PsySSA commemorates Child Protection Week (29 May – 5 June 2025) 

PsySSA commemorates Child Protection Week (29 May – 5 June 2025) 

PsySSA commemorates Child Protection Week (29 May – 5 June 2025) 

Every conversation matters

Role of Faith based leaders in the Protection of Women and Children

Author: Dr.Guru Kistnasamy

Historically the interpretation and misinterpretation of the scriptures of various Faiths together with its practice and implementation by Religious Leaders, resulted in the abuse or the protection of the vulnerable amongst us, women and children.

In ancient times women and children were considered dispensable and were even killed in the form of sacrifices in various parts of the world. In India, there was a time when widows were burnt to death after the death of their husbands. This conceptualization of the vulnerable coupled with a patriarchal attitude, served to keep women and children in servitude.

Today we find a similar attitude that results in the rape and sexual molestation of women and children by men. What is shocking today is that we find that these perpetrators are men entrusted with the protection of these victims.

A few recent examples of Faith Leaders accused of abusing their so called “sacred” positions include:

  • Timothy Omotoso accused of 32 counts of rape, human trafficking, and racketeering. He was acquitted by the Justice System. Now the Minister of Justice is asking for an enquiry.
  • A prominent Bishop accused of raping and sexually assaulting members of his congregation. The trial is continuing.
  • A Hindu priest accused of raping a 12 year old boy appeared in the Tongaat Court.
  • A Hindu priest accused of intimately touching a devotee appeared in Verulam Court.
  • 2 boys alleged a Moulana raped them in Germiston.

Prevalence of Gender Based Violence in South Africa.

An article published in the journal of Social and Development Sciences in 2024, revealed that 55.38% of respondents reported being victims of violence in places of worship.

A fact sheet on “Baseline Survey on Victimisation and Perpetration” issued by the HSRC in 2024 indicated the following:

Lifetime physical and/or sexual violence of women aged 18 years and over: 35.5%, translating into 7,847.438 women.

According to Statistics South Africa, we have the highest rate of femicide in the world. One out of four women have experienced GBV, and one out of three children have experienced physical violence and sexual violence before they turned 18. (Ref. “Gender-based violence as a destructive form of warfare against families, a practical theological response-2023”).

Psychological Aspects of Religious Abuse.

Psychological Abuse refers to psychological manipulation and harm inflicted on a person by using the teachings of  their religion. It is often directed to children and emotionally vulnerable adults. The abuse may result in mental health issues such as depression, phobias, dissociative disorders, paranoia, anxiety, and insomnia  The victim may not report the matter because of guilt, shame, fear of being ostracized or losing a privilege.

What is Spiritual Abuse

Spiritual abuse has been expressed as an exploitation of spiritual authority to manipulate, control, use or harm others through means such as shame, fear and indoctrination. Examples may include sexual abuse, extortion of money, suicidal attempts and even suicide. Spiritual abuse is said to support other forms of GBV.

What can Religious Leaders do to Protect the Vulnerable?

Concerns of the public were raised at government level about abuse in religious institutions and by their leaders. In 2017 Hearings were held in Parliament where submissions were made by 18 religious organisations on the recommendations and proposals of the Commission for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities.

This clearly indicated that there must be some form of regulation of religious institutions through mandatory registration, licensing, and monitoring.

Religious communities need to actively promote the equality and protection of genders. Places of worship are ideally suited for this discourse. Various sources of literature point us in the right direction in achieving this goal.

The Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030 is the result of a national consultation process of scholars, activists and leaders. It was strengthened by the We Will Speak Out South Africa (WWSOSA). It includes partners from the following faiths: African Traditional, Baha’I, Brahma Kumaris, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. Their goal is to mobilize and equip the faith sector to address GBV more effectively.

The Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030 was released in October 2024. The following is a summary of the commitments of the members of the faith sector in actively, intentionally and collaboratively supporting efforts to mitigate GBV by:

  • Including spiritual abuse as a type of GBV;
  • Being vocal and transparent about exposing GBV;
  • Dismantling the culture where victims are silenced;
  • Amplifying texts, traditions, rituals, ceremonies and symbols that promote dignity, gender equality and justice, and to change these where gender inequity or GBV is encouraged;
  • Becoming integrally involved in South Africa’s multi-sectoral efforts to prevent or respond to GBV;
  • Improving accountability measures and developing a joint policy to guide the sector’s work;

 

Conclusion.

It is important that leaders of all faiths subscribe to the principles of the Interfaith GBV Prevention and Mitigation Strategy 2024-2030 so as to address the problem of GBV as a united national front in South Africa.

Therefore it is equally important that there be a qualification, monitoring and regulating process for aspiring spiritual leaders to join the faith sector. This will minimize abuse of the vulnerable by leaders of faith.

25/04/2025.

 

A call for Psychologists to champion child rights during Child Protection Week, and beyond

The Trauma and Violence Division

National Child Protection week, commemorated between the 29th of May and the 5th of June, seeks to remind citizens of the rights of children enshrined in the Constitution of South Africa and the Children’s Act (Act No. 38 of 2005). On the 11th of May 2025 the Department of Social Development launched Child Protection Month with the theme ‘Working Together to End Violence Against Children.’ Child sexual abuse has been highlighted as the main focus (Department of Social Development, 2025).

Sexual assault cases for female children aged 17 and younger increased from a harrowing 82.7% in 2015/2016 to 87.6% in 2019/2020 in South Africa (Stats SA, 2024). Female children are more likely to experience statutory rape, sexual assault and rape than male children (Stats SA, 2024). However, challenges with the reporting of such crimes across all genders remain, leading to underreporting.

This Child Protection Week, the Department of Social Development has called on various healthcare sectors to become part of a multidisciplinary approach addressing this pandemic (Department of Social Development, 2025). In response to the call to action, psychologists can advocate for children’s rights and uphold their best interests beyond the confines of therapy rooms, lecture halls, and academic journals. Psychological professionals, including psychologists, registered counsellors and psychometrists should:

  • Report suspected child abuse and neglect to the relevant authorities as outlined in Section 110 the Children’s Act (Act No. 38 of 2005) and Section 54 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matter) Amendment Act 32 of 2007. This is not discretionary but mandatory and is essential to safeguarding child clients. Ensuring that we fulfil this duty is key in us upholding children’s rights.
  • Maintain competency in working with child survivors of abuse. Guidelines and interventions for trauma work are continuously developing. Staying informed and continuously developing our professional skillset can assist us in ensuring that children do not experience secondary traumatisation, including within the therapy room (Van Niekerk & Coetzee, 2020).
  • Catalyse change at a systemic level through research and advocacy efforts, to ensure transformation beyond the therapy room (Schiller et al., 2023). Psychologists can advance and disseminate research in the area of child abuse and associated psychological sequalae to ultimately draw attention to the need for policy change.  Rather than duplicating effort, psychologists can use their expertise to assist non-governmental organisations and advocacy groups at the forefront of the fight against child abuse.

As a profession and association of professionals, we can lobby for the employment of mental health professionals within the government sector, to ensure the provision of quality, timeous services that promote preventative and ameliorative initiatives.

Systemic issues require systemic interventions but they need not be complicated. So, whether your advocacy is at an individual level within the therapy room, or at a macro-level with major stakeholders, consider how you can uphold children’s rights this Child Protection Month.

 

The South African Association for Counselling Psychology

Watch the SAACP’s contribution to Child Protection Week 2025 below!

Danielle Moosajie

Danielle Moosajie

Director: Arise

Danielle Moosajie is a qualified social worker with a Master’s degree in Social Policy and Management from the University of Cape Town. With over 14 years of experience, she has dedicated her career to working with children and families on the Cape Flats. Her professional background spans both the corporate sector – where she specialized in change management – and academia, having lectured and contributed to numerous community-based initiatives.

Danielle is also a wife and mother of three. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys exploring Cape Town’s natural beauty and sampling good food. She is passionate about ensuring every child feels loved and valued, and she is committed to encouraging South Africans to build meaningful connections beyond their usual boundaries.

Contact: danielle@arisefamily.org 

Children’s Mental Health Week: 3-9 February 2025

Children’s Mental Health Week: 3-9 February 2025

PsySSA commemorates Children’s Mental Health Week (3-9 February 2025) with the theme: Know Yourself, Grow Yourself.

CHILDREN”S MENTAL HEALTH WEEK: 2025

PSYSSA is complimented for launching the 2025 MHC with the focus on Children’s Mental Health. Children have a special place in Society. They are the archetypal pride and joy of parents associated with fun, laughter, joy and playfully mischievous in a normal society. Parents generally promote their healthy living through social, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being. The seminal Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and amendments profoundly spell out how children must be cared for and protected.

While there were adverse conditions prior to the drafting of the above Act, the current children’s mental health needs have reached uncontrollable proportions. This in fact has given rise to grave concerns for their mental health and fears for their safety. It would make for un-sobering reading to take a snapshot view of how children are faring with their Mental Health globally. Space does not allow for such a broadside perspective. WHO (2022) presents the startling statistic that twenty five (25%) of children present with Mental Health issues. A UNICEF South African Report posited that sixty (60%) of youth needed mental health support. However, only 12.4 % of children and adolescents with mental health problems receive professional help (Kleintjies et al., 2015). This can be explained by the gross imbalance between psychologists and patients. According to the SAACP ( 2020) there were (3022)-Clinical Psychologists; (1598)-Counselling Psychologists: (1510).-Educational Psychologists.

This translates to a ratio of about 1 psychologist for 10 633 clients. At a systemic level this overwhelming inequity explains why children in general find it difficult to access Mental Health services. This situation is further exacerbated by the fact that the majority of the practitioners are in private practice. This begs the question what if any mental health intervention children from the rural area receive. The psychological services attached to the various districts in each province can hardly be considered to be a serious service provider of mental health. Statistics from eight DOE provinces (2020-2021) underscore the stark and gloomy reality of the effete mental health school provisions :

Province Pupils Psychologists
Eastern Cape 1 704 581 Unknown
Free State 541 959 15-20
 Kwa Zulu Natal 2 758 831 83
Limpopo 1 245 095 30-35
Mpumalanga 745 838 25
North West 584 831 20-25
Northern Cape 272 411 15-20
Western Cape 1048 905 47
Gauteng 2 055 042 45

An overpowering disproportion between pupils and psychologists. It is noted that formal assessments cannot be administered for this reason. In any case it is apparent that psychologists only respond to a request from a school about twelve months later However, the inordinate disparity in numbers make access to mental health impossible for the majority of pupils. To a large extent detractors to the existence of school psychology are justified. It is an expensive service. It is a first world phenomenon in an under-developed third-world context.

The general public is hardly and selectively serviced, schools are poorly-serviced and the rural areas are abysmally non-serviced. Are we paying attention to the scary Big Picture or merely going through the motions like school psychological services. As the mental needs of our children get more complex and demanding are we psychologists playing the proverbial fiddle. Severe trauma, depression, anxiety, stress and suicide ideation are major psychological constructs that children experience. Their mental health needs are utterly under-provided. In the recent Mental State of the World Report released by Sapiens Labs South Africa ranked
 Second(2nd) Lowest on the Mental Health Quotient
 First as the most stressed country in the world

A recent advert notes that the “ difference is in the detail ”. We are patently aware of the appalling details. We need to step out of the comfort zones in our insulated ivory towers and make the difference.

Children’s Mental Health Week – Reflections on Self-Awareness as a Psychology Student

Children’s Mental Health Week, established in 2015, focuses on raising awareness of children’s mental health and emotional well-being. While this initiative originates in the UK, it aligns with local efforts such as Child Protection Week, Youth Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month, which highlight mental health challenges in childhood and beyond. This year’s theme, “Know Yourself, Grow Yourself,” provides an opportunity for psychology students to reflect on their own childhood mental health, exploring how their experiences have shaped their self-awareness and career paths.

Reflecting on childhood mental health often reveals how early challenges, trauma, or environmental factors influenced our mental well-being and led us to pursue psychology. Such reflections form the foundation of self-awareness, which is important for professional practice. Many psychologists embody the concept of the wounded healer, where their own struggles and healing journeys inspire their ability to empathise with others. Self-awareness allows individuals to recognise and work through biases, blind spots, and unresolved issues. For this reason, postgraduate applications, such as honours and master’s programmes, often include reflective exercises like autobiographical essays or interviews. These assessments evaluate not only academic readiness but also insight into one’s personal growth.

Self-awareness is not a one-time exercise but a lifelong process. As students, individuals continuously uncover values, insecurities, and unresolved emotions that shape how they engage with others. Discoveries like these follow practitioners into their careers, where self-reflection and professional counseling are essential for managing personal challenges and ensuring that mental health does not negatively impact those they serve. Early mental health struggles, such as emotional stressors or disorders, may persist in different forms, but when approached with self-awareness, they become tools for empathy and professional insight.

Across psychology’s diverse fields, self-awareness is critical in varying ways. Clinical and counselling psychologists rely on this quality to manage transference, countertransference, and emotional regulation, ensuring effective care without compassion fatigue or burnout. Educational psychologists use self-awareness to recognise how their own experiences and biases influence their work with children, families, and educators, enabling culturally sensitive interventions. Research psychologists depend on reflexivity to remain ethical and objective, particularly when working with vulnerable populations. In neuropsychology, awareness of one’s emotional responses helps practitioners manage the toll of working with life-changing diagnoses, balancing empathy with clarity. For organisational psychologists, self-awareness supports the management of workplace dynamics, promoting systemic well-being and addressing burnout.

Children’s Mental Health Week encourages us to reflect on our own mental health, using this theme as a starting point for cultivating self-awareness. This reflection reminds us that self-awareness is a lifelong journey, essential for both personal growth and professional competency. By engaging in self-awareness, we enhance our ability to empower the individuals and communities we serve.

PsySSA Commemorates International Youth Day 2021: Who we are is more important than what we are: Reflecting on International Youth Day

PsySSA Commemorates International Youth Day 2021: Who we are is more important than what we are: Reflecting on International Youth Day

We frequently ask children, ‘what do you want to be when you grow up?’ More accurately the question is ‘what profession do you want to pursue?’ Doctor, lawyer, nurse, and teacher are the top of our minds when we ask this question. While we think within these vocational parameters’ children speak of a world not limited by our knowledge of how the world works. Children speak of being things other than a profession, for instance, a friend’s four-year-old son wants to be a truck, more specifically a fire truck, this he is certain is his destiny. It may be possible for him with the advances in technology and the merge between the biological and the mechanical, but he may also be communicating something else to his mother. I think the question is not what he wants to be, but rather who he wants to be the type of person he wants to become. That is a person who is there for others in times of need, caring, and strong.

The United Nations theme for this years’ International Youth Day is Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health. Food insecurity is rife globally often disproportionately affecting people in the developing world, and as most people in these parts of the world are young food insecurity affects them the most. This year’s theme places youth participation at the centre of innovations in food systems.

In many areas of life young people are being left out, decisions taken about their futures without their participation. However, young people from around the world have resisted this status quo, forging new ways in the world, a world that is based on equity and equality, rather than the professions people occupy. Illustrated in the RhodesMustFall movements that began in South Africa and spread to other parts of the world, to the climate activism of such people a Vanessa Nakate and Grater Thunberg. We have seen young people speak against social injustice when it comes to food security and innovation such as Navina Khanna, who focus on the importance of sustainability in food systems.

This year’s youth day theme is a call to think about a world where children can be anything they imagine but also a reminder that young people have the capacity to create and sustain the world they imagine. Food security and innovation offer room for young people to have a voice in issues of land distribution, poverty and nutrition, farm labour, distribution, and logistics. Thus, not only placing the youth at the centre of food systems and innovation but also placing food innovation and security at the centre of the possibilities.

Author: Dr Sipho Dlamini 

PsySSA Executive Member

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – 10 TIPS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE  AS THEY TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – 10 TIPS TO KEEP OUR CHILDREN SAFE AS THEY TRAVEL TO AND FROM SCHOOL

Travelling to and from school can be very dangerous without proper parental care and supervision.

 SaferSchools suggest the following steps to keep our children safe:

(https://www.saferschools.co.za/travelling-to-and-from-school/)

  1. Map out with your children a safe way for them to walk to school or to the bus/ taxi/ transport service stop. Try to avoid busy roads and intersections as well as areas that are too isolated. Do a trial run with them to point out places they should avoid along the way, such as vacant lots, construction areas, and parks where there aren’t many people.
  2. Encourage children to walk to school or the bus stop with a sibling, friend or familiar adults, and to wait at bus stops with other children. Familiarize yourself and be social with the neighbours who live on your street, as they can also be an extra set of eyes for you. Ask them to walk with your child when possible.
  3. Remind children not to talk on their phones or play games whilst walking or traveling. Their phones should not be visible at all and they should pay attention to their surroundings.
  4. Organize supervised walking groups in your neighbourhood where adults take turns to walk groups of children to school or to their transport stops.
  5. Teach children to follow traffic signals and rules when walking or biking. Stress that they should cross the street at crosswalks or intersections with crossing guards when they can.
  6. Teach children to not make unnecessary conversation with strangers, go anywhere with them, or accept gifts from them without your permission. Tell them that if they see a suspicious stranger hanging around, or in their school, they should tell an adult.
  7. Help children memorize their phone number and full address. Write down other important phone numbers such as your work and cell phone on a card for your children to carry with them.
  8. If your child walks to school, ensure that they are well equipped for all weather conditions; a nice umbrella to use if it suddenly starts to rain – the weather often changes during the course of the day, and you might not be there to drive them home. During the rainy season, be sure to invest in a rain coat for them – it will make them look cool, as well as save them from getting wet.
  9. If you are making use of a transport service, ensure that the company is reputable. Provide them with all your contact details and ensure that you know the routes and schedules the follow.
  10. Teach your child basic self-protection techniques.
NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – COVID-19 AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – COVID-19 AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN IN THE INFORMAL SECTOR

2020 is a year best forgotten for the infamous  COVID-19 Virus  pandemic unleashing its fatal fury on the entire World. No country was spared as this unseen formidable foe  swathe nation after nation with death and socio-economic destruction. So devastatingly contagious that the earthly planet was plunged  into an unprecedented Lockdown to prevent human contact and transmission. Such an extreme response left in its wake incalculable disaster in almost every sphere of Life.

Highly developed, developing and under-developed countries were not spared the crushing  effects of the unrelenting Virus. However,  it is argued that the greatest ruinous  effects are felt in the so-called vulnerable population. In general, the Informal Sector, but in particular school-going children.

Children from the Informal Sector traditionally experience abject poverty,  gross deficiency and a poor quality  of life under the most compromised conditions. The one saving Grace is that medical experts hold that at present children are not the most susceptible to the effects of the Virus. They are still not immune to the Virus but present with less severe symptoms. The myriad of deleterious and ravaging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is beyond the scope of this attenuated brief.

Unemployed parents from the  Informal Sector who themselves lowly schooled and struggling to eke out an existence play little or no beneficial roles in promoting their children’s educational  progress during this extraordinary crisis. Domestic social ills further reduce the poorly performing academic levels of the latter.

In addition, sudden and unplanned school-closure precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic was bound to profoundly impact children from the Informal Sector.  Large numbers of these children attend poorly resourced schools. It is not likely that such schools adequately prepared their impressionable charges for any transition to a  highly deprived  home environment.

It is moot to what extent so-called remote learning was a reality with these seriously disadvantaged  children. Further, a lack of electricity and the unavailability of technology like computers, wi-fi and internet connectivity make online learning impossible. Hard copy notes and worksheets were not readily supplied. The March to September 2020 Lockdown has exacerbated what is already a parlous    household situation. Without any or adequate educational stimulation these ill-equipped children are bound to have cumulative learning loss.  The unequal access of technology is likely to have widened the learning gap. The  return to school was necessary but almost perfunctory. The classroom contact time was reduced  and almost halved with the Curriculum inevitably syncopated.  The Testing programme did not encompass the breath of the Curriculum and it can be conjectured that there could have been relaxation with promotion and progression requirements. It is true that all children experienced the same scenario. The convenience of the adjusted school arrangements definitely does not enhance the academic well-being of children from impoverished and depressed  socio-economic environments. Will these environmentally impaired children ever:

  • …return to any semblance of normalcy?
  • …cope with navigating the transition from school to the demanding home circumstance?
  • …realise their full cognitive potential in an uncertain future?

There is no reference  to  the disruption in the lives of LSEN children who are so-called not neuro-typical. Their unyielding circumstances is a subject for its own discussion.

We are inextricably linked to the business of Education. It behooves all Psychologists, let alone Educational Psychologists to contribute to the re-building in such children’s engagement, highlight  the overwhelming  plight of such desperate children,  play advocacy roles and mitigate the tremendous risks  for one of the most neglected sectors of this vulnerable  population especially during Child Protection Week and always.

Dr N Chetty-Educational Psychologist.  SEPSA Vice-Chairperson. May 11,2021.

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – Keeping Our Children Safe

NATIONAL CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2021 – Keeping Our Children Safe

KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE

Our greatest natural resource is the minds of our children.

 – Walt Disney

Children are our future. It is therefore our responsibility to care for and protect our children so that they can be become responsible adults who in turn, take care of their children and future.  We need to work together to build cultures of caring, respect, and safety for everyone in our families, schools, youth organizations, religious institutions, companies, and other groups.

Individuals as well as organizations need to know how to take charge of the safety of the young people in their care and how to stop abuse, bullying, harassment, and other dangerous behaviour by doing the following:

  1. Put safety first
    • Make all forms of emotional and physical violence and abuse explicitly and publicly against the rules.
    • Everyone needs to know what safe behaviour is and what is not, including hygiene, supervision of activities, driving, swimming, personal safety, and so on.
    • Everyone needs to know what the rules are about safe and appropriate behaviour and what the consequences are of not upholding the rules.
    • Adults should be in charge of keeping kids safe. We want children to take charge of their own safety as best they can, but the bottom line is that adults are responsible for ensuring that children are protected from harm until they are able to protect themselves. In any case, it is NEVER the child’s fault if an adult does something unsafe.
  1. Make it safe for everyone to speak up.
    • Children need to know that unsafe behaviour, especially by an adult in charge, should NEVER have to be a secret, even if you already promised to keep it a secret.
    • Speaking up takes both skill and courage. Even young children can learn how to stay, “Please stop.” Or, “That’s not safe!” And young people can learn that it is never too late to tell.
    • Children need to know where or whom to go to, to report unsafe behaviour. They have to know that it is OK to be persistent in getting the help they need. Children should learn how to find adults who will listen and how to keep asking until an adult helps to solve the problem.
  1. Uphold the rules in a fair, equitable fashion
    • Have clear agreements and rules about what is and is not safe or appropriate in your environment.
    • Have appropriate consequences for unsafe behaviour and communicate those consequences clearly.
    • No one is above the rules – no matter their position of power, prestige or privilege.

LET’S ALL WORK TOGETHER IN

KEEPING OUR CHILDREN SAFE

https://www.keepingchildrensafe.global