D.Ed. / Delinquent-prone behaviour amongst the adolescent school population has become a serious problem in South Africa. From the reports in the media, it would seem that many adolescents cannot conform to the demands of society and, consequently, become involved in acts, which may be punishable by law. These acts include illegal substance abuse, stealing, fighting, aggravated assault and bullying of both educators and learners. In this respect, it must be noted that, although society at large tends to highlight delinquent acts of adolescents, very little is discussed about adolescents’ self-esteem or the factors that may have influenced them to perform these acts. Therefore, in order to prevent delinquent behaviour from escalating in our society and perpetuating the vicious cycle, educational psychologists will have to devise ways to understand and identify self-esteem and its contribution to violent behaviour in adolescents, and to prevent these behaviours before they become too ingrained in youths at risk. Taking the above into account, the research problem focused on the nature of self-esteem in delinquent-prone adolescents and how it manifests in their behaviour. Furthermore, the question arose as to what intervention programme could be developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents, in order to prevent or to change problematic behaviour. This research aimed at exploring and describing the nature of self-esteem in delinquent-prone adolescents, how the self-esteem manifests itself in their behaviour, and to examine the factors that influence the self-esteem of delinquent-prone adolescents. Based on the findings of the study, an intervention programme was developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents in order to prevent or change problematic behaviour. The research was done through the use of qualitative research strategies, which included a literature review, delinquent-prone adolescents’ written life stories, their responses to an incomplete sentence questionnaire and interviews conducted with participants, and which included the delinquent-prone adolescents themselves, their parents/guardians and housemothers, their educators and principal, the social worker and other parents/guardians of delinquent-prone adolescents who were not selected for this study. For this study, a sample of twenty adolescents, who were between the ages of fourteen and eighteen years, was selected from two secondary schools for this study. The only criteria that were used in the selection of these secondary school adolescents were that they presented with delinquent-prone behaviour. This sample was selected by the social worker at the orphanage and the principal of one of the schools, because they knew these adolescents well. Five categories were identified through data analysis, namely the nature of the self-esteem, feelings, internalised thoughts, delinquent-prone behaviour and significant relationships. The findings indicated that these delinquent-prone adolescents do have low self-esteem. Their feelings and internalised thoughts revealed attitudes and experiences commonly linked with low self-esteem in relevant literature. This low self-esteem manifested itself in their delinquent-prone behaviour, which was categorised as disobedient, covert and overt behaviour. The significant relationships highlighted that, although their peers influenced them to some extent, it was the significant adults in their lives, namely their housemothers, parents/guardians, caregivers and educators who were mentioned mostly in their responses. These significant adults do not appear to have fulfilled their responsibilities adequately, either because they do not know how to or because they do not have sufficient time, or because they themselves are overwhelmed with problems surrounding these adolescents. The findings of this study may not be generalised to other delinquent-prone adolescents, due to the small sample size. However, the research-design chapter did provide an audit trail, which may enable other researchers to determine to what extent their situation is similar to that in this study. What was significant to note was that primary caregivers of these adolescents (housemothers and parents/guardians) and educators seem to be in an ideal position to improve the adolescents’ internal and external environment, in order to enhance their self-esteem. A school-based intervention programme, based on the findings, was developed for educational psychologists to render assistance and support to delinquent-prone adolescents, their primary caregivers (parents/guardians, housemothers or caregivers) and educators in order to prevent or change the adolescents’ delinquent-prone behaviour. The principal areas aimed at enhancing self-awareness, motivation and empowerment, communication, assertiveness, conflict resolution and anger management skills. Other important areas aimed at helping adolescents with grieving and improving emotional intelligence. There are not many (if any) school-based intervention programmes for primary caregivers, educators and delinquent-prone adolescents, to assist the latter to enhance their self-esteem. While the implementation of the suggested programme may be costly, schools need to take the initiative in finding practical solutions at little or no cost by using the voluntary services of social workers or psychologists completing their internships. Measures are needed urgently to curb delinquent-prone behaviour in adolescents. What also became clear, however, was that many delinquent-prone adolescents experience a lack of love, and rejection. It seems justified to argue that support for, and acceptance of, children, maintained constantly, would prevent unacceptable behaviour, at least in some instances. One should not have to hear any child say, “I am tired of looking for love”.

Aborder sous l’angle sociologique la criminalité financière conduit à relever les incomplétudes d’un traitement juridique, élaboré à partir d’un cadre répressif comme réponse aux crimes et délits commis, et économique, construit sur le rapport coût-bénéfice – risque. L’approche sociologique, permettant au contraire le développement d’une démarche syncrétique, oriente la compréhension de la nature des interactions entre l’acteur criminel -agent -et son environnement socio-économique. Cette thèse repose sur quatre hypothèses fondamentales. La criminalité financière est la résultante de déviances individuelles. Elle est le stade ultime du capitalisme financier. Elle se développe à partir de la manipulation de l’information financière. La lutte contre ce fléau constitue un enjeu de civilisation. La démonstration de ces hypothèses repose sur une double approche, empirique et pratique. L’approche empirique vise à étudier les principaux acteurs criminogènes. Les enquêtes de terrain auprès de magistrats, syndicalistes, agents des impôts, experts-comptables,commissaires aux comptes, universitaires permettent la validation des hypothèses de base et la perception des difficultés pérennes pour lutter efficacement contre cette criminalité de type intellectuel. La première partie de la thèse demeure consacrée à une approche socio-normative de la criminalité financière dans le but d’élaborer une réflexion théorique sur les moyens à mettre en oeuvre pour comprendre la portée des atteintes subies par la collectivité. En conséquence, le premier axe se construit autour d’une « démarche épistémologique en matière de criminalité financière » (Chapitre 1). Le second développe les principales atteintes à l’intégrité de l’économie de la confiance (Chapitre 2). La deuxième partie de la thèse se poursuit par une connaissance des agents et acteurs impliqués dans la construction d’opérations de criminalité financière. La criminalité financière ne saurait se concevoir sans l’action d’agents intimement convaincus de la justification d’un enrichissement absolu et sans cause (chapitre 3). Aborder ces acteurs, au sens juridique du terme, facilite la compréhension avec laquelle sont commis ces délits particuliers. Ces personnes physiques sont-elles des déviants économiques isolés ? L’analyse de leurs caractéristiques et parcours propres conduit à mettre en évidence la spécificité de ces grandes figures de la criminalité financière (chapitre 4). Cette approche permet d’explorer les raisons pour lesquelles ces agents criminogènes ne sont pas isolés lorsqu’ils s’insèrent dans des groupements de personnes à vocation criminelle (chapitre 5). Bénéficiant de complicité d’acteurs institutionnels contribuant indirectement à l’émergence de la criminalité financière (chapitre 6), ils donnent aux crimes financiers une dimension dépassant largement la responsabilité individuelle de leurs auteurs. Enfin, la troisième partie de la thèse développe concrètement des pistes pour résoudre le dilemme qu’une économie criminogène fait subir à une collectivité donnée. Utilisant à la fois des techniques d’enquêtes classiques et des raisonnements sociologiques s’inspirant de plusieurs courants de pensée en sciences sociales, l’analyse des actes de criminalité financière (chapitre 7) conduit à souligner l’importance du rôle des acteurs en charge de la lutte contre ce fléau (chapitre 8). Leurs témoignages débouchent sur la mise en perspective de propositions de lutte contre la criminalité financière dont on examinera les conditions de possibilité (chapitre 9). / The sociological perspective of financial crime not only reveals the inherent shortcomings of basing its legal treatment on a repressive framework and its economic treatment on a cost/benefit ratio, but by favouring a more syncretic approach, also helps clarify the nature of interactions between criminal actors and their socioeconomic environment. This thesis is based on four fundamental hypotheses. Financial crime is the result of individual deviant behaviour. It is the last stage of financial capitalism. It arises from the manipulation of financial information. The struggle against this scourge represents achallenge to civilisation. The demonstration of these hypotheses is based on a dual empirical and practical approach.The empirical approach aims to study the key criminal actors. Fieldwork interviews with magistrates, union members, tax officers, expert accountants, auditors and academics validate both the fundamental hypotheses and long-term difficulties involved in waging an effective battle against this type of intellectual crime. The first part of the thesis takes a socio-normative approach to financial crime with a view to developing a theoretical reflection on the means to be implemented to gauge the extent of damage to the community. Thus, the first area of research builds on an “epistemological approach to financial crime” (Chapter 1). The second studies the implications of the damaged integrity of the trust economy (Chapter 2).The second part of the thesis seeks to gain an insight into agents and actors involved in organising financial criminal activities. Such crime is only conceivable when agents firmly believe that they are entitled to absolute and unjust enrichment (Chapter 3). Taking a legal approach to these actors helps understand how these particular crimes are committed. Arethey isolated economic deviants? By analysing their characteristics and history, the specificity of major financial criminals is highlighted (Chapter 4). This approach identifies the reasons why these criminal agents are not isolated when they collude with criminally-minded groups (Chapter 5). They benefit from the complicity of institutional actors, who indirectly contributeto the emergence of financial crime, (Chapter 6), and give financial crime a dimension which goes far beyond the individual responsibility of the perpetrators. Finally, the third part of the thesis develops concrete proposals to resolve the dilemma inflicted by the criminal economy on a given community. Using both traditional fieldwork techniques and sociological reasoning drawn from various bodies of thought in social sciences, acts of financial crime are analysed, (Chapter 7) revealing the important role played by those leading the fight against this scourge (Chapter 8). Their testimonies lead to anevaluation of proposals for combating financial crime and their conditions of possibility (Chapter 9).

Šeima – svarbiausia terpė, kurioje vaikas gali sėkmingai augti ir vystytis. Tai yra pirmoji aplinka, perteikianti tam tikrus elgesio modelius, kuriuos įsisąmonina ir perima vaikas. Pripažįstama, kad šeimoje formuojasi ne tik socialus, bet ir asocialus vaikų elgesys, kuris yra smerkiamas, nepriimtinas ir traktuojamas kaip deviantinis. Šeimoje yra gana daug nepalankių asmenybės formavimosi sąlygų. Tenka pripažinti, kad nepilnamečių deviantinio elgesio formavimuisi turi įtakos šeimos tipas ir aplinka. Išsiaiškinta, kad nepriimtinu elgesiu pasižymintys vaikai yra ne tik iš socialinės rizikos, nedarnių bei struktūriškai nepilnų šeimų, bet ir iš darnių bei emigrantų šeimų, kurios Lietuvoje yra pakankamai mažai tyrinėtos. Nepageidaujamas vaikų elgesys gali atsirasti ir dėl tėvų auklėjimo klaidų. Tėvų ir vaikų tarpusavio santykiai, bausmių pobūdis bei jų griežtumas, netinkama vaikų elgesio kontrolė ir priežiūra neabejotinai sąlygoja deviantinio elgesio formavimąsi. Akivaizdu, kad kuo daugiau nepalankių veiksnių vienu metu veikia vaiko asmenybę, tuo didesnė elgesio nukrypimų tikimybė. Todėl savaime suprantama, kad deviantinio elgesio pamatas yra šeima, prie kurio vėliau prisijungia mokykla, draugai, žiniasklaida ir kt. Magistro baigiamajame darbe, remiantis moksline literatūra, Lietuvos teisės aktais, statistikos bei ESPAD tyrimų duomenimis, supažindinama su deviantinio elgesio samprata, pateikiama nepilnamečių deviantinio elgesio apraiškos Lietuvos visuomenėje bei išanalizuojama... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Family is the most important environment for the successful growth and development of the child. It is the first environment transmitting particular behaviour models which the child assimilates and takes over. It is accepted that family influences not only social behaviour but asocial one as well, which is denounced, unacceptable and treated as deviant. There are distinguished a lot of unfavourable personality development conditions in the family. It must be admitted that the type and environment of the family may influence the formation of the teenagers’ deviant behaviour. It was ascertained that children whose behaviour is unacceptable commonly come from asocial, problematic, disharmonious and not full in structure families. Also it should be admitted that the formation of deviant personality is influenced by the family of emigrants, but there are few analyses in this sphere in Lithuania. Unwanted behaviour may also appear because of the parents’ upbringing mistakes. The formation of deviant behaviour is influenced by the relationships between parents and children, the kind of punishment and its severity, inappropriate control of child’s behaviour. It is obvious that the more unfavourable factors influence the child’s personality at one time; the bigger chance of the deviant behaviour appears. Consequently, the basis of the deviant behaviour comes from the family, and later this behaviour is influenced by school, friends, mass media and etc. In this final master’s work with... [to full text]

The study's findings support the hypothesis that Moffitt's taxonomy of life-course and adolescent-limited delinquents applies in a Black, developing, semi rural population in South Africa, using a qualitative life-story research design. While the research design did not allow for conclusive proof of early psychoneurological deficits, difficult temperament and conduct disorders, features in the infant and childhood phases of the life-course offender, support for Moffitt's taxonomy arose from many other sources. These were the earlier onset and more violent antisocial behaviour, poorer school performance and peer relationships, greater impulsivity, ineffective goal setting, retarded moral development and lower social esteem of the life-course, relative to the adolescent-limited, offender research groups. Group cognitive difference found by Moffitt did not emerge. Suggestions for a local South African pilot intervention based on Moffitt's principles were made. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.

Thesis (Ph. D. Com. (Human Resource Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The purpose of this study was to explore workplace deviance, both constructive and destructive deviance, in order to understand and develop strategies that could be used to address different types of deviant behaviours amongst farm workers. Qualitative, explorative and descriptive research designs within the paradigm of constructivism were utilised to obtain rich and valuable data with regards to the participants’ views, experiences and meanings relating to workplace deviance, through a narrative approach to inquiry. Semi-structured interviews, using a critical incident technique, were employed in order to collect data on both constructive deviant behaviour and destructive deviant behaviour of farm workers from the research participants. Farm workers (n=30) and supervisors (n=9) from three farms belonging to the same conglomerate participated in the study. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the collected narrative data on farm workers’ workplace deviance. The study highlighted that both forms of workplace deviance, namely; constructive and destructive workplace deviance, seem to exist amongst farm workers. The various forms of constructive deviant and destructive deviant behaviours, which farm workers were more likely to engage in were identified. The constructive deviant behaviours were found to assist the farms in realising their objectives, while the destructive deviant behaviours seemed to negatively jeopardise the wellbeing of the farms. The managerial strategies which could be used in the farming sector in order to manage workplace deviance in a more holistic manner were identified. These included practices to encourage workers to engage in constructive deviant behaviours, while discouraging them from engaging in destructive deviant behaviours. The managerial practices revealed in this study may assist farm management to manage farm workers in such a way that may enhance the farms’ competitiveness. KEY CONCEPTS Workplace deviance; Destructive deviant behaviour; Constructive deviant behaviour; Farming sector; Farm workers.

Η εποχή μας χαρακτηρίζεται έντονα από πολλά είδη κρίσης όπως η οικονομική κρίση, η κρίση των θεσμών και των αξιών που εκπορεύονται από την τάση των κυβερνήσεων να ενταχθούν στην παγκοσμιοποίηση. Μια παγκοσμιοποίηση που επιφέρει συνεχώς μετακινήσεις ατόμων με σκοπό μια καλύτερη ποιότητα ζωής, η οποία θα υπόσχεται την επίλυση των ανωτέρω τύπων της κρίσης. Σε κάθε κρίση η εκπαίδευση είναι ένας φορέας που επιδέχεται πολλούς κραδασμούς και οφείλει να μείνει αλώβητος, υποδεχόμενος τις εκάστοτε αλλαγές μόνο με θετικό πρίσμα. Στην Ελλάδα τα τελευταία μεταναστευτικά κύματα οικονομικών μεταναστών έφεραν έναν πολιτισμικό πλουραλισμό στο μαθητικό σώμα, που με τη σειρά του επέφερε αλλαγές στο σχολικό περιβάλλον. Η πολιτισμική διαφορετικότητα των μαθητών απαιτούσε τη δυνατότητα έκφρασης για κάθε μαθητή. Όμως εξαιτίας των αλλαγών ορισμένων κοινωνικών δομών κάποιες ομάδες πολιτών βίωσαν την προκατάληψη και το ρατσισμό, γεγονός που είχε αντίκτυπό στο σχολικό χώρο και οδήγησε πολλούς μαθητές να εκφραστούν με αρνητικούς τρόπους, οι οποίοι χαρακτηρίζουν την αποκλίνουσα συμπεριφορά. Στην παρούσα έρευνα γίνεται μια προσπάθεια να εντοπιστούν, αν υπάρχουν, οι μορφές της αποκλίνουσας συμπεριφοράς στο χώρο του Δημοτικού Σχολείου ανάμεσα στους γηγενείς και πολιτισμικά διαφορετικός μαθητές και σε ποιο βαθμό. / -

Socialinės rizikos šeimų problematika yra aktuali daugelyje pasaulio valstybių, o pastaruoju metu, tebeišgyvenant socialines permainas, tai būdinga ir Lietuvai. Socialinės rizikos šeimose pastebėtini dideli vaikų priežiūros, ugdymo ir elgesio kontrolės trūkumai, kurie neigiamai veikia paauglių elgseną. / Adolescence is a period of lifetime when personality is forming. In this period teenagers meet a lot of problems and they can`t solve them on their own. The main problems are named as delinquency, drunkenness, drug addiction, aggression and so on. If a teenager can`t solve those problems, after-effects have influence on people living with him and on all society. In this respect the social work becomes more and more urgent.

The aim of this study is to examine which risk factors the Swedish governmental organization, Socialstyrelsen, can identify among children and youths that could lead to later deviant or criminal behaviour. The study is based on two written reports made on behalf of Socialstyrelsen. We chose to base our study on these reports since they produce important knowledge to social workers whose work is to identify risk factors and prevent deviant or criminal behaviour among children and youths, which is in line with this study's purpose. Together with previous scientific studies, this study presents seven themes in which risk factors can be found. These themes represent risk factors among and within the individual, friends, family, school and neighborhoods, risk factors related to gender and cumulative risk factors. The results of this study show that risk factors within these different themes are related to each other and that the presence of one risk factor increases the risk of others. Furthermore, the results emphasize that a risk factor for one person does not have to be a risk factor for another person and therefore could be understood as broadly individual. Because of this, it is extremely important that social workers who work with children and youths are aware of this, so that each child’s and youth’s unique situation will be considered regarding risk factors for deviant or criminal behaviour.

Thesis (M. Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Recent changes in the South African education department have led to many learners’ deviant behaviour in the classroom. The abolishing of corporal punishment has accelerated lack of discipline among learners in the Ehlanzeni education region. This challenge has resulted in different perceptions among the teachers. Hence, this study aims at investigating teachers’ perceptions of learner discipline in the intermediate phase schools of the Ehlanzeni Region of Mpumalanga province. In this study, the researcher uses the mixed approach, a method which includes both quantitative and qualitative research. Data is collected through survey and semi structured interviews with principals, deputy principals, heads of departments (HOD’s) and teachers. Stratified and purposive sampling methods were used to facilitate the above process. The findings show that factors such as abolishing of corporal punishment, lack of parental involvement, lack of extramural activities and lack of clarity on policy have negatively influenced discipline in the intermediate schools. Hence, there is a need for alternative strategies to enhance the implementation of new disciplinary measures in the intermediate schools. These anomalies call for senior management or policy makers in the Department of Education (DoE) to develop relevant alternative strategies and to train teachers on policy implementation before the new disciplinary measures can be employed. This will assist teachers to prevent ill-discipline in Mpumalanga.

Department of Curriculum Studies and Education Management / MEDEM