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.

Substance abuse is a pervasive problem across the world. The most commonly abused substanc-es include tobacco, alcohol and dagga. In teenagers, research has found out that substance abuse is often linked to multiple factors such as scholastic problems, mental and health problems, risky sexual behaviour, accidents, crime and violence. The present study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitudes of teenagers towards substance abuse in an informal settlement. The target population were teenage girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 19. A mixed method approach was employed in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and used to collect data. This questionnaire contained both closed and open ended questions. The Statis-tical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Findings show that teen-agers have adequate knowledge and appropriate attitudes towards substance abuse. However, the results also indicate that the provision of information on substance abuse remains important in shaping attitudes of young people. Interventions such as awareness campaigns, focus group discussions, education and developmental programmes that contribute to knowledge on the impact of and ways to control substance abuse are recommended / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Substance abuse is a pervasive problem across the world. The most commonly abused substanc-es include tobacco, alcohol and dagga. In teenagers, research has found out that substance abuse is often linked to multiple factors such as scholastic problems, mental and health problems, risky sexual behaviour, accidents, crime and violence. The present study aimed to explore the level of knowledge and attitudes of teenagers towards substance abuse in an informal settlement. The target population were teenage girls and boys between the ages of 13 and 19. A mixed method approach was employed in this study. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and used to collect data. This questionnaire contained both closed and open ended questions. The Statis-tical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data. Findings show that teen-agers have adequate knowledge and appropriate attitudes towards substance abuse. However, the results also indicate that the provision of information on substance abuse remains important in shaping attitudes of young people. Interventions such as awareness campaigns, focus group discussions, education and developmental programmes that contribute to knowledge on the impact of and ways to control substance abuse are recommended / Psychology / M. A. (Psychology)