| Summary: | South Africa is alleged to have the highest rate of sexual abuse per capita among 49 other countries. These statistics and media reports have sparked debates about what could account for the sexual abuse of children under the age of six including babies. Speculations about what would account for this allegedly high incidence have used patriarchy, poverty, HTV / AIDS and the 'virgin myth'. To date not enough research has been completed to clarify or test the various theories that abound in the country. This thesis explores one element of the problem - how perpetrators make sense of sexual acts with young children in South Africa. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 incarcerated sex offenders~ aged between 16 and 86, all convicted for sexual abuse of children aged six years and below.
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