The purpose of this study is to investigate how preschool teachers face children who they perceive as children with behavioral problems and how they act in the daily work to prevent and counter violations. The study aims to observe how preschool teachers deal with children who they experience as having behavioral problems in the form of aggression. The study also intends to compare two preschool classes in two municipalities where some residential areas are socio-economically vulnerable. For the collection of empirical data, the study was conducted as a qualitative study consisting of interviews with teachers and observations of children and teachers. The two selected schools were deliberately chosen based on geographical areas with known socio-economic vulnerability. The results predict that the preschool teachers encountered situations where difficulties arise, and which can be considered crucial for the children's biological, cognitive, and emotional development. The difficulties highlighted in this study are analyzed with theoretical concepts such as the punctual and relational perspective, the intercultural perspective and theories of socio-economic impact, conflict management, power and norms, aggression, and more. These theories count as significant developmental aspects in children's critical periods. The results show that the teachers in theory share a common view of the prosocial development work with children who are regarded by the preschool teachers as "children with behavioral problems". Despite this, we found significant contradictions that create a distance between what preschool teachers say they do and what they do in practice. The results of this study also show that preschool teachers use methods and strategies, in which children who are perceived as having behavioral problems get reprimanded, are threatened with punishment, and are made invisible. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka hur förskollärare bemöter barn som de upplever som barn med beteendeproblem och hur de agerar i det dagliga arbetet för att förebygga och motverka kränkningar och beteendeproblem i form av aggression. Studien ämnar även att jämföra två förskoleklasser i två kommuner där en del bostadsområden är socioekonomiskt utsatta. För insamlingen av empiriska data genomfördes studien som en kvalitativ studie bestående av intervjuer med förskollärare samt observationer av barn och förskollärare. De två utvalda skolorna valdes medvetet utifrån geografiska aspekter med känd socioekonomisk sårbarhet. Resultaten förutspår att lärarna stött på situationer där svårigheter uppstår och som kan anses vara avgörande för barnens biologiska, kognitiva och emotionella utveckling. De svårigheterna som lyfts fram i denna studie analyseras med teoretiska begrepp som det punktliga och relationella perspektivet, det interkulturella perspektivet samt teorier om socioekonomisk påverkan, konflikthantering, makt och normer, aggression med fler. Dessa teorier räknas som viktiga utvecklingsaspekter i barns kritiska perioder. Resultaten visar att förskollärarna i teorin delar en gemensam syn på det prosociala utvecklingsarbetet med barn som av förskollärare betraktas som "barn med beteendeproblem". Trots detta fann vi betydande motsättningar som skapar ett avstånd mellan vad förskollärare säger att de gör och vad de faktiskt gör i praktiken. Studiens resultat visar även på medvetna och omedvetna metoder och strategier som förskollärare använder sig av i bemötandet av barn som upplevs ha beteendeproblem. Barnen blir tillsagda, hotade med bestraffning och osynliggjorda respektive bemötta med positiv uppmuntran.

This study was undertaken to determine the extent of aggressive behaviour exhibited by secondary school learners. Many factors were considered when investigating the problem of aggressive behaviour. The problem was traced from the theorists' perspectives and factors related to the family, school and community. An extensive literature review showed that the above factors contribute to aggressive behaviour among adolescents. In order to support or reject the findings of the literature study, quantitative (questionnaire) research and qualitative research (interviews) were conducted. The results of the quantitative research concerning learners' aggressive behaviour in secondary schools were analysed and interpreted while at the same time a deeper understanding of aggressive behaviour was revealed through qualitative research. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more negative the family climate, school climate, community climate or influence of friends are, or the more negative the emotional self-concept of the adolescent is, the more aggressive the adolescent is, and vice versa. Based on these findings recommendations for the implementation of prevention programmes were made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

This study was undertaken to determine the extent of aggressive behaviour exhibited by secondary school learners. Many factors were considered when investigating the problem of aggressive behaviour. The problem was traced from the theorists' perspectives and factors related to the family, school and community. An extensive literature review showed that the above factors contribute to aggressive behaviour among adolescents. In order to support or reject the findings of the literature study, quantitative (questionnaire) research and qualitative research (interviews) were conducted. The results of the quantitative research concerning learners' aggressive behaviour in secondary schools were analysed and interpreted while at the same time a deeper understanding of aggressive behaviour was revealed through qualitative research. The results of the empirical research indicated that the more negative the family climate, school climate, community climate or influence of friends are, or the more negative the emotional self-concept of the adolescent is, the more aggressive the adolescent is, and vice versa. Based on these findings recommendations for the implementation of prevention programmes were made. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Socio-Education)

This study investigated the severity of bullying perpetration in secondary schools in the Uthungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal. The study further sought to establish the various types of bullying that were rife in secondary schools, the factors that contributed to bullying perpetration and the negative impact of bullying behaviour on all stakeholders of the school system. An in-depth literature study was conducted in this regard. Accordingly, various theories relevant to the phenomenon were explored exhaustively. A qualitative research design and methodology was employed to investigate the phenomenon through interviews with participants from five secondary schools, including the circuit manager of the circuit concerned. Strict ethical principles were adhered to throughout and the study was also evaluated for reliability and validity. The study found that the factors that contributed considerably to the problem of bullying in secondary schools were embedded at the level of the family, the school and the community. In addition, the study established that the impact of bullying was so severe that it affected the day- to- day functioning of the school from a management perspective where a considerable amount of time was spent managing the problem, substantially reducing valuable teaching time. The impact was also felt significantly among victims who experienced low self-esteem, humiliation, embarrassment and palpable levels of stress and anxiety that ultimately led to appreciable rates of absenteeism, truancy, dropping out of school, transfers to other schools, ill-health, depression and even suicide. On the basis of the findings of the literature study and the empirical investigation, a model to curb bullying was developed, which required all stakeholders of the secondary schools in the Uthungulu District of KwaZulu-Natal to work collectively as a team to manage the problem effectively and efficiently. / Educational Leadership and Management / D. Ed. (Educational Management)

MSc (Zoology) / Department of Zoology / Many chemicals released into the environment are believed to disrupt normal endocrine functions in humans and animals. These endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect reproductive health and development. A major group of EDCs that could be responsible for reproductive effects are those that mimic natural oestrogens, known as xeno-oestrogens. A number of in vivo and in vitro screening strategies are being developed to identify and classify xeno-oestrogens, in order to determine whether they pose a health risk to humans and animals. It is also important to be able to apply the assays to environmental samples for monitoring purposes. Oestrogens and androgens mediate their activity via intracellular receptors – directly in muscular tissue as well as indirectly via stimulation of growth hormones from the pituitary glands and other growth factors from liver plus several other organs. Mancozeb is a metal ethylenebisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) fungicide used to protect many fruits and vegetables and field crops against pathogenic fungal. It causes a variety of defects on the female reproductive system in experimental animals and is therefore considered a suspected EDC. This fungicide can also induce toxic effects in cells of the immune system and other non-immune cells leading to genotoxicity and apoptosis. The mechanisms of EDCs involve divergent pathways including (but not limited to) oestrogenic, antiandrogenic, thyroid receptors; that are highly conserved in wildlife and humans, and which can be modelled in laboratory in vitro and in vivo models. The endocrine disrupting properties of Mancozeb are not known as of yet and therefore the T47D-KBluc reporter gene assay, GH3.TRE-Luc and MDA-kb2 reporter gene assay were used determine the possible endocrine disrupting activity/potential there-of. No activity was detected in any of the assays and no mancozeb was detected in any of the dams either. Oestrogenic activity was detected in Albasini Dam, Nandoni Dam and Xikundu weir but all values were below 0.7 ng/ℓ trigger value for oestrogenic activity in drinking water. / NRF