Studies that have concluded that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes developmental delays have compared infected children's scores to instrument norms (Epstein et al., 1986; Ultmann et al., 1984), rather than matched control subjects. Early intervention programs have found similar deficits for children who were not HIV-infected but whose families were socially disenfranchised due to low SES and racial minority status. In the present study, cognitive (Bayley Mental Development Index), adaptive (Vineland Adaptive Behavior Composite), and physical (head circumference Z-score) measures were entered as outcomes in regression equations for low-SES samples of HIV-positive children (n = 9), children at risk for HIV who had seroreverted (n = 16), children too young to have conclusive HIV-antibody tests (n = 10), and children who had previously been admitted to a Neonatal Intensive Care unit (n = 19). The sample was predominantly African-American (84%) and half female. In addition to group membership, scores on the Parenting stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF), Pediatric Review of Children's Environmental Support and stimulation (PROCESS), and a questionnaire about parent health were entered as predictors. Age differed across groups and was entered as a covariate. Group membership did not contribute significant variance to any regression. Age was inversely related to cognitive and adaptive development, accounting for 16% (p < .005) and 38% (p < .0001) in these respective outcomes. The parenting variables accounted for an additional 14% (p < .05) of the variance in cognitive development. No predictor was significant for head circumference. These results suggest that the delays observed in children with HIV may be attributed to environmental factors, rather than HIV as previous studies concluded. Children with HIV may thus be expected to benefit from early interventions as have their low SES peers. Generalization from these results remains tenuous, pending studies which replicate them while ameliorating methodological weaknesses of the present study. Future studies should match subject groups for age, control for experimenter bias, and utilize multi-site collaboration in order to obtain samples of sufficient size to test explanatory hypotheses about these developmental processes. / Ph. D.

This study was a retrospective examination of the experiences of pediatric cancer patients and their families from a contextual perspective. The home, institution, and community contexts were investigated to reveal their influences on the coping efforts of the study participants. Ten families of children with cancer were interviewed, and data were analyzed qualitatively. Walker's (1985) family stress model and Lazarus' (1984) coping paradigm guided the study. The findings indicated that children were ambivalent in their attitudes toward the disease process. While they did not enjoy painful procedures, sickness, frequent hospitalizations, and baldness, they did welcome the special attention brought about by these stressors. Many of the children in the study understood the impact of their illness on the family. They felt guilty about family financial pressures, parental marital problems, and sibling conflicts that resulted from their cancer. Most feared relapse and death but hid their feelings to protect their parents. Mothers handled the stress of their child's illness by learning all they could about the disease, focusing completely on the sick child, and protecting the child from further harm. Fathers tended to take on the role of "strong one" while worrying about finances and attempting to keep the families together. Differing ways of coping between mothers and fathers often caused feelings of resentment and marital difficulties. Parental attitudes toward the staff at the medical center varied from trust, to wariness, to dependency. Parents enjoyed the support of family, friends, and community during the diagnosis phase, but felt bitter about the lack of support they received during the treatment and completion stages. Some parents believed that their exposure to the stressors of the illness process led to personal growth that they would not have experienced otherwise. Many parents emerged from the cancer ordeal with a desire to help others who were battling childhood cancer. They became involved in a variety of community agencies that served the families of children with cancer. / Ph. D.

The phenomenon of aggression has been of interest to psychologists for many years, and has resulted in a variety of theories which-attempt to explain its existence in man. Aggression is prevalent in our primary schools today and it was this observation which initiated the research project. The Relationship Theory was applied in order to gain insight into the life-world of the aggressive child and to explore possible causes which may originate from changes in our society. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling (Psychology of Education)

The phenomenon of aggression has been of interest to psychologists for many years, and has resulted in a variety of theories which-attempt to explain its existence in man. Aggression is prevalent in our primary schools today and it was this observation which initiated the research project. The Relationship Theory was applied in order to gain insight into the life-world of the aggressive child and to explore possible causes which may originate from changes in our society. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling (Psychology of Education)

Considerado um grave problema social e de saúde pública, a violência sexual contra crianças se expressa de diversas formas incluindo o abuso sexual intrafamiliar. A problemática deste estudo circunscreve-se em torno das questões sobre o abuso sexual perpetrado por pai contra filhos (as). Respaldadas em questões e inquietações provocadas pela escuta clínica de crianças e adolescentes envolvidos em situações de violência sexual e suas famílias objetivamos estudar, dentro da perspectiva psicanalítica, as repercussões na dinâmica da família, da revelação do abuso sexual intrafamiliar e as implicações para a criança. Participou da pesquisa a mãe de uma criança que sofreu abuso sexual praticado por seu pai biológico e revelou o fato à mãe depois de quase dois anos, encaminhadas à pesquisa pelo Centro de Referência Interprofissional na Atenção a Crianças e Adolescentes Vítimas de Violência da Capital/Tribunal de Justiça de Pernambuco[TJPE]. Adotamos para a coleta de dados as entrevistas psicológicas semidirigidas, dentro da abordagem clínico-qualitativa, observando os cuidados éticos para a pesquisa com seres humanos; para a análise dos dados utilizamos a Análise de Conteúdo, agrupando os fragmentos da entrevista em eixos temáticos para, então, compreendê-los em seus núcleos de sentido. A nossa investigação mostrou que a revelação do abuso sexual infantil é um processo lento e gradual, que demanda um intenso trabalho psíquico para a criança e se desdobra na sua narrativa. Verificamos que a revelação do abuso sexual incestuoso não necessariamente promove alívio de início, podendo ser vivida de ameaçadora e dolorosa para a criança/adolescente,associada às angústias e fantasias, sendo capaz de se tornar mais difícil do que a própria experiência do abuso. Tanto a criança como membros da família quando decidem pela denúncia, são solicitados a falar sobre o que aconteceu em diferentes instâncias, em sua maioria desarticuladas, obrigando-os a contarem, inúmeras vezes, como se deu o abuso, configurando-se numa verdadeira via-crúcis para a criança, principalmente. Observamos também que os dados analisados na entrevista demonstram que em relação à família, o processo de revelação leva a um período de desestabilização exigindo do grupo disposição emocional para a elaboração e transformação. É possível dizer que nosso estudo corrobora achados de pesquisas anteriores, no que se refere às reações maternas perante a revelação, ficando evidente o sofrimento psíquico que as mães apresentam ao tomar conhecimento do fato, sendo necessário que recebam igual atenção e cuidado no decurso da revelação, lembrando que ocupam um lugar significativo neste processo. No que se refere à revelação no contexto clínico, destacamos a importância do trabalho clínico e da figura do terapeuta intermediando a relação da criança com sua experiência de abuso, oferecendo a ela um ambiente seguro para criação de sentidos. Dessa forma, esperamos que esta pesquisa tenha contribuído de alguma forma, para ampliar o debate em torno da problemática do abuso sexual infantil intrafamiliar no campo da clínica e da academia. / Considered a serious social and public health problem, sexual violence against children is expressed in various ways including the domestic sexual abuse. The problem of this study is localized around the issues of sexual abuse perpetrated by father against children. Based on issues and concerns caused by the clinic listening to children and adolescents involved in situations of sexual violence and their families aimed to study, within the psychoanalytic perspective, the impact on family dynamics, the development of intra-family sexual abuse and the implications for the child. Participated in the survey the mother of a child who suffered sexual abuse by her biological father and revealed the fact to mother after almost two years, referred to research by the Interprofessional Reference Center on Attention to Children and Adolescents Victims of Violence of Capital / Court of Justice of Pernambuco [TJPE]. We adopted for the collection of data the semi-directed psychological interviews, within the clinical-qualitative approach, observing the ethical guidelines for research with human beings; for the analysis of the data we use the Content Analysis[AC], grouping the interview fragments themes to then understand them in their core sense. Our research has shown that disclosure of child sexual abuse is a slow and gradual process that requires an intense psychic work for the child and unfolds in his narrative. We found that the revelation of incestuous sexual abuse does not necessarily promote early relief and can be lived in a threatening and painful for the child / adolescent, associated with anxieties and fantasies, being able to be more difficult than the experience of abuse. Both the child and family members when deciding the complaint, are asked to talk about what happened in different instances, mostly disjointed, forcing members to share, countless times, how was the abuse by setting up a true via-crucis for children mainly. We also note that the data analyzed in the interview show that in relation to the family, the process of revelation leads to a destabilizing period requiring the emotional disposition group for the development and transformation. It can tell that our study corroborates findings from previous research, with regard to maternal reactions to the disclosure, evidencing the psychological suffering that mothers have to take notice of the fact, and must receive equal attention and care in the course of revelation, noting that occupy a significant place in this process. As regards the disclosure in the clinical context, we emphasize the importance of clinical work and Therapist figure mediating the child relationship with his experience of abuse, offering a safe environment for creating senses. Thus, we hope that this research has contributed in some way to broaden the discussion around the issue of child sexual abuse assistance in the field of clinical and academic circles.

Summaries in Afrikaans and English / A primary school child finds him or herself in the middle childhood years and it is considered to be a rich phase of life, since children have already reached important milestones. These children have the ability not only to act with empathy but also to maintain independent behaviour. As a result of the development in the cognitive and moral stage of development, these children can also distinguish between right and wrong and they show insight that social rules can be changed. As a result of this development, it is believed that this child will accept learners with different skills more confidently when the required awareness is provided. One group of learners with special skills, which I focused on during this research, are those who have been deformed by burn wounds. Statistics show that a growing number of children in South Africa are deformed by burn wounds. As a result of the changing policy on inclusive education, these children cannot be denied into the mainstream education system because of deformity or disability anymore. It is therefore believed that an increasing number of deformed or disabled children will be entering the mainstream education system. Information is gathered through various methods by using triangulation. The literature study, semi-structured interviews with children as well as teachers for experimental subjects, who completed an incomplete sentence test and open questions, added valuable information. Research indicated that children in this phase of life are indeed equipped with certain life skills, which place them in a privileged position to handle interaction with the deformed child, if they receive the required awareness. The information also indicated that the gestalt approach could be used as theoretical perspective for the compilation of the guideline. This approach recognises that play is the child's natural communication medium but also recognises that awareness is created through means of experimentation. To my knowledge, there is no program or guideline from the gestalt approach that enables education staff to address children's awareness in respect of their inherent skills in the middle childhood years. The researcher made a breakthrough in the integration of the gestalt approach with the education environment by constructing a practical guideline from the gestalt approach for education staff. Education staff should, however, receive training with regards to the gestalt approach in order to use this guideline effectively. / Laerskoolkind bevind hom- of haarself in die middelkinderjare en dit word as ryk lewensfase beskou, aangesien kinders reeds belangrike mylpale bereik het. Hierdie kinders beskik oor die vermoe om nie slegs empaties op te tree nie, maar om ook selfstandige gedrag te handhaaf. As gevolg van die ontwikkeling in die kognitiewe en morele ontwikkelingsterrein, kan hulle ook tussen reg en verkeerd onderskei en toon hulle insig dat sosiale reels verander kan word. As gevolg van hierdie ontwikkeling word daar verwag dat hierdie kind met die nodige bewusmaking, leerders wat oor verskillende bekwaamhede beskik, met meer selfvertroue sal kan aanvaar. Een groep leerders, waarop daar tydens hierdie navorsing gefokus sal word, wat oor spesiale bekwaamheid beskik, is diegene wat deur brandwonde geskend is. Statistieke toon dat toenemende aantal kinders jaarliks in Suid-Afrika, weens brandwonde geskend word. As gevolg van die veranderende beleid op insluitende onderwys, kan kinders weens geskend- of gestremdheid nie meer tot die hoofstroomonderwysstelsel geweier word nie. Die verwagting is dus dat toenemende aantal geskende of gestremde kinders die hoofstroomonderwysstelsel sal betree. Inligting is deur verskeie metodes ingesamel deur die benutting van triangulering. Die literatuurstudie, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met kinders asook onderwysers as proefpersone wat 'n onvoltooide sinnetoets en oop vrae voltooi het, het bruikbare inligting tot gevolg gehad. Daar is gevind dat kinders in hierdie lewensfase wei oor bepaalde lewensvaardighede beskik, wat hulle in 'n bevoorregte posisie plaas om, indien hulle die nodige bewusmaking ontvang, interaksie met die geskende kind sal kan behartig. Die inligting het verder ook daarop gedui dat die gestaltspelbenadering as teoretiese perspektief vir die samestelling van die riglyn benut kan word. Hierdie benadering erken dat spel die kind se natuurlike kommunikasiemedium is, maar ook dat bewuswording geskied deur middel van eksperimentasie. Sover bekend is daar geen program of riglyn vanuit die gestaltbenadering, wat opvoedkundige personeel in staat stel om kinders in die middelkinderjare se bewustheid ten opsigte van hulle inherente vaardighede aan te spreek nie. Die navorser het 'n deurbraak in die integrering van die gestaltbenadering met die opvoedkundige omgewing gemaak deurdat 'n praktiese riglyn vanuit die gestaltspelbenadering vir opvoedkundige personeel saamgestel is. Opvoedkundige personeel behoort egter opleiding met betrekking tot die gestaltspelbenadering te ontvang ten einde hierdie riglyn effektief te kan benut. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Assignment (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This review examines themes related to children, especially children under the age of fifteen, living with HIV/Aids. For review purposes themes include defining children living with HIV/Aids as a vulnerable population, the psychological impact of HIV/Aids on children, children’s coping with and perceptions of HIV/Aids. The global HIV/Aids pandemic has caused major worldwide social change. The impact, especially the psychological impact of HIV/Aids on children appears to be vast and at times disastrous in nature. HIV/Aids is estimated to affect the lives of several generations of children and the impact of the pandemic will therefore characterize their communities for decades to come as the numbers of affected and infected children are on the increase. It has been noted by research done that children living with HIV/Aids become impoverished, their insecurities worsen and their psychosocial and psychological problems increase. In addition their educational and work opportunities decline, their nurturing and support systems disintegrate, and child mortality rates rise. The necessity of psychological support for children affected and infected by HIV/Aids is directly linked to the rights of children listed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the South African Constitution. Research reviewed points out that a child’s physical and psychological health is intertwined and therefore a child cannot be physically healthy without also being psychologically secure. Research reviewed also points out that it is of the utmost importance that the voices of children who live with HIV/Aids are heard, their involvement in decision making and planning related to HIV/Aids is allowed and that their needs are met, especially their psychological needs in relation to the pandemic. Overall the literature reviewed in the past four years (2003-2006) highlights the significantly under-investigated, under-researched themes such as psychological aspects related to children living with HIV/Aids, both in South Africa and internationally. These aspects surrounding HIV/Aids, as previously mentioned, also seem to be the least tangible and the most difficult for adults to address or comprehend fully and yet they impinge on all aspects of developing children - hence the identified need in this area for adequate research and psychological support, such as program implementation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie literatuuroorsig bied ’n ondersoek na die wêreldwye sosiale verandering en uitwerking wat die globale HIV/vigs-pandemie tot gevolg het. Daar word veral gelet op temas wat verwantskap hou met kinders, veral kinders vyftien jaar oud en jonger wat leef met HIV/vigs. Temas sluit in die definiëring van kinders as weerloos, kinders se hantering van HIV/vigs, hulle persepsies van HIV/vigs en hulle sielkundige behoeftes en ander aspekte met betrekking tot HIV/vigs. Die trefkrag van HIV/vigs blyk omvattend en by tye rampspoedig te wees. Na beraming beïnvloed HIV/vigs verskeie geslagte van kinders en die uitwerking van die pandemie sal dus dekades lank nog deel vorm van hulle gemeenskappe soos die aantal kinders wat geïnfekteer en geaffekteer is, toeneem. Navorsing toon dat kinders wat met HIV/vigs leef, verarm. Verder vererger hulle onsekerhede en hulle psigososiale en sielkundige probleme neem toe. Ook neem die kinders se opvoedkundige en werkgeleenthede af, hulle versorgings- en ondersteuningsnetwerke disintegreer en sterftesyfers neem toe. Die noodsaaklikheid van sielkundige ondersteuning vir kinders wat deur HIV/vigs geïnfekteer en geaffekteer is, word direk in verband gebring met die regte van kinders soos gelys in die Verenigde Nasies se Konvensie oor die Regte van die Kind en die Suid-Afrikaanse Grondwet. Die literatuuroorsig toon dat ‘n kind se fisieke en sielkundige gesondheid ten nouste met mekaar verband hou en daarom kan ’n kind nie fisiek gesond wees sonder om ook sielkundig geborge te wees nie. Verder dui navorsing ook op die kardinale belang daarvan dat kinders wat leef met HIV/vigs se stemme gehoor word, hulle betrokkenheid by besluitneming en beplanning verseker word en al hulle behoeftes bevredig word, veral hulle sielkundige behoeftes wat met die pandemie verband hou. Oor die algemeen beklemtoon die literatuuroorsig wat oor die afgelope vier jaar strek (2003-2006) dat daar nie voldoende navorsing gedoen is met betrekking tot temas wat verwantskap hou met kinders en HIV/vigs nie, nie alleen in Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook internasionaal. Hierdie bevindings is kommerwekkend veral omdat Suid-Afrika ‘n land is met onrusbarende groot getalle kinders wat deur HIV/vigs geïnfekteer is. Dit wil ook voorkom of hierdie aspekte wat te make het met kinders en HIV/vigs nie baie duidelik is vir volwassenes nie en ook die moeilikste is om te hanteer of ten volle te verstaan, hoewel dit alle aspekte van die kind se ontwikkeling raak. Vandaar die behoefte op hierdie gebied aan voldoende navorsing en sielkundige ondersteuning, soos program implementering.

To date, researchers who have explored the complexity of childhood bereavement have utilized unstandardized assessment instruments and/or have independently evaluated specific constructs rather than factoring in the dimensionality of loss. The purpose of this study was to use parents' completion of established instruments--the Child Behavior Checklist and the Parenting Stress Index--to examine the multivariate shared relationship between characteristics of bereaved children referred for counseling--their ages, genders, ethnicities, types of loss, and life stressors--and their behavioral manifestations as well as the relationship between these characteristics and levels of parent-child relational stress. Utilizing archival clinical files, I examined these characteristics from bereaved children (N = 98) whose parents sought counseling services from two university-based counseling clinics. The sample consisted of 67 boys and 31 girls between the ages 3 and 11 years old (M = 6.28). The majority of participants (67%, n = 66) identified as Caucasian, 10% (n = 10) as African American, 10% (n = 10) as Hispanic/Latino, 6% as Bi-racial (n = 6), 4% as Native American (n = 4), and 2% as Asian (n = 2). A canonical correlational analyses (CCA) was conducted to examine relationship between characteristics of children and their subsequent behavioral manifestations. The full model was found to be statistically significant using the Wilks’s λ = .611 criterion, F(25, 328.41) = 1.862, p = .008. The R2 type effect size was .389, which indicates the full model explains about 39% of the variance shared between the two variable sets. A second CCA was conducted to explore the relationship between characteristics of bereaved children and levels of parent-child relational stress. The full model was found statistically to be significant using the Wilks’s λ = .790 criterion, F(10, 154) = 1.926, p = .045. The R2 type effect size was .210, which indicates the full model explains about 21% of the variance shared between the two variable sets. Overall, correlational findings from this study provided insight into bereaved children’s manifestations of loss and levels of parent-child relational stress as contingent upon specific characteristics. Specifically, results indicated a strong relationship between age and bereaved children’s behavioral manifestations. This finding reinforced the importance for clinicians to understand developmental implications when working with bereaved children. Furthermore, caregivers who reported minimal overall external stressors also reported less parent-child relational interference. This finding further emphasizes the importance for caregivers to maintain utmost stability for bereaved children.

This study investigated the self-concepts of five, six, and seven year old children after participation in organized and nonorganized play programs. The subjects were sixty boys and girls participating in Little League Tee-Ball programs and sixty boys and girls participating in the City Playground Program in the Fort Worth, Texas, area during the 1979 spring and summer season. The instrument used to measure self-concept was the Purdue Self-Concept Scale, Results indicated that the type of organization has little effect upon the self-concept of the children in this study.

by Chan Wai-shing. / Thesis (M.A.Ed.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1988. / Bibliography: leaves 118-129.