sex for procreation‟ and „sex for pleasure
and consumption‟ for men and „desirability‟ for women. Playing to the
expectations of both sets of sexual norms leads to contradictory, unsafe
sexual behavior” (Salo, 2013:404).
Participant 40 indicated that:

As an African female, there are certain customs, which we accept and

abide by one of which is “isoka” which is the practice of masculinity by
a man, which could occur in the form of rape. I was a victim of
intimate partner violence and just accepted that it was acceptable, after
joining the programme I acknowledged that I was violated and started
the healing process.

articipant 25 said:

One of my teachers has violated me repeatedly; he threatened to kill me

should I tell anyone. At first, I did not understand what was happening
but it affected me negatively as I isolated myself from friend and family.
I used to cry at every night. This occurred for 3 years until I went to
high school in the city. I never told anyone until one day when a social

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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

worker from Childline came to our school in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga

and talked about sexual abuse. The social worker left a number for
anyone who felt they have been violated or abused to call. Two months
after I finally decided to call the number and within a week, I was
entered into a programme and I have been feeling much better now
that I understand it was not my fault.

Participant 52 explained:

My cousin who lived with my family raped me from a very young age
and I never told anyone until he moved away. After he moved, I
confided in my mother whom immediately looked for assistance from a
nearby clinic in Thembisa (Gauteng). At the clinic, they did some blood
tests for pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. The tests came
back negative one of the nurses advised my mother to take me for
counselling to which my mother agreed. The nurse suggested Childline
and made an appointment for me. I was so afraid but the moment I
was introduced to a group of girls same age as me (15) I felt relieved to
learn that I am not the only person who had been raped.

The sexual therapeutic programme provides children who are victims of

sexual abuse with the opportunity to start a process of healing, recovery
and re-integration into society. This is effectively achieved through
therapeutic age appropriate support and education involving individual
and group therapy sessions for themselves, their parents/caregivers and
community workers, and on-going individual safety and after care plans
for victims (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2015).

Subtheme 2: rehabilitation programmes

Children are one third of the world population of which the African
continent accounts for the highest rate of child population. Children are
supposed to be nurtured and protected, as they are the future leaders of
the world however, the sad reality is that at any given time there are more
than one million children detained in correctional facilities (UNICEF,
2013). Majority participants exclaimed great concern regarding the
conditions children are exposed therefore, they identified the
rehabilitation programme as required by many children across South
Africa and even globally.

45
 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

Participant 17 expressed:

I have been in and out of child and youth care facilities since I was 12,
which equates to 4 years now. I have gotten into trouble with the law
numerous times and every time I got into trouble, I was under the
influence of substances.

Bearing cognisance of the reality that child substance abuse is on the

increase. Childine provides rehabilitation services to substance users in
the form of a treatment plan that caters for the needs of each child
individually after thorough assessment has been done. Moreover,
treatment plans include conflict management skills, communication skills
and practicing of self-control (Bhana, 2010).

Participant 80 highlighted that:

I was incarcerated in the juvenile section for two years until I was
sentenced to community supervision as part of my parole conditions.
Before, I was released I was introduced to a social worker from
Childline who assisted in preparing me to go back to my home and also
not fall back into the vicious cycle of crime.

Participant 67 said:

I was 13 when I was incarcerated for 2 years in the Pretoria juvenile

centre for breaking and entering and assault. I broke into a house in
Brooklyn, Pretoria and stole a laptop, which was on the table in the
lounge. There was a woman who came down the stairs and threatened
to call the police, I was startled and grabbed a vase from the table and
hit the woman over the head and fled. Unfortunately, I did not get far
as neighbours alerted the police and they caught me. After my two year
sentence I was entered into a rehabilitation programme at Childline. I
leant of restorative justice, I regretted what I had done and with the
help of a social worker went to the house and apologised to the woman
I assaulted.
The rehabilitation programme offered by Childline has effectively
assisted multiple children who came into conflict with the law. Majority
of these children show great remorse for the crimes they committed,
some of these children even went as far as apologising to the people they
hurt through the crimes they committed (Childline South Africa, 2017).

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Subtheme 3: prevention campaigns against forced child marriages

One of the major challenges faced by children in the rural areas of

Transkei in the Eastern Cape is child marriages. This is called
“ukuthwala” a forced marriage between a girl child and an older man.
Some of these girls are sold for money or cattle by their parent to older
men. In recent years‟ girls have been abducted from their villages and
forced into staying with men sometimes forty years their senior (Richter
and Dawes, 2008). Majority participants expressed their concern
regarding forced child marriages and regarded the prevention campaign
offered by Childline as vital in the Eastern Cape.

Participant 28 stated:

“Ukuthwala” is practiced in rural Eastern Cape where girls as young as

9 years are sold to older men by their parents without their knowledge,
abducted at the river by these men, and forced into becoming the wife
of the older man. These girls are taken out of school and bear children.
Often these young girls are infected with diseases and do not even
understand what is happening to their bodies.

Participant 32 revealed:

I have been participating in the rehabilitation programme, which really

saved my life. I came back years later to volunteer at Childline and heard
about the prevention campaigns against forced child marriages. I decided
to research on this and have worked closely with social workers and law
enforcement officials to go into villages where these girls are kept and
rescue them. Some of the rescued girls are in school currently along with
their children.

Participant 34 said:

I had just turned 13 when a man came to our house. He had a car and
brought groceries and money, which he gave to my dad. After they had
a conversation for an hour or so my dad came to call me and instructed
me to leave with the man as I am now his wife. I had no choice but to
leave, I had never been intimate with a man before and lost my virginity
to an older man who called himself my husband. I had my first child at
the age of 14 and another child when just after I turned 15. My second

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 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

child was 3 months old when social workers came to the village with
police to recue myself and other girls in a similar situation.

Welfare agencies (Childline and Non-government Organisations) have

hosted campaigns in villages across the Transkei are to specifically
educate parent that forced child marriages is a form of child abuse. Girls
in these villages are schooled on their rights (basic education, food, and
clothing to mention a few) and they are also equipped with knowledge
on all the options they have such as bursaries, studying,
entrepreneurship, and employment once they complete their schooling
(South African Police Services, 2012). Childline prioritises training for
their young female employees specifically to render support services and
motivation for the girl child in situations like rape, sexual violation,
physical abuse, exploitation, neglect, female child headed households,
child pornography, and child marriages “ukuthwala”. The approach that
Childline employed in aid of addressing the problem of “ukuthwala” stems
from the social cognitive theory one of the methods that originates from
social cognition is called self-instruction. This perspective refers to
understanding individual growth and development and family
development from a lifespan perspective, and examines individuals and
families interacting with their environments over the course of time.
Childline drafted a step-by-step instruction script after having analysed
the needs of the client “girl child” and bearing in mind that these girls are
under the age of eighteen. “Ukuthwala” is a practise that is accepted and
enforced by the Nguni tribe in the far end of the Eastern Cape, hence,
child protection practitioners could not enter into these villages and
remove the girls without an authorised court order (Corcoran, 2006).

Theme 2: legislation on child protection used by ChildLine

Childline South Africa works with a multitude of individual across the

world; their focus is protecting children as per their mission statement.
The three acts that are utilised most by this organisation to aid child
protection in South Africa are Childrens‟ Act 38 of 2005, the Sexual
Offences Act 32 of 2007, and the Child Justice Act 75 of 2008. The
following findings were from document analysis from Childline South
Africa‟s head office.
The Childrens Act 38 of 2005 guides all service providers to act in
the best interest of the child. With this Act Childline saved over 12

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Hendricks & Tanga/ Volume 8 Number 2, December 2019, Pp 31-52

million children from abuse and neglect through counselling and court
proceedings, where needed.
The Sexual Offences Act No 32(15) of 2007 rules that it is an offence
to engage in sexual intercourse with a child under the age of 16 years,
male or female, regardless of whether the act is consensual or non-
consensual. The Act aims to protect children against rape and indecent
assault, the incidence of HIV infection and adolescent pregnancies.
(Sexual Offences Act 2007). Suspected perpetrators are required by law
to be tested after the crime has been reported. Childline works hand in
hand with courts and is often referred child clients who have been
sexually abused (South African Police Services, 2012).
Childine has assisted more than 4 million victims of sexual abuse
over the past five years across South Africa. Majority of perpetrators
whom violated the victims have been prosecuted for the crime they
committed, the perpetrators whom were not prosecuted are the ones
whose identities are unknown. Victims of sexual abuse enter the
programme conflicted, with low self-esteem, isolated and they blame
themselves for the violation, as that is what perpetrators lead them to
believe. These victims are provided with medical services and medication
where required as per recommendation of the Sexual Offences Act 32 of
2007. After intense individual and group therapy, the children no longer
view themselves as victims but survivors. Some of the older children
between ages 16 and 18 assist social workers in supporting younger
children to overcome the ordeal by sharing their stories and their coping
mechanisms.
The Child Justice Act 75 of 2008 states that any person contravening
the law will be punished, even if the perpetrator is a child. In the case of
rape where the accused is a minor, the crime will not go unpunished. The
punishment will take the form of detention, incarceration or community
service, depending upon the age of the perpetrator.
Restorative justice for child perpetrators forms part of the 7-day
residential therapeutic programme, and is very effective because client
progress is reviewed every six months. The above-mentioned legislation
is used mostly during court cases and thus far, there has been a success
rate in cases of physical and sexual violation in children of 80 percent out
of 2, 54 million cases handled in court by social workers from Childline
South Africa.
Finally, the effective use of legislation proves to be well functional
and has grown to attract considerable attention in terms of anonymous
reports of abuse as compared to when Childline was first established.
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 Effectiveness of Child Protection Services Rendered to …

Childline with the assistance of Legal Aid South Africa have managed to
rescue some of the girls who were abducted and forced into child
marriages and reunite them with their families.

Conclusion

Child abuse and neglect affects majority of children across South Africa.
Based on the study findings the most prominent form of abuse is sexual
abuse, which leaves many children, scarred for life. Many abused children
have been made to believe that they are the course of the abuse inflicted
on them hence they stay silent. Child abuse and neglect are two major
forms of violation faced by children from underprivileged backgrounds.
Unfortunately, statistics do not portray a true reflection of figures of
child abuse, as majority of cases are not reported. Chid protection
programmes are effective as it reflects a high success rate as per Childline
South Africa annual report. The programmes rendered by Childline
deems to be effective in assisting and empowering children. This study
recommends that Statistics South Africa publish accurate figures of child
abuse annually by contacting all schools, welfare organisations and police
stations.

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