Social workers’ perspectives on the use of emotional-support dogs during the testimony of child sexual-abuse victims in South African criminal courts

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dc.contributor.authorSchmidt, C.
dc.date.accessioned2021-11-15T17:46:58Z
dc.date.available2021-11-15T17:46:58Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractIn this study the researcher considers that the criminal court process can be incredibly intimidating to children, and therefore extra protective measures should be set in place to prevent that the child witness experiences any further trauma or stress. The researcher found the use of emotional-support animals during the child sexual-abuse victim’s testimony a one of the protective measures that is being implemented in different court systems around the world. This article focuses on the perspectives of forensic social workers on the use of emotional- support dogs during the testimony of child sexual-abuse victims in criminal courts in South Africa. The aim of the study is to explore, from forensic social work perspectives, the benefits and the challenges when using emotional-support dogs for child sexual abuse victims testifying in criminal court proceedings. A qualitative and explorative study design was followed by conducting semi-structured interviews with eight social workers employed by and affiliated with The Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children (TTBC) and two dog handlers from Touch Our Pets therapy dogs (Top Dogs). All the participants are involved in, or aware of, the emotional-support animals programme implemented by TTBC.en_US
dc.identifier.citationSchmidt, C. (2021). Social workers’ perspectives on the use of emotional-support dogs during the testimony of child sexual-abuse victims in South African criminal courts (Doctoral dissertation, North-West University (South-Africa)).en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11212/5270
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.nwu.ac.za/bitstream/handle/10394/37713/Schmidt_C.pdf?sequence=1
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherNorth-West University (South-Africa)en_US
dc.subjectresearchen_US
dc.subjectInternational Resourcesen_US
dc.subjectSouth Africaen_US
dc.subjectcriminal courten_US
dc.subjectchild sexual abuseen_US
dc.subjecttraumaen_US
dc.subjectchild witnessen_US
dc.subjectsupport animalen_US
dc.subjectemotional-support animalsen_US
dc.titleSocial workers’ perspectives on the use of emotional-support dogs during the testimony of child sexual-abuse victims in South African criminal courtsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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