The primary aim of this thesis is to assess whether and to what extent serious crime and specifically violent and organised crime, poses a national security threat to South Africa since 1994. To achieve this, the study focuses on serious crime in South Africa before 1994; serious crime trends and characteristics between 1994 and 2009; crime prevention and national security polices developed after 1994; public perceptions of safety and security after 1994; and the consequences of serious crime. In this regard three assumptions were formulated for assessment namely: − South Africa exhibits many of the national security issues of the developing world, as manifested in predominately internal threats to security. − Serious crime is one of the main threats to South Africa’s national security, and continues to have an extremely negative impact on all spheres of life, especially on the country’s social, economic, security and political environments. − There has been increasing concern over the occurrence of crime, particularly serious crime, in South Africa since 1994, despite certain statistical decreases. All three of the assumptions could be verified in the study. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / tm2015 / Political Sciences / DPhil / Unrestricted

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This interview study presents what social workers consider contributes to young people entering a criminal lifestyle. The purpose is to discover which risk and protective factors social workers think influence whether or not youth develop criminal behavior (both in their environment and in themselves) and how one can help youth who are already involved in crime. The result shows, among other things, that unfulfilled needs (such as love and safety) at home can lead youth to criminal behavior. Judgment from adults can also cause youth to enter into or continue a criminal lifestyle. Protective factors for youth are therefore to have safe adults in their lives, as well as adults who are interested in listening to and understanding their situation. The result is then analyzed using the theoretical concepts of resilience, attachment, defense mechanisms, social learning, and the looking-glass self. / I denna intervjustudie presenteras vilka orsaker som socialarbetare anser leder ungdomar in i kriminalitet. Syftet är att ta reda på vilka olika risk-och skyddsfaktorer socialarbetare anser har betydelse för huruvida en ungdom utvecklar ett kriminellt beteende eller inte (både i ungdomars omgivning men också i ungdomarna själva) samt hur de anser att man kan hjälpa ungdomar som befinner sig i kriminalitet. Resultatet visar bland annat att behov som ungdomarna inte fått uppfyllda i hemmet (såsom kärlek och trygghet) är någonting som kan leda dem in i kriminalitet. Även att ungdomar i riskzonen blir bemötta med fördömelse från vuxenvärlden är något som kan leda ungdomar in i eller upprätthålla en kriminell livsstil. Skyddande faktorer för ungdomen är därför att ha trygga vuxna i sitt liv samt vuxna som är intresserade av att lyssna och förstå ungdomens situation. Resultatet analyseras sedan med hjälp av de teoretiska begreppen resiliens, anknytning, försvarsmekanismer, social inlärning samt spegeljaget.