Assessing the Effectiveness of the Survivor Support Programs in Addressing Child Sexual Abuse: Case Study

This thesis presents a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of survivor support programs for child sexual abuse (CSA) at the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) in Zambia. Anchored within an integrated conceptual framework combining principles of Trauma-Informed Care and Ecological Systems Theory, the study investigated the types of services provided, their accessibility and quality, and the resulting outcomes for child survivors. A convergent mixed-methods research design was employed, gathering data from 60 caregivers of survivors and key program staff through questionnaires, semistructured interviews, and focus group discussions. The analysis revealed that YWCA Zambia provides a crucial range of services, with trauma-informed counselling forming the core intervention, and that these services are delivered with high regard for confidentiality, staff attitude, and a child-friendly environment. Consequently, caregivers reported significant positive outcomes, including improved child well-being, enhanced school performance, and better family understanding, with these domains showing strong intercorrelation. However, the study identified critical systemic barriers that moderate overall effectiveness. Severe geographic inaccessibility disproportionately affects peri-urban and rural clients due to centralized service locations, and long wait times indicate capacity constraints. A stark gender disparity was also uncovered, with male survivors nearly absent from counselling and holistic support, highlighting a major gap in equitable engagement. The study concludes that while YWCA Zambia‘s programs are effective in fostering recovery for those who can access them, their population-level impact is limited by structural inequities in access and inclusivity. Recommendations are directed at YWCA Zambia to decentralize services and develop male-engagement strategies; at policymakers to integrate psychosocial support into public health and justice systems; and at future researchers to conduct longitudinal studies and explore the direct perspectives of survivors. The findings underscore the necessity of adapting survivor support models to navigate the complex ecological realities of the Zambian context to achieve broader and more equitable effectiveness.