“The Power of Me”: The Role of Agency in the Resilience Processes of Adolescent African Girls Who Have Been Sexually Abused

Sadiyya Haffejee, Linda Theron

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this article we explore how individual expressions of agency are shaped by structural factors and exercised by Black African girls with child sexual abuse (CSA) histories as they navigate resilience pathways. We employed a qualitative multiple instrumental case study design and purposefully recruited seven Black African girls, between the ages of 15 and 18 years, with a history of CSA. Participants were engaged in a range of participatory methods that included participatory diagramming (time lines), digital stories, and participatory videos. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Findings highlight how agency, as a process of resilience, manifested as well as how these agentic expressions were activated, bound, and later reciprocated and sustained by the surrounding social structures.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)683-712
Number of pages30
JournalJournal of Adolescent Research
Volume34
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • agency
  • child sexual abuse
  • participatory
  • resilience
  • visual

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Sociology and Political Science

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