Objetivos: Identificar os fatores nutricionais e indicadores antropométricos associados aos sinais e sintomas de asma em escolares adolescentes. Metodologia: Esta pesquisa apresenta delineamento observacional transversal. Incluíram-se adolescentes de dez a 19 anos, de ambos os sexos. Os indicadores do estado nutricional utilizados foram o índice de massa corporal (IMC-Z), o índice altura-para-idade (A/I-Z), a circunferência do braço (CB), a circunferência da cintura (CC), a relação cintura estatura (RCE) e o índice de conicidade (IC). Para estimar o consumo médio de sódio foi utilizado o questionário de frequência alimentar. A atividade física foi avaliada utilizando-se o Questionário Internacional de Atividade Física. As características da asma foram avaliadas, pelo questionário International study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC). Fatores associados à asma na analise bi e multivariadas foram avaliados com a utilização de regressão de Poisson. O nível de significância adotado foi de 5% e as análises foram realizadas no programa Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versão 18.0. Resultados: Avaliou-se 1362 alunos com média de idade de 15,65±1,24 anos, sendo 788(57,9%) do sexo feminino. Observam-se maiores prevalências de asma entre o sexo feminino, de excesso de peso pelo IMC-Z e excesso de adiposidade abdominal pelos indicadores CC, RCE no sexo feminino e pelo IC no sexo masculino. Os adolescentes com asma apresentaram razão de prevalência de 2,4 quando classificados com excesso de adiposidade abdominal pela RCE e um risco de 1,8 para os do sexo masculino pelo IC. Já nos indivíduos com asma grave a razão de prevalência foi três vezes maior quando classificados com obesidade grave pelo IMC-Z. Ao avaliar os fatores de risco nutricionais para asma, houve risco positivo para asma no sexo feminino (RP= 1,41) e para gravidade da asma a ingestão elevada de sódio (RP= 2,30). Entre os adolescentes com excesso de peso, houve risco para asma entre as meninas (RP=1,66) e para os com ingestão elevada de sódio (RP=1,98). Para gravidade da asma houve risco para a ingestão elevada de sódio (RP=3,07). Conclusão: No presente estudo os adolescentes com excesso de peso corporal e obesidade abdominal apresentaram maior risco de asma e maior gravidade de asma. Para os adolescentes com asma e maior gravidade de asma identificaram-se maiores razões de prevalência para o sexo feminino e para os que ingeriram maior quantidade de sódio. Entre os com excesso de peso, houve razão de prevalência para o sexo feminino e para a ingestão elevada de sódio. / Objective: To identify and connect nourishment factors and anthropometric indicators related to asthma signs and symptoms in teenager students. Methodology: This research is an observational cross-cut delimitation. Teenager students from 10 to 19 years old and from both sexes were considered for the study. The nourishment status indicators used were Body Mass Index (BMI-Z), Length/height-for-age scores, arm circumference (AC), waist circumference (WC), the waist height ratio (WHR) and, conicity index (CI). To estimate the mean sodium intake we used the food frequency questionnaire. Physical activity was assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The asthma characteristics were assessed using the International study of asthma and allergies in childhood (ISAAC). The asthma associated factors in bi and multivariate analysis were assessed using the Poisson regression. The significance level used was of 5% and the analyses were performed using the software Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0. Results: 1362 students with mean age of 15.65±1.24 years old were part of the study, 788(57.9%) of them were female. It was observed higher asthma prevalence for females, a higher prevalence of overweight using BMI-Z and abdominal adiposity using the WC and WHR indicators for females and, for the male sex using the CI. Teenagers with asthma presented a prevalence ratio of 2.4 when classified with abdominal adiposity excess by the WHR and a prevalence ratio of 1.8 for males by the CI. For the individuals with severe asthma the prevalence ratio was three times higher when classified with serious obesity using the BMI-Z. While assessing the nutritional risk factors for asthma it was found a positive asthma risk for females (PR= 1.41) and, for the asthma severity the high intake of sodium (PR= 2.30). Among the teenagers with overweight, it was found asthma risk for girls (PR=1.66) and, for high sodium intake (PR=1.98). Considering the asthma severity it was found risks for high sodium intake (PR=3.07). Conclusion: In the present study the teenagers with corporeal weight excess and abdominal obesity presented a higher risk for asthma and, a greater severity for asthma. For teenagers with asthma and with higher asthma severity greater risks were identified for females and, for the individuals with greater sodium intake. For the individuals with overweight it was identified high prevalence ratio for females and for high sodium intake as well.

Dissertação(mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Escola de Enfermagem, 2008. / Submitted by eloisa silva (eloisa1_silva@yahoo.com.br) on 2012-12-04T18:57:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 adelitaaraujo.pdf: 3602782 bytes, checksum: 568b158ddf11b99be333712dc3afc240 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Bruna Vieira(bruninha_vieira@ibest.com.br) on 2012-12-06T04:06:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 adelitaaraujo.pdf: 3602782 bytes, checksum: 568b158ddf11b99be333712dc3afc240 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2012-12-06T04:06:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 adelitaaraujo.pdf: 3602782 bytes, checksum: 568b158ddf11b99be333712dc3afc240 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / A partir de questionamentos sobre as ações programáticas e dos profissionais de saúde e de educação voltadas para o adolescer saudável e a concepção dos próprios adolescentes acerca do que seja adolescer saudável, tivemos como objetivo neste estudo compreender a percepção de adolescentes acerca do processo de adolescer saudável, realizamos um estudo qualitativo e exploratório, utilizando entrevistas semi-estruturadas com adolescentes; de ambos sexos, de uma escola pública da cidade de Pelotas-RS. A partir da análise temática dos dados, foram construídas três categorias: a) Modos de viver um adolescer saudável, em que é apontada a importância de uma alimentação e hidratação adequadas, de cuidados com a higiene e aparência pessoal, de dispor de condições apropriadas de moradia e saneamento básico, além de usufruir de um período de repouso; b) Relacionamentos e interações no adolescer saudável, em que, além do bom relacionamento com as/os outras/os, para um adolescer saudável, se sobressaíram alguns riscos sociais que fazem parte do viver da/o adolescente, como o uso de drogas, o consumo de álcool e fumo e a violência familiar; c) Da adolescência para o mundo adulto, em que a adolescência é reconhecida como um período que exige, também, maturidade, responsabilidade, autonomia, respeito aos limites, por parte das/os adolescentes, o que as/os torna mais valorizadas/os no seu meio de convívio. Atividades relacionadas ao lazer podem cooperar na socialização da/o adolescente, além de favorecer sua saúde física e mental. Dentre as dificuldades vividas pelas/os adolescentes, a separação dos pais foi caracterizada como um momento de sofrimento, solidão e mudanças no modo de ser. A concepção de adolescer saudável dá-se a partir da visão subjetiva de cada adolescente, para com o seu modo de viver diferentes situações. Evidenciamos um conceito ampliado de adolescer saudável, não apenas como a ausência de doenças, porém considerando fatores importantes como elementos físicos, sociais, culturais e econômicos. / Partiendo de preguntas sobre las acciones programáticas y de los profesionales de la salud y la educación dirigidas a el adolecer saludable y la concepción de los adolescentes acerca de lo que es adolecer saludable, tuvimos por objetivo en este estudio comprender la percepción de los adolescentes acerca del proceso de adolecer saludable, fue realizado un estudio cualitativo y exploratorio, utilizando entrevistas semiestructuradas con los adolescentes, de ambos sexos, de una escuela pública de la ciudad de Pelotas-RS. Partiendo del análisis temático de los datos, fue construida tres categorías: a) Maneras de vivir un adolecer saludable, lo cual es señalando la importancia de una hidratación y la nutrición adecuada, de cuidados con la higiene y la apariencia personal, de poseer condiciones adecuadas para habitación y saneamiento, y disfrutar de un período de descanso b) Las relaciones e interacciones en adolecer saludable, lo cual, además de buenas relaciones con los / las otros/as, para un adolecer saludable, fueran resaltados algunos riesgos sociales que son parte del vivir del adolescente, como el uso de drogas, el consumo de alcohol y el tabaco y la violencia familiar c) De la adolescencia a la vida adulta, donde la adolescencia es reconocida como un período que requiere, también, madurez, responsabilidad , autonomía, respeto de los límites, por parte de los/las adolescentes, lo que los/las hace más valorados/as en su medio de convivencia. Las actividades relacionadas con el recreo, podrán cooperar en la socialización de los / las adolescentes, y fomentar su salud física y mental. Entre las dificultades experimentadas por e los/las jóvenes, la separación de los padres se ha caracterizado como un momento de sufrimiento, soledad y de cambios en la forma de ser. La concepción de adolecer saludable es dada a partir de la visión subjetiva de cada adolescente, para con el modo de vida en diferentes situaciones. Evidenciamos un concepto ampliado de adolecer saludable, y no solo de mera ausencia de enfermedades, pero también considerando factores importantes como elementos físicos, sociales, culturales y económicos. / By analyzing questions about the programmatic actions and the education and health professional’s questions about a healthy growing up and the teenager’s conception of what is to grow up in a healthy way, this study had as its goal to comprehend the teenagers’ perception about the healthy growing up. We did a qualitative and an exploratory study using semi-structured interviews with male and female teenagers who study in a public school of Pelotas – RS. Three categories were constructed by the thematic data analysis: a) Ways of live a healthy growing up in which the importance of an adjusted feed and hydration, cares with personal appearance and hygiene, to have housing and basics sanitation appropriate conditions, besides to have a break period; b) Relationships and interactions in a healthy growing up where, beyond a good relationship with other people, some social risks, which are part of every teenager life such as the drugs, cigarettes and alcohol’s use and familiar violence; c) From adolescence to adult world, adolescence is known as the time that requires maturity, responsibility, autonomy and respect to limits. These requirements give more value to teenagers in their living environment. Leisure activities can collaborate to the teenager socialization, beyond to improve their mental and physical health. Among the difficulties experienced by teenagers, the parents’ divorce was characterized as a suffering and a loneliness period, besides to make changes in the way to be. The healthy growing up conception parts from each teenager subjective view from their way of live different situations. We noticed a great concept of healthy growing up, not just with illness absence, but we also consider important factors as economic, cultural, social and physical elements.

The motivation for this study arose from the perception that the environmental speech shifts the problem of industrial production of goods for concern about the levels and patterns of consumption, setting the teenager as an agent of change towards the present and future sustainability. Before the emergence of rethinking habits and lifestyles, there are the concerns about the social, economic, cultural, environmental and space aspects. Thus, there are several problems related to teen consumption and audience, as the lack of reflection and dialogue about the everyday consumption practices, strategies of persuasion marketing, lack of data about the symbolic aspects inherent to the consumption practice as a social phenomenon, impact of the debates on the topic that fix their attention on the relationship among production-acquisition-disposal, regardless of the subjects perceptual factors. In this sense, it is asked: from the perspective of sustainable consumption, how has the perception of adolescents about their consumption habits and lifestyles been shown? The research focused on the symbolic interactionist paradigm of phenomenological basic was held in the municipality of Lagarto, state of Sergipe (SE), in a Federal Education Institution, with integrated high school classes. In this sense, it is considered the school as one of the main participant institutions in the teenagers development along to family and groups to which they belong. Indeed, it was developed an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative and quantitative, which means of research based on perception, are such bibliographical, documentary and field nature. In this perspective, the aim was to formulate appropriate research instruments, such as the questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and observation journal. After collecting data, it was opted for content analysis, according to Bardin (1977). So, front to the reflections in the light of theoretical results and the research helped to expand the discussion on sustainable consumption and can support new approaches and interactions about the subject at school, family and other institutions. Front to what is written above, it is confirmed the hypothesis on which most participant teenagers study have the perception that their consumption habits and lifestyles influence the social and environmental ambience, although there are different nuances between the perceptual plan (perceived) and the plan of actions (lived). The perceptual plan presents more convergent with the purposes of sustainable consumption, while, in the plans of actions, some practices are in intermediate stages or not converging. It s worth to note that, in general, adolescents have great potential to build a more sustainable society, if they can, of course, reflect on what actually constitutes ‗need and have joint support of public and private projects and actions really concerned about sustainability / A motivação para este estudo surgiu da percepção do discurso ambiental que desloca a problemática da produção industrial de mercadorias para a preocupação com os níveis e padrões de consumo, configurando o adolescente como agente de mudanças rumo à sustentabilidade presente e futura. Diante da emergência de repensar hábitos e estilos de vida, destacam-se as preocupações com os aspectos sociais, econômicos, culturais, ambientais e espaciais. Desta forma, observam-se as diversas problemáticas relativas ao consumo e ao público adolescente, como a falta de reflexão e de diálogo sobre as práticas de consumo; as estratégias de persuasão do marketing; a falta de dados sobre os aspectos simbólicos inerentes à prática do consumo como fenômeno social e repercussão dos debates sobre o tema que fixam suas atenções sobre a relação produção-aquisição-descarte, sem levar em consideração fatores perceptivos dos sujeitos. Neste sentido, pergunta-se: sob a perspectiva do consumo sustentável, como se apresenta a percepção dos adolescentes quanto aos seus hábitos de consumo e estilos de vida? A pesquisa está centrada no paradigma interacionista simbólico de base fenomenológica e foi realizada na cidade de Lagarto (SE), em uma instituição de ensino federal, com turmas do ensino médio integrado. Neste sentido, considera-se a escola como uma das principais instituições partícipes do desenvolvimento do adolescente, juntamente à família e aos grupos em que estão inseridos. Com efeito, foi desenvolvida pesquisa exploratória, descritiva qualitativa e quantitativa, cujos meios de investigação com base na percepção, são de natureza bibliográfica, documental e de campo. Nesta perspectiva, pretendeu-se formular instrumentos de pesquisa adequados, a exemplo do questionário, entrevistas semiestruturadas e diário de observação. Após a coleta de dados, optou-se pela análise de conteúdo, segundo Bardin (1977). Assim, diante das reflexões à luz dos referenciais teóricos e resultados obtidos, a pesquisa contribuiu para a ampliação da discussão sobre o consumo sustentável, podendo subsidiar novas abordagens e interações sobre o tema na escola, na família e em outras instituições. Os resultados confirmaram a hipótese na qual a maioria dos adolescentes participantes do estudo tem a percepção que seus hábitos de consumo e estilos de vida influenciam no âmbito socioambiental, embora existam nuances diferenciados entre o plano perceptivo (percebido) e o plano das ações (vivido). O plano perceptivo apresenta-se mais convergente com os propósitos do consumo sustentável, enquanto, no plano das ações, algumas práticas se encontram em estágios intermediários ou não convergentes. Cabe ressaltar que, de forma geral, os adolescentes possuem grande potencial de construírem uma sociedade mais sustentável, se puderem, é claro, refletir sobre o que de fato constitui-se ―necessidade‖ e tiverem apoio conjunto das esferas pública e privada em projetos e ações realmente preocupadas com a sustentabilidade

A religiosidade tem sido estudada nas diferentes fases do ciclo vital, em especial na adolescência, como fator protetivo a prática do ato infracional. Para compreender esta dimensão da vida sob a ótica de adolescentes autores de atos infracionais, o estudo visou a investigar os significados de fé e religiosidade para adolescentes em conflito com a lei, norteado pelos conceitos de Mauro Amatuzzi. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa exploratória, realizada com seis adolescentes, com idades entre 15 e 17 anos, em cumprimento de Medida Socioeducativa, Liberdade Assistida, de uma cidade do interior do estado de São Paulo. O estudo utilizou como instrumentos de coleta de dados a entrevista semiestruturada e a fotografia. Inicialmente foi realizada uma oficina de fotografia, na qual os adolescentes receberam a questão a ser respondida em fotografias: \"Como você pode representar a sua fé em fotografias?\". Após a oficina, os adolescentes fotografaram, com o seu próprio aparelho celular, imagens do seu cotidiano que representavam a sua fé. Em seguida, foi realizada uma entrevista individual a fim de conhecer a história do participante, explorar suas expressões de fé e conversar sobre as imagens capturadas e seus respectivos significados. Por fim, foi realizado um grupo em que os adolescentes puderam ver todas as fotografias impressas, sem que fossem identificados seus respectivos autores, e manipulá-las de forma a agrupá-las conforme os sentidos, construindo categorias. As categorias foram nomeadas pelos próprios participantes como: Tudo, Fé em Deus, É o plano, Paz e Família. Os dados foram analisados por meio da Análise de Conteúdo das entrevistas individuais, que serviram de apoio para a compreensão do material fotográfico. As categorias formadas foram: Proteção, Motivação, Deus onipresente, Identificação, Sentido de ligação afetiva, Referências e Símbolos, Ações e Rituais. A partir dos resultados obtidos foi possível compreender que este grupo de adolescentes em conflito com a lei apresenta diferentes experiências e significados de fé. No entanto, todos revelam relação com o enfrentamento das adversidades cotidianas e projeto de vida, principalmente relacionado a conquistas de bens materiais. Percebemos que o instrumento fotográfico facilitou a participação dos adolescentes na pesquisa e possibilitou aos mesmos o encontro com a própria experiência, evidenciando-se como um recurso efetivo para a compreensão do significado e mediação da narrativa / Religiosity has been studied in the different phases of the life cycle, especially in adolescence as a protective factor the practice of the infraction. In order to understand this dimension of life from the point of view of adolescent offenders, the study aimed to investigate the meanings of faith and religiosity for youth in conflict with the law, guided by the concepts of Mauro Amatuzzi. This is an exploratory qualitative research carried out with six adolescents, aged between 15 and 17 years old, in compliance with the Socioeducational Measure, Assisted Liberty, of a city in the interior of the state of São Paulo. The study used semistructured interviews and photography as instruments of data collection. Initially a photography workshop was held, where the adolescents received the question to be answered in photographs: How can you represent your faith in photographs? After the workshop, the adolescents photographed, with their own mobile devices, images of their daily lives that represented their Faith. Then an individual interview was conducted to learn the story of the participant, to explore their expressions of faith and to talk about the images and their respective meanings. And finally, a group a meeting was done for the adolescents could see all the printed photographs, without identification of the respective authors, and manipulate them in order to group them into categories. The categories were named by the participants as: All, Faith in God, It is the plan, Peace and Family. The data were analyzed through the content analysis of the individual interviews, which served as support for the understanding of the photographic material. The categories formed were: Protection, Motivation, Omnipresent God, Identification, Sense of affective bonding, References and Symbols, Actions and Rituals. From the results it was possible to understand that this group of adolescents in conflict with the law presents different experiences and meanings of faith, however, all reveal relation with the confrontation of daily adversities and life project, mainly related to achievements of material goods. From the results, it was noticed that the photographic instrument facilitated the participation of the adolescents in the research and enabled them to encounter their own experience, proving themselves as an effective resource for understanding the meaning and mediation of the narrative

Parental psychological control is an intrusive dimension of parenting that involves parents' manipulation of children and adolescents' thoughts, feelings. and relationship bonds. Previous research indicates that parental psychological control is linked with increased risk for peer victimization in childhood and with increased risk for internalizing and externalizing problems in both childhood and adolescence. Less is known about the association of parental psychological control with peer victimization in adolescence or about the mechanisms that underlie this association. Participants in this study were 664 adolescents (ages 12-18) who were randomly sampled from a medium-sized Canadian city. Structural equation modeling showed that adolescents' internalizing problems mediated the link between parental psychological control and relational peer victimization whereas externalizing problems mediated the link between parental psychological control and both relational and physical peer victimization. The structural model was invariant across genders but differed between younger (ages 12-14) and older (ages 15-18) age groups.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / This study aimed to explore adolescents perceptions of how their use of information and communication technologies may impact on the quality of the parent-adolescent relationship. Obtaining information from adolescents on how they experience their parents interaction with them when they engage with theses technologies, can provide insight into adolescents perceptions of whether information and communication technologies impact on this relationship. This research therefore aimed to explore the way that parents interact with their adolescents on their use of the Internet, gaming activities, or regulating their use of a cell phone, and how this is perceived by adolescents. / South Africa

[pt] A Psicologia Jurídica é, reconhecidamente, uma especialização em ascensão, na atualidade. Apesar disso, ainda é bastante escasso o material bibliográfico sobre a matéria e incipiente a divulgação do conhecimento produzido na área. A prática dos profissionais que atuam neste âmbito é constantemente questionada e duramente criticada, muitas vezes sem que se conheça devidamente o campo jurídico, e sem que se aprofundem as reflexões e os debates acerca dos fatos que justificam suas condutas. Na área da Justiça da Infância e da Adolescência, são diversas as questões em que o psicólogo é chamado a atuar. No presente trabalho, a escolhida para nortear as reflexões foi a referente ao direito de crianças e adolescentes à convivência familiar. Sabe-se que existem milhares de crianças em nosso Estado privadas do convívio em família. Estas crianças, das quais a grande maioria não é órfã, encontram-se abrigadas em instituições de acolhimento, muitas delas há mais de dois anos, sem telefonemas ou visitas de nenhum familiar, e sem que nenhuma providência esteja sendo tomada para que ela tenha respeitado seu direito, quer pela reintegração à família de origem, quer pela colocação em família substituta. O presente trabalho visa levantar algumas reflexões sobre o papel do psicólogo jurídico, diante deste problema, descortinando as múltiplas e complexas facetas de sua atuação, e tecendo considerações sobre os requisitos e cuidados para o seu desempenho profissional. / [en] Nowadays, Legal Psychology is, admittedly, on the rise! Nevertheless, bibliographical material on the subject is still very scarce and the knowledge produced in the area is not enought spread of. The professionals’ practice is constantly questioned and harshly criticized, often without a legal field’s knowledge and without deep reflections and debates about the facts that justify the professional`s action. Justice of Childhood and Youth has several issues in which the psychologist is called to act. In this study, the children and teenagers’ right of family life was the theme that was chosen to guide the discussions. It is known that there are thousands of children in our state that are deprivated of family life. These children, in the majority not orphans, are housed in institutions, many of them for over than two years, with no phone calls or visits from family. Many times, nothing is being done so that the child or teenager has that right complied, whether by reinstating the family of origin, either by placing in a foster family. This work aims to raise some reflections on the role of Legal Psychologist, revealing its multiple and complex facets, and rising considerations about the requirements and care for professional performance.

A DISSERTATION SUBMITIED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE: M.A (CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY) IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY FACULTY OF ARTS UNNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2003. / This study evaluates the effectiveness of a parent support group on the relationship between parents and adolescents within a church community. Subjects were referred to the group by the priest of the local Catholic Church. The group consisted of five married couples and the researcher, who adopted an observer — participant role. The group ran for seven sessions in total. Motivation to begin such a group was prompted by the researcher's experience of working with parents and adolescents who had very strained relationships with each other. Data was collected using qualitative and quantitative questionnaires. Results revealed that the parent support group was effective in improving relationships between parents and adolescents.

A dissertation submitted for the degree: Master of Arts in the Department of Psychology University of Zululand, 2002. / The present research was motivated by the researcher's observation of an increase in the rate of juvenile delinquency (especially among those children who are from 12 years to 18 years) in the Kwa-Dlangezwa location of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Examples of anti-social behaviour that adolescents participate in are car hijacking, drug addiction, cigarette smoking, house breaking or burglary, shoplifting, robbery, murder, sexual immorality and school dropout or truancy. The aims of the study were to identify the causes of adolescent problems that could be addressed by parents and health professionals, empower individual parents by developing effective parenting skills in workshops, improve adolescents' positive perception of communication with parents, evaluate workshops with regard to parents' perceptions of their improved parenting skills, and to evaluate adolescents' perceptions of their parents' improved skills. It was hypothesized that parent-effectiveness program would help to identify the causes of adolescent problems, the program would significantly empower parents by improving parent-adolescent communication and the program would result in effecting parenting and decreased adolescents' negative behaviour. Improvements in parent skills and parent adolescent communication were assessed over two assessments i.e. pre-test and post-test. A survey was used to determine the causes of adolescents' problems and the communication or relationship between parents and adolescents. The following psychological measures were used: biographic inventory for parents, program evaluated interview guide, need analysis questionnaire and parenting skills-rating scale. The program consisted of meetings with the group of parents and adolescents at weekly intervals over a period of six weeks. The group was comprised of educated and professional parents. The parent effectiveness program improved parent-adolescent relationships. Parents also explored ways to express warmth and love towards their adolescents. Parents of adolescents evaluated the program helpful for their adolescent children. They all wished that the program could continue. Limitations of the study were that the sample size for both survey and parent effectiveness group was small and biased in terms of female representation. A longer follow up would have helped determine program sustainability.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Education (Educational Psychology) in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education at the University of Zululand, 2015 / Parents play a crucial role in the support of learning. The study focused on the parental involvement in the education of teenagers with special needs in a High School in Pinetown district. The aim as to understand the role of parents in the education of their special need teenagers, thus, an in-depth literature study on different ways of parental involvement was undertaken. The comparison was made between how developed countries and developing countries perceive and engage parents in the education process. The laws and legislations that promote parental involvement were also looked at. Epstein (1995) theory of overlapping spheres of influence was discussed. It is emphasised that learners should be the focal point of all programmes to foster parental involvement and that learners succeed at a higher level when internal and external models of influence intersect and work together to promote learning. Furthermore, Epstein (2001) typology of parental involvement was discussed. Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecosystemic theory showed that a strong family and school linkage for the academic and socio-emotional development of a teenager with special needs is important and should be sustained. Qualitative research methodology was applied to gather data. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants which the researcher thought would provide with rich descriptions of their beliefs. Ten parents were interviewed, using the language they best understood. To better understand how they viewed parental involvement and what were the techniques they would like the school to employ to improve parental involvement. Tesch’s (1990) method of data analysis was used to assist the researcher in reducing the massive data into relevant themes and sub-themes. The results revealed that the beliefs that parents hold about the school, level of education, unwelcoming atmosphere in the school, limited time availability of parents, lack of support to equip parents with necessary skills to be effectively involved in the education of their teenager learners were identified as some of the barrier to parental involvement. The results also indicated that parents, school and community needed to be involved in teenagers’ education and development. For collaboration and partnership to take place there should be clear lines of communication and professional relationship guided by trust and respect. The study concluded with recommendations to develop strategies that could be used for effective parental involvement. The results may assist the school to fulfil its role as a community institution, assist parents to realise their role in the development of their teenagers, promote awareness of the factors that might influence the formulation of policies. However, further research on the topic was suggested.