The problem upon which this study is based, is to determine the importance of bibliotherapy to children who are exposed to daily violence in society. Exposure to daily violence have detrimental consequences for these children which result in that it is a traumatic experience for them, that could affect personality development and interpersonal relations. This reseach is done within the context of a school situated in a violence society which provide the ideal oppurtunity to reach such children. The school provides an atmosphere which is conducive to reading and verbalisation.

The problem upon which this study is based, is to determine the importance of bibliotherapy to children who are exposed to daily violence in society. Exposure to daily violence have detrimental consequences for these children which result in that it is a traumatic experience for them, that could affect personality development and interpersonal relations. This reseach is done within the context of a school situated in a violence society which provide the ideal oppurtunity to reach such children. The school provides an atmosphere which is conducive to reading and verbalisation.

M.Phil. / This is a study that seeks to understand what makes two children raised in the same crime and violence ridden environment grow to be different, one actually becoming angry and resentful and thus ending up in prison, having committed serious crime, the other one transcending his adversity and becoming an admirable leader in his community. The exploration of contributory factors, leading young people to get involved in violent behaviour is examined and protective elements in the social environment that enabled those to transcend their adversity are also explored. The stories of juvenile prisoners about their lives provide insight into how the family prepares the ground for violent behaviour. The study found from focus groups with high school learners that inner strength, positive self- esteem and focusing on target goals play a critical role in helping young people overcome their challenges, this confirms earlier research in longitudinal studies. The findings will help in the development of intervention programmes based on the experiences of the South African youths. It is also envisaged that this will enable the voices of young people to be heard.

M.A. (Psychology) / One of the most perturbing facets of South Africa's post apartheid communal existence is the high incidence of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) amongst the disadvantaged communities. It is noteworthy that the incidence of PTSD amongst urbanised black youth is so high, that it can be described as an epidemic. Since therapeutic resources are limited or absent in many environments , it is essential to develop a project to cater for the needs of traumatised communities. Such programs should be cost effective and must relate to education within a psychological context. Following a diligent study of the literature, it was decided that a theoretical behavioural project be developed which utilises a psycho educational context that can be applied to black youth with PTSD.

South Africa currently has one of the highest levels of crime in the world. The high prevalence of violence in South African culture has led to the increased exposure to violence of individuals of all ages. The South African Police Service annual report for 2008/2009 reported 48 732 crimes ranging from murder, attempted murder to sexual offences and common assault against children under the age of 18 years. In addition, young people between the ages from 12 to 22 are generally victimized at twice the adult rate and even higher for violent crimes. It is the belief of various theorists that exposure to violence can alter one’s cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes- the three core components that are essential to moral development. The role that exposure to violence has on the development of aggressive behavior has been thoroughly researched; however the implications that this exposure has on the moral development of adolescents remains vague. This study explored and described the relationship between exposure to violence and moral development amongst adolescent learners. A quantitative exploratory descriptive research design was employed and the participants were selected by means of non-probability, convenience sampling. The sample consisted of 53 participants at a coeducational high school in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The demographic data of the participants was gathered through the administration of a biographical questionnaire. The participants’ exposure to violence was explored by using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire- South African Adaptation (HTQ-SAA), while their moral development was assessed by means of the Moral Judgment Test (MJT). The data was analysed using descriptive statistics and both the Pearson’s correlation coefficient and Chi square test was computed to draw inferences regarding the relationship between exposure to violence and moral development. The results of the study revealed that all of the participants were exposed to violence directly or indirectly on one or more occasion; however the frequency with which the participants were exposed to violence was lower than expected. The results of the MJT further indicated very low to low moral judgement competence scores for the majority of the sample. No significant correlation or association was found between the two constructs.

Includes bibliography. / The investigation aims at examining the effects of exposure to civil. violence on 304 'black' and 'white' children's evaluations of violence whilst controlling for gender and socio-economic status differences. The study tests the hypothesis that children exposed to civil violence tend to accept the use of violence towards all authority figures. The rationale behind comparing black and white children lies in the phenomenon that civil "unrest" has been. concentrated in black areas in Greater Cape Town and media,restrictions have further insulated whites from this violent reality. The instrument employed to measure these children's evaluations of violence describes 8 incidents, each involving the use of violence either by an authority figure against a child or vice-versa. The authority figures include a policeman, soldier, parent and teacher. A ninth incident involves the use of violence by a husband to a wife. The children were requested to rate each scenario according to its degree of 'wrongness'. Data were analysed by statistical procedures. No differences between gender or socio-economic status were yielded. Comparisons across race were inconclusive although black children were significantly more accepting of a child's violence to a soldier, a finding attributed to the role of the SADF in the "unrest". In general most children in the sample condemned the use of violence, but condoned the use of physical force by teachers and mothers. An overwhelmingly high frequency of corporal punishment in the classrooms was evident, with children generally accepting this. While no definite findings regarding the influence of civil "unrest" on children's evaluations of violence emerged, the politicisation of children was evident in some findings. Violence and evaluations thereof emerged as context-bound, involving the ideological and political views of the respondent. Findings raised doubt around the validity of traditional tools, such as the instrument employed in this study, as measures of ideologically bound concepts such as violence.

South African black children have been exposed to extremely high levels of violence, especially in the townships. This study was initiated in ,order to explore the effects of violence on the self-concept of the black child in South Africa. In addition the applicability of current self-concept theories and psychometric measures to this population was investigated. This study is therefore mainly exploratory. Sixty individuals of both sexes between the ages of 8 and 10 years were sampled from two schools. Thirty from one in a high violence and the other thirty from one in a low violence area. However, after finding that the experimental and control groups did not differ signifficantly these groups were reassigned according to exposure to violence rather than geographically. Direct and indirect exposure to violence as well as family and other stressors were measured with the aid of the Life Events Questionnaire (Mason and Killian, 1993). In order to determine the effect of exposure to violence on selfconcept these two groups were compared using one quantitative and two qualitative selfconcept measures. The quantitative measure was the Piers-Harris Children's SelfConcept Scale and the qualitative measures were the Human Figure Drawing Test and an Incomplete Sentences Test. Results were analysed by multivariate statistical procedures. This study concluded that violence has no significant effect.on self-concept in black children (p,>O.05). The Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was found to be a reliable measure of self-concept in black children. Recommendations include broadening self-concept theories for black children by incorporating theories from disciplines other than psychology. The power of the present study would have been increased by using larger samples. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1996.

When It comes to the basic perspectives on personal and social reality, it is commonly assumed that these perspectives are learned within the parent-child relafionship. As a result, the family has been typically accorded a place of primary importance the explanation of socialisation. But another influence has been lurking in the background- the mass media . Media influence upon ~hildren has generally been assumed to be significant, with powerful, long lasting consequences. However, traditional explanatory attempts have predominantly dealt with the effects of media violence on juvenile behaviour. The result has been a relative neglect of empirical analysis of media socialisation as it relates to detinquent behaviour. a matter that the present study attempted to rectify. The present study proposes that the media's commitment to conformity varies in degree of congruence with societal expectations and this variation is directly "transmitted to the child influencing the child's behaviour. / Criminology / M.A.

The effects of having witnessed their fathers’ violent behaviour impacts on daughters for a long period afterwards, even in adulthood. This study explores this phenomenon by means of literature review and interviews. The literature indicates that the effects of paternal violence is linked to forced maturity, secrecy, pretending, self-blame, and negative impact on the daughter’s relationships with both parents. A narrative approach was used to interview three adult participants. The conversations were analysed using thematic analysis and hermeneutics. Themes that emerged include avoidance, ambivalence towards the parents, aggression, assertiveness, and over-responsibility. There is a tendency to avoid intense, emotionally-laden, ambiguous and unpredictable situations through the use of interpersonal vigilance, an emotionally strong poise, distancing, being agreeable and devoutness. Also, there is a fear of becoming just like their abusive father. The psychological impact of being witness to a father’s violent behaviours has long-lasting effects on daughters. / Psychology / M.A. (Clinical Psychology)

When It comes to the basic perspectives on personal and social reality, it is commonly assumed that these perspectives are learned within the parent-child relafionship. As a result, the family has been typically accorded a place of primary importance the explanation of socialisation. But another influence has been lurking in the background- the mass media . Media influence upon ~hildren has generally been assumed to be significant, with powerful, long lasting consequences. However, traditional explanatory attempts have predominantly dealt with the effects of media violence on juvenile behaviour. The result has been a relative neglect of empirical analysis of media socialisation as it relates to detinquent behaviour. a matter that the present study attempted to rectify. The present study proposes that the media's commitment to conformity varies in degree of congruence with societal expectations and this variation is directly "transmitted to the child influencing the child's behaviour. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A.