Sexual grooming of young girls
The promise and limits of law
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12330422 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Nicole van Zyl (corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 31 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 44-53 |
| Publication date | 2017-04-03 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Agenda (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1013-0950 • E-ISSN: 2158-978X |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/10130950.2017.1369673 |
| OpenAlex | W2782304401 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 6 |
This article considers the position of law as a macro-level intervention into the vulnerability of children to rape or sexual assault as a result of the process of sexual grooming. It situates grooming within the context of the South African narrative of rape, and describes features of the process that are drawn on by South African courts. This article offers a critique of the existing law concerning sexual grooming by examining the different manifestations of the concept in law: first, as a stand-alone statutory offence, second, as a means of establishing lack of consent in the crime of rape or sexual assault, and finally, as a factor when sentencing a person convicted of the rape or sexual assault of a child. While the law may offer some pathways to resilience by having named the offence and created the possibility of legal recourse, the existing shortcomings in the law, combined with its interpretation by the courts in emerging jurisprudence suggest that there are obstacles to it being a singular curative of vulnerability to grooming. The law occupies a central position in the broader narrative as a site for justice for victims and has the potential to strengthen the social ecologies of children, and improve the potential for resilience, if it properly fulfills this role
Computer security · Context (archaeology · Criminal law · Criminology · Economic Justice · Harm · Interpretation (philosophy · Intervention (counseling · Jurisprudence · Narrative · Political science · Sociology · Statutory law · Vulnerability (computing · Child Abuse and Trauma · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · History · Intimate Partner and Family Violence · Law · Psychology
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2023 - 2023 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |