The qualitative research approach, applying an explorative, descriptive and contextual strategy of enquiry was used to address the research question formulated, - How do child and youth care workers support child-headed households in the community? In this process the needs, relationships, interactions and encounters which occur between child and youth care workers and young people in child-headed households are described. The research was conducted with children from two child-headed households (12 children in all) and three community child and youth care workers from the Isibindi project in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The findings confirm that the integration of child and youth care work characteristics in the daily life events of the children, contributed to services to children that are therapeutically caring, reclaiming and reflective of the African spirit of Ubuntu – demonstrating a relevant and unique South African expression of child and youth care practice. / Sociology / M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

The qualitative research approach, applying an explorative, descriptive and contextual strategy of enquiry was used to address the research question formulated, - How do child and youth care workers support child-headed households in the community? In this process the needs, relationships, interactions and encounters which occur between child and youth care workers and young people in child-headed households are described. The research was conducted with children from two child-headed households (12 children in all) and three community child and youth care workers from the Isibindi project in the province of Kwa-Zulu Natal. The findings confirm that the integration of child and youth care work characteristics in the daily life events of the children, contributed to services to children that are therapeutically caring, reclaiming and reflective of the African spirit of Ubuntu – demonstrating a relevant and unique South African expression of child and youth care practice. / Sociology / M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care)

Misdade wat gemik is teen kinders veroorsaak tans ‘n nasionale krisis wat geïllustreer word deur die feit dat daar ‘n toename in die mishandeling en verwaarlosing van kinders is. Al hoe meer kinders word ook wees gelaat na die afsterwe van hul biologiese ouers weens MIV/VIGS-verwante siektes. Dit bring mee dat daar ‘n geweldige toename in pleegsorgplasings in Suid-Afrika is. Welsynsorganisasies beskik egter nie oor ‘n resente opleidingsprogram wat daarop gemik is om voornemende pleegouers op pleegsorg voor te berei nie. Die doel van die studie het behels om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, te implementeer en empiries te toets. Die doelwitte wat gestel is om die doel te bereik was om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, die program by voornemende pleegouers te toets en om die impak van die program waar te neem deur die resultate van ‘n voor- en natoets te vergelyk. Die inhoud van die opleidingsprogram wat vir die studie ontwikkel is, is beskryf. Gevolglik is van beskrywende navorsing gebruik gemaak. Hierdie studie het berus op die volgende hipotese: Indien voornemende pleegouers hierdie opleidingsprogram deurloop het, sal die voornemende pleegouers se kennis rakende die omvang, wetlike implikasies, verwagtinge, motiewe, verantwoordelikhede en pligte ten opsigte van pleegsorg, en die profiel van die pleegkind verbeter. Die empiriese resultate van die studie het die hipotese as waar bewys.‘n Kwantitatiewe enkelstelselontwerp, is die benadering wat gevolg is. Data is ingesamel met behulp van ‘n vraelys wat tydens ‘n voor- en natoets benut is. Altesaam 53 respondente (ouer as 20 jaar) bestaande uit getroude pare en enkellopendes wat gedurende die tydperk Februarie tot Junie 2006, by die Ondersteuningsraad van Pretoria as voornemende pleegouers aangemeld het, is by die studie betrek. Die 53 respondente is in drie groepe ingedeel. Drie opleidingsessies met elk van die drie groepe is onderneem. Rothman en Thomas se model vir intervensienavorsing is benut om die opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel. Die model bestaan uit ses fases, waarvan die eerste vyf fases in die studie benut is. Tydens die eerste fase is die probleem ontleed; in die tweede fase is teoretiese inligting versamel en deelnemers by die studie betrek; by die derde en vierde fases, is die opleidingsprogram tentatief ontwerp en getoets om leemtes te identifiseer. Daarna is die program volledig geïmplementeer en die impak daarvan empiries getoets. Die kwantitatiewe data (voor- en natoets) is met behulp van ‘n selfontwerpte vraelys ingesamel. Die vraelys is benut om inligting aangaande die respondente se kennis van pleegsorg te verkry. Individuele telefoniese onderhoude is een maand na afloop van die implementering van die program met die respondente gevoer om addisionele inligting te kry. Die resultate van die voor- en natoets het getoon dat die opleidingsprogram suksesvol was. Die respondente wat by die studie betrek is, het ‘n verbetering getoon ten opsigte van hul kennis van pleegsorg. Na die evaluering van die opleidingsprogram, is ‘n samevatting van die vernaamste bevindings, en gevolgtrekkings vir die ondersoek in geheel, aangebied. Aanbevelings is gemaak en is temas vir verdere navorsing geïdentifiseer. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in English / The purpose of the study was to investigate the experience explore the experience of virginity testing of female adolescents in the uThungulu district of KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative research was conducted to explore and describe the experiences of female adolescents on virginity testing. In-depth phenomenological interviews were conducted on 18 participants during data collection. Proponents of virginity testing believe that virginity testing is a traditional practice that can assist in reducing HIV infection and teenage pregnancy amongst the youth. On the other hand, opponents of virginity testing strongly believe that the practice of virginity testing interferes with human rights and Constitutional prescripts that protect the rights to equity, privacy, bodily integrity and sexual autonomy of young women. The study found that participants had only positive experiences of the practice of virginity testing and none expressed having any negative experiences. The findings also confirmed that virginity testing is being done irrespective of different opinions from different scholars and experts on the subject. Little knowledge about the Children’s Act and the Commission for Rights of Cultural and Linguistic communities was observed. / Health Studies / M.P.H.

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)