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(1) Moral development
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Vrey (1984) maintains that moral development contains a clear cognitive element. As
the child becomes emancipated he becomes increasingly capable of conceptualising
and generalising moral norms and understands moral concepts. He thus achieves
morality based on principles.
Piaget (Vrey 1984) describes a gradual transition from heteronomous to autonomous
moral judgement in the child's becoming. Heteronomous moral judgement is based on
norms prescribed by others while autonomous moral judgement refers to a person's
own convictions and judgements. The abused child tends to be more subjected to
heteronomous moral judgement due to the failure of constituting an adequate
life-world. His actions of ascribing significance to matters, of exerting himself,
venturing into life, hoping, planning, fnlfilling his future, valuing, gaining insight into
himself, attaining the freedom to be responsible and of accepting responsibility are all
of an insufficient quality.
(2) Religious development
Vrey (1984) sees a personal religion as a means of faith and hope to which a child can
cling during the uncertainties and vicissitudes of his development. Two authentic
requirements would be authentic knowledge and practical demonstration of religious
norms. Pastor de Nysschen (1990), founder of 'The Ark" in Durban, stated during an
interview thatreligious norms andvalueswere found tobe completely lacking amongst
the abused children assisted at The Ark. The absence of this anchor in life, he claims,
is one of the major reasons why the abused child gives up on life once they find
themselves being abused. The Christian knows that God will never allow a person to
be tempted or exploited more than he can stand up to. The Christian knows this from
the Bible (1 Cor. 10:13), - from his personal faith and experiences. Without this
personal faith, experience and knowledge the abused child has no source of comfort
or spiritual security.