This diploma thesis is focused on child protection in the context of divorce or separation of his parents and deals with the role of the authority of social - legal protection of children and the court in this matter. Mainly defines the terms of the applicable legislation in divorce matters (care of children after divorce, child's contact with the parents, alimony), which are usually the subject of protracted disputes between parents. The introductory section also mentions the importance of the family for the child and for society, the characteristics of the contemporary family, as well as divorce and its possible impact on the child and the wider surroundings of the family. In the empirical part, the work focuses on comparing the practices of social workers of the authority child protection offices in Prague with practices of social workers at the offices of towns in the Central Region in divorce issues, particularly in the area of investigation in the family. Next it examines also procedures of courts.

In hierdie ondersoek is daar gepoog om die belange van die minderjarige kind in egskeiding te bevorder deur die egskeidingsevalueringsproses waarvolgens die belange van die kind bepaal word, te ondersoek en te beskryf. Die sisteemteoretiese benadering, wat op holisme as uitgangspunt gebaseer is, is gedefinieer en beskryf ten einde die sistemiese perspektief op die gesin-in-egskeiding uit te klaar. Voorts is egskeiding as internasionale fenomeen en die implikasies van egskeidingsdispute vir die minderjarige kind ondersoek en in terme van die juridiese en maatskaplike implikasies asook die beginsel van die “beste belang” van die kind beskryf en verduidelik. Navorser het `n selfontwikkelde praktykmodel vir egskeidingsevaluering ontwikkel en geëvalueer met die doel om die vasstel van die belange van die minderjarige kind in egskeiding te bevorder. Dit is gevolg deur die empiriese resultate, `n algemene opsomming, gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings. Die volgende navorsingsvraag is geformuleer om die ondersoekende en beskrywende gedeelte van die empiriese navorsing te rig: Wat is die aard en inhoud van die egskeidingsevalueringsproses wat in die praktyk deur die Kantoor van die Gesinsadvokaat toegepas word ten einde die belange van die minderjarige kind te bevorder? Gelei deur die navorsingsvraag is die volgende hipotese geformuleer: Indien die sisteemteoretiese praktykmodel tydens egskeidingsdispute toegepas word, sal die beste belang van die minderjarige kind bevorder word. Vir hierdie ondersoek, waar twee evalueringsprosesse met mekaar vergelyk is, was die kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering die aangewese keuse. Intervensienavorsing as tipe navorsing is volgens die Ontwerp- en Ontwikkelingsmodel toegepas. Die kwantitatief-beskrywende opname navorsingsontwerp is benut ten einde die doel van die studie te bereik, naamlik: <ul>Om `n praktykmodel vir egskeidingsevaluering te ontwikkel en empiries te evalueer ten einde die beste belang van die minderjarige kind te bevorder.</li></ul> Voortspruitend uit die doel is die volgende doelwitte geformuleer: <ul> <li>Om vanuit `n sisteemteoretiese perspektief egskeiding as maatskaplike verskynsel, die gesin as maatskaplike sisteem en die belange van die minderjarige kind, teoreties te konseptualiseer.</li> <li>Om die huidige egskeidingsevalueringsproses, soos deur die Kantoor van die Gesinsadvokaat toegepas, te ondersoek en te beskryf.</li> <li>Om `n praktykmodel vir egskeidingsevaluering vanuit `n sisteemteoretiese perspektief, wat die belange van die minderjarige kind bevorder, te ontwikkel.</li> <li>Om die effektiwiteit van die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel vir egskeidingsevaluering empiries te evalueer.</li> <li>Om aanbevelings te maak ten opsigte van die praktykbenutting van die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel om die belange van die minderjarige kind in egskeidingsevaluering te bevorder.</li></ul> Ten einde die heersende evalueringsproses wat deur die Kantoor van die Gesinsadvokaat in egskeidingsdispute toegepas word met die evalueringsproses soos deur die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel toegepas is, te kon vergelyk, het navorser `n vraelys ontwerp vir evaluering van beide prosesse. Die vraelys het uit die volgende drie afdeling bestaan: (1) die professionele profiel van die deskundige (gesinsraadgewer/navorser); (2) profiel van die gesinsisteem in egskeiding wat geëvalueer is; en (3) die aard en inhoud van die evalueringsproses vir egskeidingsdispute. Voltooiing van die vraelys deur die deskundiges wat die twee egskeidingsevalueringsprosesse toegepas het, het meegebring dat die data vergelykbaar was. Daarvolgens kon die twee evalueringsprosesse dus vergelyk word en die effektiwiteit van die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel empiries geëvalueer word. Die empiriese resultate ten opsigte van die toepassing van die twee egskeidingsevalueringsprosesse in die praktyk, het `n wesenlike onderskeid in die aard en inhoud van die twee prosesse met betrekking tot die beste belang van die minderjarige kind aangetoon. Dit het geblyk dat in die toepassing van die egskeidingsevalueringsproses deur die Kantoor van die Gesinsadvokaat die assessering van die behoeftes, wense, ontwikkelingsvlak, verhoudings asook sistemiese verbintenisse van die minderjarige kind nie prioriteit geniet nie. Tydsbesteding aan konsultasies met die minderjarige kind is baie beperk en is slegs op `n ad hoc basis uitgevoer. Kollaterale bronne is ook op `n ad hoc basis betrek sodat dit nie moontlik was om die sistemiese verbintenisse van die minderjarige kind te eksploreer nie. Die evalueringsproses soos deur die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel toegepas is, bepaal as `n standaard prosedure individuele konsultasies vir assesseringsdoeleindes met die minderjarige kind ten einde die wense, behoeftes, ontwikkelingsvlak, verhoudings en sistemiese verbintenisse te kan bepaal met die oog op die vasstelling van die beste belang van die minderjarige kind vir die post-egskeidingsfase. Voldoende tydsbesteding aan die assessering van die minderjarige kind het hoë prioriteit volgens die praktykmodel geniet. Die evalueringsproses volgens die nuut ontwikkelde praktykmodel het kollaterale bronne as `n standaard prosedure betrek sodat die sistemiese verbintenisse van die minderjarige kind volledig geëksploreer kon word. Dit het dus uit die empiriese resultate geblyk dat die hipotese wat vir die studie gestel was, bevestig is. ENGLISH The aim of this study was to promote the interests of the minor child in a divorce situation, through an investigation into the process of assessment and evaluation whereby the best interests of the minor child in divorce disputes are determined. The systems theory approach, which sees holism as basic principle, was defined and described to explain the systems perspective of the family system in a divorce situation. Divorce as an international phenomenon and the implications of divorce disputes on the minor child were investigated, described and explained according to the legal and social implications as well as the principle of “the best interests” of the child. The researcher presented a self-developed practice model for divorce evaluation with the aim to promote the best interests of the minor child in divorce disputes. The study was concluded with the empirical results, a general summation, conclusions and recommendations. One research question was formulated to guide the investigative and descriptive part of the study, namely: What is the nature and content of the process of evaluation in divorce disputes to determine the best interests of the minor child which is administered by the Office of the Family Advocate? The following hypothesis was formulated according to the research question: If the practice model in divorce evaluation, based on systems theory, is administered in divorce disputes, the best interests of the minor child will be promoted. The quantitative research approach was selected in this investigation where two processes of evaluation were to be compared and the type of research was identified as Intervention Design and Development. The quantitative-descriptive survey design was selected to achieve the following goal of the study, namely: <ul> <li> To develop a practice model for evaluation in divorce and to evaluate the practice model empirical to promote the best interests of the minor child</li></ul> In order to obtain the goal of the study the following objectives were formulated: <ul> <li>To conceptualise theoretically divorce as social phenomenon, the family as social system and the interests of the minor child from a systems perspective.</li> <li>To investigate and describe the current process of evaluation in divorce disputes as it is administered by the Office of the Family Advocate.</li> <li>To develop a practice model for evaluation in divorce disputes from a systems perspective to promote the interests of the minor child.</li> <li>To evaluate empirically the effectiveness of the newly developed practice model for evaluation in divorce disputes.</li> <li>To make recommendations regarding the implementation of the newly developed practice model to promote the interests of the minor child in divorce disputes.</li></ul> A questionnaire was developed by the researcher to enable the comparison of the two processes of evaluation in divorce disputes. The questionnaire had three sections, namely: (1) the professional profile of the expert investigator (family counsellor/researcher); (2) profile of the family system who was evaluated; and (3) the nature and content of the process of evaluation. Data from the questionnaires completed by the expert investigators was compared to enable researcher to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly developed practice model to promote the interests of the minor child. The empirical results from the two evaluation processes confirmed a distinct difference in the nature and content of the two processes. The evaluation process in divorce as done by the Office of the Family Advocate did not put emphasis on the assessment of the needs, wishes, developmental status, relationships or systemic bonds of the minor child in a divorce situation. The time allocated to assessment of the minor child is extremely limited and consultations with the minor child was only done on an ad hoc basis. Consultations with collateral sources were also done on an ad hoc basis. It was thus not possible for family counsellors to explore in-depth the systemic relationships of the minor child in a divorce situation. The evaluation process according to the new practice model recognised the importance of individual consultations with the minor child. Individual assessment of the minor child was done as a regular procedure to establish the needs, wishes, developmental status, relationships as well as the systemic associations of the minor child in a divorce situation. The practice model recognised the need for adequate time allocation for assessment of the minor child. Exploring collateral sources was done as a standard procedure according to the practice model to allow opportunity for assessment of the systemic bonds of the minor child. The empirical results confirmed the hypothesis which was developed for this study. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Parental alienation is described as a child’s unreasonable rejection of one parent due to the influence of the other parent combined with the child’s own contributions. This phenomenon arises mainly in families of divorce where elevated levels of parental conflict, and care and contact disputes lead to increased tension and antagonism between the parties. The perspectives of family counsellors, who conduct assessments of children from families of divorce to make best-interest assessments for contact and care arrangements or to formulate and implement interventions, on parental alienation, were explored in this qualitative study. A literature study was undertaken to define parental alienation and to place the phenomenon in a South African context, specifically with reference to children’s legislature, and care and contact issues. From this, a theoretical framework for the study was constructed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight family counsellors in the Western Cape to explore their experience of the problem. Seven themes were identified, by which the perspectives of family counsellors regarding parental alienation were described in detail. The themes are: Theme 1: Parental alienation during divorce Theme 2: Characteristic properties of parental alienation Theme 3: False accusations during parental alienation Theme 4: Assessing for parental alienation Theme 5: Interventions for parental alienation Theme 6: Parental alienation in the judicial context Theme 7: Needs of family counsellors regarding parental alienation / Psychology / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Parental alienation is described as a child’s unreasonable rejection of one parent due to the influence of the other parent combined with the child’s own contributions. This phenomenon arises mainly in families of divorce where elevated levels of parental conflict, and care and contact disputes lead to increased tension and antagonism between the parties. The perspectives of family counsellors, who conduct assessments of children from families of divorce to make best-interest assessments for contact and care arrangements or to formulate and implement interventions, on parental alienation, were explored in this qualitative study. A literature study was undertaken to define parental alienation and to place the phenomenon in a South African context, specifically with reference to children’s legislature, and care and contact issues. From this, a theoretical framework for the study was constructed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight family counsellors in the Western Cape to explore their experience of the problem. Seven themes were identified, by which the perspectives of family counsellors regarding parental alienation were described in detail. The themes are: Theme 1: Parental alienation during divorce Theme 2: Characteristic properties of parental alienation Theme 3: False accusations during parental alienation Theme 4: Assessing for parental alienation Theme 5: Interventions for parental alienation Theme 6: Parental alienation in the judicial context Theme 7: Needs of family counsellors regarding parental alienation / Psychology / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Disputes concerning care and contact arrangements for the minor children of divorcing couples present special challenges for professionals in the legal and psychological professions. Care and contact (custody) disputes, which are complex undertakings, are a point of debate in the professional arena in South Africa. Clinical psychologists are often included in the professional cohort that assists the high court, as the upper guardian of minor children, in the decision making process regarding contested care arrangements of children. This field is further challenged by the lack of training programmes and practice guidelines, the intense adversarial nature of disputes and litigation processes, as well as the increase in board complaints levelled against psychologists at the Health Professions Council of South Africa. These challenges contribute to the reluctance of psychologists to become involved in care and contact matters. This study therefore aimed first to explore the current practices and contributions of clinical psychologists in care and contact disputes in South Africa, and second to evaluate the procedures used by clinical psychologists to inform their recommendations to the court. In such matters, clinical psychologists adhere to the best interest of the child (BIC) principle. The final aim of the study was to identify and propose guidelines for a model of better practice. The study was guided by a Constructivist Epistemology and a Social Constructionist paradigmatic framework. A qualitative research approach was employed. Data were collected through face- to-face interviews with clinical psychologists and advocates and were analysed using Thematic Network Analysis of Attride-Stirling. The findings, which indicated that that the practices of psychologists are plenteous, revealed significant shortfalls in current practices. In addition, the findings designated that creating a universal model for care and contact evaluations to fit with the legal professions’ empiricist tendency poses a paradigmatic dilemma and a practical challenge. A position of observer-dependence and a reflective position on the part of the psychologist is instead indicated. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)