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In this study the authors investigated the use of the Bender Gestalt test within the South African context by evaluating the applicability of the existing norms (Koppitz) and by exploring how the variables age, sex, educationallevel, and geographical area affect test performance in Zulu-speaking school children. Zulu-speaking subjects (N = 882) ranging in age from 6-18 years, completed the test. The test was administered in group form and independently scored. The study sample's performance was compared to Koppitz's norms and some significant discrepancies were apparent, suggesting that these foreign norms are inappropriate for use with Zulu-speaking children. Further exploration revealed that age was very strongly related to performance, accounting for 31% of the variance. Sex and geographical area were also significantly related to performance but their respective effect sizes were small. Initial normative data are presented for Zulu-speaking children. The implications of these findings for further clinical use of the Bender Gestalt are considered.In hierdie navorsing is die gebruik van die Bender Gestalt toets in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks ondersoek deur die toepaslikheid van bestaande norms (Koppitz) te evalueer, en deur vas te stel hoe die veranderlikes ouderdom, geslag, opvoedkundige peil, en geografiese omgewing die toetsprestasie van Zoeloe-sprekende skoolkinders beinvloed. Zoeloesprekende proefpersone (N = 882) tussen die ouderdom van 6-18 jaar het die toets voltooi. Die toets is in groepverband afgeneem, en onafhanklik nagesien. Die prestasie van die huidige steekproef is vergelyk met die norms van Koppitz, en 'n aantal beduidende verskiile is aangetoon, wat daarop dui dat die oorsese norms ontoepaslik is vir Zoeloe-sprekende kinders. Verdere ondersoek het aangetoon dat ouderdom sterk verwand was aan prestasie -31% van die variansie is daardeur verklaar. Geslag en geograflese omgewing het ook 'n beduidende verband getoon met prestasie, maar die grootte van die effekte was klein. Aanvanklike normatiewe data vir Zoeloe-sprekende kinders word gegee. Die implikasies van hierdie bevindinge vir verdere kliniese gebruik van die Bender Gestalt word bespreek.

There are no prevalence figures for childhood sexual abuse among South African women university students. This study addressed this gap, providing figures for an unselected, non-clinical group of 94 women students who constituted the sample at the University of Cape Town. A review of the methodological problems in this kind of research suggests that one of these concerns the stigma associated with sexual abuse. A novel approach which combines a search for prevalence information as well as providing participants with a potentially therapeutic experience is described. The intervention took the form of structured educational input concerning the relationship between gender socialization and sexual abuse, and stereotypes about sexual assault and abuse. Unpressured discussion of personal experience was facilitated in a supportive context of peer groups, organized around non-threatening tasks, to enable breaking of the silence which so often follows sexual abuse. Written discussions of childhood sexual abuse were obtained later and, although such information was not solicited, students voluntarily disclosed their own experience. This revealed 43,6% of the group (41 women) had experienced 61 instances of sexual abuse under age 18 years. Attempted rape or rape had occurred in 17% of the self-identified sexually abused women, and 47,5% of the 61 instances of sexual abuse had involved intrusive physical contact. There had been no previous disclosure in 34,4% of cases. On follow-up, two-thirds of the women expressed reservations about voluntary open discussion of sexual abuse within the peer groups, clearly implicating expectations of stigmatic effects following disclosure.

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