Social Development
With regard to the sexual exploitation of the youth in the province:
- What specific interventions has his Department implemented to prevent the sexual exploitation of the youth and (b) what support systems are in place to assist victims in their recovery and reintegration by ensuring they have access to (i) education, (ii) psy-chosocial service and (iii) protection against re-victimisation?
- Funded NPOs and DSD local offices present school-based crime prevention programmes for at-risk learners.
Training modules focus on: reducing sexual and gender-based behavioural challenges and cognitive errors, types and consequences of GBV, healthy vs unhealthy relationships, understanding the cycle, levels and types of violence and its triggers, dealing with childhood trauma, resisting negative peer pressure, substance abuse (from the dangers of experimentation to dealing with addiction), appropriate decision-making, anger management, anti-bullying, conflict management, men and boys mentoring programmes, behaviour modification techniques, grief counselling and coping strategies, enhancing emotional intelligence, and wilderness experiential learning.
Support and training workshops are also provided to parents or caregivers aimed at improving parenting skills and family relationships. Therapeutic interventions are also provided to beneficiaries who require long-term/ intensive interventions.
b)i) Access to Education. The Department of Social Development (DSD), in collaboration with its service delivery partners, actively promotes access to education for vulnerable children through a range of interventions. Social workers facilitate school enrolment for children at risk / in temporary safe care, foster placements, or Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs). Working directly with the Western Cape Education Department to ensure access to formal schooling.
Additional support services such as school transport, nutrition programmes, and after-school drop-in centres are provided to children living in impoverished communities where access is often limited.
DSD also funds and partners with organisations that run after-school programmes designed to bridge educational gaps and offer academic support to children experiencing learning delays due to trauma. Children with disabilities or barriers to learning are also prioritised, through collaborative efforts with the Department of Education such as their inclusive education programs.
ii) Access to Psychosocial Services
DSD and its service delivery partners including Jelly Beanz, PATCH, Nonceba, the Trauma Centre, Rape Crisis, and Childline, among others, deliver psychosocial services to vulnerable children. These services are provided by trained professionals, including social workers, auxiliary staff, registered psychologists, and counsellors.
Together, they offer trauma counselling, behavioural therapy, family mediation, and referrals to specialised mental health services. These interventions play an important role in the recovery and emotional well-being of children who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other forms of trauma.
iii) Protection Against Re-victimisation
To prevent re-victimisation, DSD and its partners conduct continuous safety and risk assessments, along with regular monitoring of individual cases. DSD manages child protection cases through the Social Work Information Management System (SWIMS), a digital platform that enables the tracking of children across various services. This system is currently being rolled out to Designated Child Protection Organisations (DCPOs), and the Western Cape Education Department has recently committed to its adoption.
Children identified as high risk are placed either in temporary safe care within their communities or in registered residential care facilities, depending on their individual needs. Where necessary, protection orders are obtained or alleged perpetrators are removed from the child’s environment through legal proceedings in the Children’s Court, in line with the Children’s Act.
DSD and Designated Child Care and Protection Organizations works closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS), including its Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, and other relevant government stakeholders to ensure the legal protection of vulnerable children. Service providers must take into account the norms and standards of the Children’s Act, including the mandatory reporting of abuse via Form 22 or Form 23. Where applicable, perpetrators are placed on Part B of the National Child Protection Register.
