What we do

These are some of our current projects: (click on each for details)

• Caring for Crèches

• Kids R Special

• Outreach in Soweto

• Funding a Crèche

• Research into "Why" (this page)

The research progresses ....

As part of my research before the infant trust really got going, I discovered the paucity of substantial research into why there is such sexually driven violence directed at small children; I constantly find that the numbers of children injured are opaque or simply not accessible and my contacts at South African Universities and research bodies confirm the dearth of accurate data and research about violent incidents against young children.

The one substantive piece of work to be published is from 2004  which is a remarkable and fascinating series of essays by experts and highlights the difficulties of finding answers to such a grave and growing problem. There are no easy answers and the book reminds us why it is dangerous to see the sexual violence against children as an isolated issue outside the range of endemic abuse and neglect of children, and the chronic hardship they bear throughout southern Africa. The book concludes by saying

“it is crucial that new studies of child sexual abuse are subjected to critical methodological and conceptual review by experienced social scientists”

Taking all of this onboard, being a great believer in ‘proper’ research informing and helping our understanding and our future actions we entered discussions with the Open University about a joint sponsorship of a PhD programme. We rapidly devised a scheme and Kgauhelo, a social worker trained in Limpopo, who worked in children’s services in South African provincial government and London as a social worker, was appointed in 2007.

Kgauhelo has started her fieldwork and from the first interviews it is beginning to appear that men who rape small children, in either a planned or a spontaneous act, do know exactly what they are doing, and that their communities do not and will not tolerate it …. therefore they go to considerable lengths to hide their activities in order to avoid sanctions.

It would also appear that some of the justification men who have raped small children make to themselves, and others, is that the girls/young children themselves are already sexualised; this is supposed to somehow minimise the deeds of the abuser.

Some men do appear to believe the ‘virgin myth’ – i.e. that HIV/AIDS can be cured by having intercourse with a virgin.

As we find out more, we will post it here.

Making sure we know the facts

What is the source of much of our information, and where do many of our research quotes come from?

Well, apart from all the research and information from established organisations in South Africa, I belong to the ‘International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect’ [known as ISPCAN] based in Chicago, USA. Many individuals and organisations from different countries around the world belong to or are affiliated to this important body giving me access to considerable expertise, information, research, and contacts in the whole international field of child abuse. This information is invaluable when we are considering how next to make connections and help break the cycle of abuse – it also means we can spend our slender resources on activities that we know will make a difference rather than making guesses.

In future I will aim to post anything, or links, I come across that I think might be really useful whether from them or any other research body – providing I can get permission of course!.

Lesley Rudd

[1] Sexual Abuse of Young Children in Southern Africa. Ed. Linda Richter, Andrew Dawes, Craig Higson-Smith. 2004. HSRC Press