Educational Resilience Among African Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse in South Africa

Abstract

The literature covering child sexual abuse within the South African context, though substantial, has ignored issues of resilience, especially relating to the victim’s racial background. Particular reference is made to the victim’s ability to draw on elements relating to his or her cultural upbringing—socialization and identification. Using three cases (ages 16 to 23 years old) drawn from a major study that investigated the educational implications of child sexual abuse in South Africa, the article presents Black female survivors who experienced educational resilience regardless of having been sexually abused, and other contributory factors that could have driven them to react otherwise. Educational resilience is evident in the following ways: (a) participants’ interpretations of their experience, (b) behavior exhibited at school, (c) determination to succeed, and (d) educational and career aspirations. These responses are then related to the identification and socialization of people of African ancestry living in South Africa. Data were obtained by means of a series of in-depth interviews conducted with each participant, conducted on a one-on-one basis.