Dealing with child sexual abuse cases, is an integral part of the social workers job. Due to the nature of the abuse and the provisions made by the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005, as amended, to safeguard the child victim, many social workers remove children of child sexual abuse cases and place them in alternative care. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of social workers on the reasons why child sexual abuse cases in alternative care is not finalized. Some of the factors that play a role in not finalising these cases are: the high case loads of the courts and social workers, the lack of cooperation from the South African Police Service, the notion that if a child is removed, the child is safe and further intervention is a luxury. This study reveals that there is a lack in training and adequate knowledge on how to deal with child sexual abuse cases. The study also indicates that a lack of communication between the role players in child sexual abuse cases exists, causing some social workers to lose their drive for these cases. Due to the high amount of cases of the Police, the courts and the social workers, these cases are not always seen as a priority and the fact that the child is not as adequate a witness as he/she needs to be, finalising these cases are not very successful. Another reality made known from this study, is that there is a dire need for forensic social workers in the field and alongside it, there is a lack of funds, prohibiting social workers to make use of the few forensic social workers in private practice. It was indicated that forum meetings and training be provided to all the stake holders in child sexual abuse cases, as well as to develop a clear protocol, indicating how to deal with these cases and explain each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Dealing with child sexual abuse cases, is an integral part of the social workers job. Due to the nature of the abuse and the provisions made by the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005, as amended, to safeguard the child victim, many social workers remove children of child sexual abuse cases and place them in alternative care. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of social workers on the reasons why child sexual abuse cases in alternative care is not finalized. Some of the factors that play a role in not finalising these cases are: the high case loads of the courts and social workers, the lack of cooperation from the South African Police Service, the notion that if a child is removed, the child is safe and further intervention is a luxury. This study reveals that there is a lack in training and adequate knowledge on how to deal with child sexual abuse cases. The study also indicates that a lack of communication between the role players in child sexual abuse cases exists, causing some social workers to lose their drive for these cases. Due to the high amount of cases of the Police, the courts and the social workers, these cases are not always seen as a priority and the fact that the child is not as adequate a witness as he/she needs to be, finalising these cases are not very successful. Another reality made known from this study, is that there is a dire need for forensic social workers in the field and alongside it, there is a lack of funds, prohibiting social workers to make use of the few forensic social workers in private practice. It was indicated that forum meetings and training be provided to all the stake holders in child sexual abuse cases, as well as to develop a clear protocol, indicating how to deal with these cases and explain each stakeholder’s role and responsibilities. / MSW (Forensic Practice), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Magister Legum - LLM

Doctor Legum - LLD / In Africa generally, orphaned and vulnerable children are traditionally cared for by their relatives or close family friends; this is an abiding practice even in contemporary times. This was historically considered to be a moral obligation binding on different relatives in different ways or at differing levels. In the face of the increasing complexities and changing demographics in African societies, high levels of poverty and socioeconomic inequalities as well as the incidence of HIV and AIDS, among others, the traditional family continues to undergo structural changes and experience various challenges which make child rearing responsibilities difficult to cope with especially in the context of loss of parental care. Nonetheless, the extended family system still bears the greatest burden in caring for such children, despite the obligation of governments to provide alternative care for children without parental care. The care of children who have become deprived of parental care by other relatives/family members or family friends is generally described as kinship care. This study seeks to examine kinship care against the background of international children’s rights law as encapsulated in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Guidelines on the Alternative Care of Children and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, among others. Thus, this research seeks answers to a number of related research questions such as: Does the international children’s rights framework recognise or provide for kinship care as a measure of alternative care for children deprived of a family environment? What is the history and practice of kinship care in Africa and what are the challenges confronting kinship care in contemporary African societies? What is the relationship between kinship care and the child protection system? And what forms of support are available for kinship care at both the international and national levels? Four main themes are considered in separate chapters of the thesis as follows: the contextual and historical background to kinship care in Africa; the international and regional legal framework on the right to alternative care; the conceptualisation of kinship care as alternative care; and the law and practice of kinship care in selected domestic jurisdictions. South Africa and Namibia are the main focus of this study in the chapter on the status of kinship care at the domestic level. This is mainly because both countries have made some progress in the attempts at (legally) providing for kinship care and addressing some of its attendant challenges, with a particular emphasis on the provision of support for kinship care.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To explore individual and social factors that could predict health care utilisation and medication among people with chronic pain in an unselected population. DESIGN: A mailed survey with questions about pain and mental symptoms, disability, self care action, visits to health care providers, and medication. SETTING: General populations in two Swedish primary health care (PHC) districts. Medical care was given in a state health system. PARTICIPANTS: A random sample (from the population register) of 15% of the population aged 25-74 (n = 1806). MAIN RESULTS: Among people reporting chronic pain 45.7% (compared with 29.8 of non-chronic pain persons, p < 0.05) consulted a physician and 7.2% (compared with 1.2%, p < 0.05) a physiotherapist during three months. Primary health care was the most frequent care provider. High pain intensity, aging, depression, ethnicity, and socioeconomic level had the greatest impact on physician consultations. Alternative care, used by 5.9%, was associated with high pain intensity and self care. Use of self care was influenced by high pain intensity, regular physical activity, and ethnicity. Alternative care and self care did not imply lower use of conventional health care. Women reporting chronic pain consumed more analgesics and sedatives than corresponding men. Besides female gender, high pain intensity, insomnia, physician consultation, social network, and self care action helped to explain medication with analgesics. Use of herbal remedies and ointments correlated to self care action, visit to an alternative therapist, high pain intensity, and socioeconomic level. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of chronic pain has an impressive impact on primary health care and medication. Various therapeutic actions are common and are partly overlapping. The use of health care among people with chronic pain depends above all on pain perception and intensity of pain but is also affected by ethnicity, age, socioeconomic level, and depressive symptoms. Among people with chronic pain use of analgesics is common in contrast with other types of pain relief (acupuncture, physiotherapy) suitable for treating chronic pain symptoms.

Doctor Legum - LLD / The importance of a nurturing environment on early child development and the central role that a family environment plays to this end are widely recognised. However, most children with disabilities lack family life and parental care and often find themselves disproportionately represented in the category of children that need alternative care arrangements. The limited access to family-based alternative care options for children with disabilities deprived of their family environment is the primary concern of this study. Studies have shown excessive dependence on institutions as a means to provide care for children with disabilities deprived of their family environment, despite the overwhelming evidence on the negative effects of placement in institutions on the development and well-being of children. This contradicts with a number of rights articulated in international and regional standards dealing with the alternative care of children in general, and children with disabilities in particular. This study seeks to examine the extent to which the rights of children with disabilities are respected in the context of alternative care in two jurisdictions in Africa – Ethiopia and South Africa. The two countries are State Parties to the applicable international and regional instruments concerning the alternative care of children with disabilities. These standards include the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. The UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children and its principles of ‘necessity’ and ‘suitability’ also offer some guidance.

In the last two decades, increasingly more research has been conducted on the process of participation as a children’s right both nationally and internationally. This includes research on children’s participation within the family environment as well as with children who are placed into alternative care. Children’s participation within the field of child protection continues to demonstrate challenges for both children and those adults working with children in this environment. A child and youth care centre forms part of the broader field of child protection and represents a bounded system of dynamics especially with regard to the process of children’s participation. There continues to be various barriers with regard to children’s participation in general but especially for children who have been found in need of care and protection. This is largely linked to the emphasis being put on the vulnerabilities and needs of children who have been placed into alternative care. The general aim of the study was to qualitatively, through a case study design, explore and describe the nature of participation as a children’s right in the context of a child and youth care centre in the Western Cape. The case study was utilised in order to gain more insight into the nature of participation as a children’s right, based on the perceptions of the children, child care workers, social workers and professionals within the system. Thirteen semi structured individual interviews were held with the child participations. Prior to the interviews, a session was held with the children to discuss the purpose of the research and to allow them to become more aware of the concept of children’s participation. The children were asked to create a collage of their perception of children’s participation as a right. Two separate focus groups were held for the adult participants; one for the child care workers and the other for the social workers and professionals. Based on the findings of this qualitative study about the nature of children’s participation as perceived by both children and adults in a child and youth care centre, the article in Section B aims at highlighting those critical elements needed for the realisation of children’s participation within a context of child protection. / MSW (Child Protection), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

<p>The main aim of this study was to explore lived experiences of unaccompanied foreign minors in South Africa from a social work perspective. An important goal was to also explore the lack of guidelines on how to assist these young people. This study was conducted in a Children&rsquo / s Shelter, which is situated in the North-Eastern outskirts of Polokwane, where a group of unaccompanied refugee children from Zimbabwe were living. This study was qualitative and explorative in nature. Non-probability sampling was used to select participants for the study. Ten children were selected, ranging from age 14 to 18 years. Semi-structured interviews with the children and a focus group discussion with five care workers were held. Thematic analysis was used. The findings of this study revealed that services by government social workers are limited compared to those from social workers employed with nongovernmental organisations. It is hoped that this study will assist government and other role players in planning, advocacy and policy development related to the issues affecting unaccompanied refugee children.</p>

<p>The main aim of this study was to explore lived experiences of unaccompanied foreign minors in South Africa from a social work perspective. An important goal was to also explore the lack of guidelines on how to assist these young people. This study was conducted in a Children&rsquo / s Shelter, which is situated in the North-Eastern outskirts of Polokwane, where a group of unaccompanied refugee children from Zimbabwe were living. This study was qualitative and explorative in nature. Non-probability sampling was used to select participants for the study. Ten children were selected, ranging from age 14 to 18 years. Semi-structured interviews with the children and a focus group discussion with five care workers were held. Thematic analysis was used. The findings of this study revealed that services by government social workers are limited compared to those from social workers employed with nongovernmental organisations. It is hoped that this study will assist government and other role players in planning, advocacy and policy development related to the issues affecting unaccompanied refugee children.</p>

This thesis describes and analyses in three substudies how home-based measures for children are expanding and why an open care idea are established as part of the Swedish child welfare. The first substudy describes the national increment of what today can be considered as a treatment policy – non-institutional care in child welfare. The results are analysed with Kingdon's agenda setting theory and shows that the factors of what Kingdon describes as problems-, politics- and policyflow influenced the national increment. Significant mechanisms have primarily been, the profession, the society's concerns for socially disadvantaged children, negative experiences of institutionalisation and a political position to deinstitutionalise all care. The second substudy focuses on how knowledge and research contributes to ideological, professional, and organizational change in child welfare by analysis of Research &amp; Developments reports and articles from the professional journal Socionomen. Based on the neo-institutional concepts of organisational fields and isoformism the study's results shows that a consequence of adaptation strategies and "rationalized myths" are a number of similarities in how home-based measures are organized and which measures that are used. The third substudy, a case study, analyses how we can understand a local development of ideas in social services for children with concepts from neo institutional theory. Interviews and municipal documents are analysed and shows that the local translation of an open care idea is characterized by discretion, personal preferences and action and affects the choice of method and organization. The study also shows a political mistrust of institutional care while there is at the same time political confidence in the individual social worker's ability to find solutions that allow non-institutional measures to be an alternative to institutional care. An overall conclusion of the thesis is that there is now a treatment policy in social services for the children, which involves extensive efforts at home and it has led to that more children receive support from social services. One result of non-institutional care increment is that it led to increased costs for municipalities for intervention for children and young people when out-of-home care has not decreased. Another general conclusion is that translation and adaptation of ideas to local contexts is something that generally fits street-level bureaucrats need for discretion.