M.A. (Clinical Social Work) / This study is the result of the necessity for a social work juvenile programme for sentenced juveniles that is need-orientated. The researcher formulated the following objectives in order to reach the abovementioned goal: • to do a literature survey of the juvenile transgressor in order to form a better understanding of the sentenced juvenile. • to identify the distinctive needs of sentenced juveniles by means of a needs evaluation. • to develop a need-orientated social work juvenile programme. • to present above-mentioned social work juvenile programme to sentenced juveniles. • to evaluate the social functioning of sentenced juveniles who attended the programme by means of pre- and post measurement. In meeting the challenge to develop a technological item the researcher used the Developmental Research and Utilization Model of Edwin Thomas 1981. A social work juvenile programme for sentenced juveniles has been developed as a technological item by means of this research project. Chapter one is devoted to the problem statement. motivation for study. Formulation of the goal research design and the description of concepts. Chapter two comprises of the application of the analytical phase of the research study within the framework of the developmental research and utilisation model of E. Thomas 1981. Chapter three deals with the technological development of the social work juvenile programme and in chapter four the whole programme is evaluated. Chapter five contains the inferences made and the recommendations of the research project. During evaluation of the programme the study shows that there is no significant statistical difference between the pre- and post test counts of the satisfaction and synthesis scales, as measured by means of the Heimler scale. However. there is a significant statistical difference between the pre - and post test count of the frustration scale. The technological item developed during this study, i.e. a need-orientated social work juvenile programme for sentenced prisoners, contributed to the development of social work technology.

M.Ed. / The aim of this research study is to analyze the Youth Empowerment Scheme critically, within the requirements of reformative justice. The study is motivated by the fact that crime in South Africa is on the increase. Most offenders are between the ages of 16- and 20 years. An effective rehabilitation program for first time youth offenders as part of diversion is critical to prevent further crime by these offenders. The Youth Empowerment Scheme is a program currently run by the National Institute for Crime Intervention and the Reintegration of Offenders in an attempt to prevent a criminal record and further crime. The researcher compared the current retributive justice system with the proposed reformative justice system to identify the implications of these justice systems for the youth offender. The principles of the reformative justice system and the Youth Empowerment Scheme were analyzed to formulate criteria to improve the reformative potential of the program. In the achievement of the above-mentioned study goal, the researcher applied the techniques of qualitative research and specifically used the Youth Empowerment Scheme as a case study according to this paradigm. The data was gathered through a variety of techniques (questionares, literature review, observation, field notes and an interview) which enhanced the viability and reliability of the study through triangulation. The researcher attended the Youth Empowerment Scheme, which gave her the opportunity to explore and describe the program within its natural context. Further data was gained through questionares completed by the youth offenders and an interview with their parents/guardians. From the data certain themes were identified that highlighted aspects of the Youth Empowerment Scheme that should be changed to ensure a more effective rehabilitation program. These themes led to the formulation of guidelines to improve the Youth Empowerment Scheme. The formulated guidelines focus on the following aspects: The facilitators of the program. The social context and potential of the youth offenders. The content of the program. The group size of the program. The duration of the program. Participation of the parents/guardians. Principles of reformative justice. Protection of the youth offender, by law. The limitations of the study and the role of the Educational Psychologist were discussed. The researcher also proposes that this study presents a lot of other research opportunities.

M.A. / The aim of sentencing a child to a reform school is to effectively deter the child from further criminal acts and prevent recidivism. Research into the area of crime and juvenile delinquency stresses that those traditional approaches encompassing frameworks of punishment and retribution, as methods of eliciting behavior change do not work. Incarceration of a child offender should be a last resort and only utilized when all other possible interventions have failed to achieve a modicum of success with the child in conflict with the law. The Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk states that "the approach to working with young people in trouble with the law should focus on restoring societal harmony and putting wrongs right rather than punishment. The young person should be held accountable for his / her actions and where possible make amends to the victim", (IMC, 1996:18). The approach of restoration and repair falls within the ambits of a Restorative Justice Model, a contemporary approach to child justice that is achieving far greater positive results, if managed appropriately than the traditional Retributive Model of child justice. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of professionals working with children in conflict with the law towards reform schools as a sentence option for children and, where possible to generate alternatives to this sentence. Key roleplayers identified for this undertaking were selected from the Departments of Social Services, Justice, Education, Detention Centers, A Reformatory, and, Community based NGO's. The role-players were identified from documents perused by the researcher pertaining to the reform school issue. A focus group as well as individual interviews was conducted with participants from the above-mentioned professional arenas. The study was contextualised to the South African situation; however participants in the study originate from Gauteng and the Western Cape Province.