Abstract
Sexual abuse is a growing global concern that significantly impacts the lives of children, often leading to mental health challenges such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. Sexual abuse can further leave children feeling socially withdrawn, aggressive or cause problems in their lives and in school. This study investigated the factors contributing to the resilience of learners who have experienced sexual abuse, focusing on the question: What factors enable the resilience of learners who have been sexually abused? The researcher explored the experiences of six female learners from two children's homes, utilising semi-structured interviews, that align with the interpretivist paradigm. The findings reveal that individual, relational, and contextual factors act as crucial social ecological resources, significantly enhancing the resilience of learners who were sexually abused. Based on these insights, it is imperative for social ecological stakeholders, including teachers, schools, and children's homes, to recognise and incorporate these factors into their approaches. These approaches include providing teachers and caregivers with training to enable them to provide the necessary support to learners who have been sexually abused. Schools and children's homes should create safe and supportive environments that foster positive relationships, collaboration, and open communication. Implementing mental health and resilience-building programmes within the educational curriculum can also contribute to a holistic approach. In conclusion, this study underscores the multifaceted nature of resilience development in learners who have experienced sexual abuse.
Keywords: Contextual factors; individual factors; relational factors; resilience; sexual abuse; social ecological model