M.Ed. / The purpose of this study was to determine the educator's perception on the importance of the juridical facet of discipline. It also aimed to inform readers what the rights and duties of parents, teachers and children as far as discipline is concerned. The study is presented as follows: * Chapter 1 : Introduction * Chapter 2 '* Chapter 3 * Chapter 4 * Chapter 5 FINDINGS A study of literature on the juridical facet of discipline. The research plan. The assimilation and interpretation of the empirical data. Summary, conclusion and recommendations. * More woman than men had facet plays an important discipline. the opinion that the juridical part in the application of * Afrikaans mother tongue speakers valued the juridical facet higher than English mother tongue speakers. * More teachers than parents were of the opinion that the juridical facet plays an important role in the application of discipline. * Involvement of educationists either at primary- or secondary schools didn't influence their perception on the importance of the juridical facet. * The age of an educationist did have an influence on his view of the juridical facet of discipline. * Flat tenants regarded the juridical facet of discipline far more important than home residents did. * Christian educationists regarded the facet more important than non-Christians. * The mari tal status of educationists didn't have an influence discipline. on their perception of the juridical facet of * As far as income was concerned it became clear that the lower the income group the more important the juridical facet of discipline was regarded. CONCLUSION Ignorance of the law proves in many cases to be a problem in the application of discipline. Teachers and parents must therefore be thorougly informed about their roles in the juridical facet of discipline and must realize that they are partners in the disciplining of the child (Bondesio, 1989: 107) • It thus became evident that the juridical facet of discipline is regarded as highly important by most educationist

M.A. / The child and youth care system in South Africa was transformed on recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on the Transformation of the Child and Youth Care System in 1996. The South African Constitution, The Bill of Rights and the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 and its amendment Children’s Act 41 of 2007 ensure that the best interest of children is paramount in all services to children. Corporal punishment was abolished as a method of disciplining children because of its punitive nature and the negative effects it had on children. The motivation for this study arose from the need of the researcher to find out what has replaced corporal punishment, if anything, in the rights-based post corporal punishment era. The objectives for the study were: to explore what was perceived as challenging behavior by the children and child care workers, to establish what methods were used to manage what was perceived as challenging behavior, to explore what training was received by the child care workers to assist them in managing challenging behavior and to make recommendations on the findings. An exploratory, descriptive qualitative research design approach was found to be suitable for this qualitative study. Focus groups were conducted as a means of collecting data. Findings from the study indicated that not much had changed with regards to the methods used to discipline children in the institution post the corporal punishment era. From the study it could be deduced that there is still a lot to be done in terms of alternatives in managing challenging behaviour of children. The study makes recommendations that will involve all significant role players including children in managing challenging behaviour in places of care.

M.A. / According to the Report on Marriage and Divorce (Department of Internal Affairs 1981: report no. 07/02/15), 17 065 cases of divorce were recorded among the white population of South Africa in the above mentioned year. A total of 22 167 minor children were involved. Statistics therefore indicate that many children today find themselves in broken homes, where the full responsibility of child rearing rests on single parents. Single parents who, because of internal and external factors are not always fully capable of accepting and answering to this responsibility. Problems are usually vaguely associated with single parent families. This study was intended to clarify the specific educational problems of the single parent family. With the aid of six socio-pedagogic categories a deeper perspective into the single parent situation was gained. The research covered a theoretical study of the relevant literature and the formulation of a number of criteria to evaluate the quality of educative support rendered to the toddler in the home, as primary educational situation. From these criteria a structured questionnaire was formulated, by means of which the views of 21 single parent mothers residing in Alberton, Boksburg and Germiston were ascertained ...

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In the aftermath of school shootings, safety in educational institutions became a national concern. The Zero Tolerance policy was designed to remove students who posed serious and or imminent threat to the school environment. It was hoped that the institution of this policy would allow schools to better police student behaviors through the use of tough disciplinary actions, and to ensure a safer learning environment for all. However, one of the latent consequences of establishing a broad set of directives was to result in the differential treatment of some minority groups such as special education students. To date, there exists little research that tests the efficacy of the zero tolerance approach in reducing school violence or its effect upon special education students who exhibit unique and separate characteristics from the general student body. Some of the behaviors that are beyond their control can impede their learning, but are even more often seen as falling under the guidelines of the zero tolerance policy, which in turn subjects this group to a number of disciplinary actions previously not utilized to address their specific needs. To address the potential impact this policy has on students with learning and emotional behavioral disorders this study analyzes data from a sample comprising of 2,736 total schools, reported over 4 different time periods, 1999-2008 originally collected by the School Survey on Crime and Safety. This study examines the relationship between various school characteristics, the proportion of special education students in a school, and the use of the disciplinary actions as a means of controlling behaviors that could be undesired but may not pose a serious threat to the educational institution. iv The results indicate that presence of students identified as “special education students” was strongly related to the number of disruptive behaviors reported. The increased frequency of those reported behaviors was also found to be significantly related to the use of suspension and expulsions as disciplinary actions in a school. Further multiple regression analysis yielded data demonstrating the nature of the relationships between the presence of special education students in a school, the frequency of disruptive behaviors reported, and the increased use of disciplinary actions.

(1) Problem: Previous evidence showed that parenting programs effectively reduce externalizing problems and disorders in children living in high-income countries. However, there was less evidence about the effectiveness of parenting programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In addition, there is a need for more studies that assess how parenting practices and family characteristics mediate the effects of parenting programs. The overall goal of this dissertation was to contribute to closing the gap in the evidence regarding the efficacy of parenting programs in and low- and middle-income countries. Also, this dissertation intended to increase the evidence regarding how parenting practice (i.e., supervision, parent child communication, and punishment) meditate the effects of parenting programs high-income and low- and middle-income countries. (2) Materials and methods: First, in chapter 2, I conducted a systematic review to synthesize the evidence regarding how parenting practices and family variables mediated the parenting programs effects. In chapter 3, I assessed the effect of Pilas program on child’s oppositional and conduct problems and aggressive behaviors. Also, I examined the mediating mechanism though parent-child communication, supervision, and punishment. Pilas was a multimodal program designed and implemented in Medellin Colombia. The program was evaluated through a cluster randomized control trial, including children aged 6-11 who were followed at baseline, 1-, and 3-year assessments. In chapter 4, I assessed how parent-child communication and supervision mediated the effect of Fast Track Project (FTP) on antisocial behaviors at grade 7 and 9, exploring the mediating mechanism of FTP in the early- and middle-adolescence. FTP is a multimodal intervention that aim to reduce conduct problem in childhood in four communities of the USA (Durham, NC, Nashville, TN, rural PA, and Seattle, WA.). (3) Results and conclusions: In the chapters 2, the systematic review showed that positive parenting and parental discipline had been the most studied mediators of parenting programs. However, there was limited evidence or methodological problems regarding other mechanisms (i.e., supervision, family functioning, parent-child relationships, harsh parenting, and ineffective discipline). In addition, few articles studied the medium (3-5 years follow-up) and long-term (more than 5 years) mediating mechanisms, and no articles assessed mediation mechanisms in low- and middle-income countries. Among, the most important methodological problems were the lack of control for confounding in the Mediator-Outcome pathway (M-Y pathway) and underreporting of the mediating results. In chapter 3, I presented the Pilas effects and mediated mechanisms. Children exposed to Pilas had 22% fewer conduct problems, 32% fewer oppositional problems, 36% less indirect aggression, 15% less total aggressive behaviors, and 22% less direct aggression. On the other hand, there were not program effects on child behaviors based on caregivers' reports. In addition, after three years of follow-up, Pilas reduced the number of psychological and psychical punishments reported by the children, but it did not have an effect on punishment as reported by caregivers. Pilas improved parent-restricted topics and role orienting reported by the caregivers. However, the Pilas effects were not mediated through the target mediators (supervision, parent-child communication, and punishment) so the mediation mechanisms remain unknown. Chapter 4 presented the medium- and long-term mediating mechanism of Fast-track project. I found that parent-child communication and supervision were not mediators of FTP effects on antisocial behaviors during early- and middle- adolescence. However, FTP improved antisocial behavior in early- and middle-adolescents and improve parenting practices such as parent-child communication and supervision. FTP reduced child antisocial behaviors in grades 7 and 9 and improved child communication and total communication and supervision variables, such as daily discussion of activities and curfew time. Finally, chapter 5 presented the most important dissertation findings and conclusions. There is evidence about the mediating mechanism of parenting programs. However, the evidence available is not conclusive and had multiple methodological weakness and underreporting. Pilas programs improved children’s conduct problems, oppositional problems and aggressive behavior and reduces punishment against the children. However, the program effect was not mediated through parenting practices. Regarding FTP, the program effects of antisocial behaviors were not mediated through parent-child communication and supervision during early- and middle- adolescence. Further studies should be conducted to enlarge the evidence about the effects of parenting programs on LMIC and research about how parent-child communication meditate the effects of parenting programs in both LMIC and HIC.

While some research has been done on the use of corporal punishment in South African schools, there is a dearth of research on other forms of punishment and little has been done to research the meaning of punishment. This study explores the meaning of punishment in a high school context and focuses on the different attitudes of parents, teachers and pupils, with a view to identifying, in particular, how they justify the use of punishment. A sample of 50 pupils, 30 teachers and 30 parents were selected for the study. Focus groups and a questionnaire with closed and open-ended questions were used to collect the data. The questionnaire was constructed to explore themes which emerged in the focus group discussions . Results were grouped into themes and arranged by tables , and the Chi-square test of statistical significance was used to analyze some of the data. The results show that the meaning and the approach to punishment is differently construed by participants. Parents construe punishment as an educative instrument and a disciplinary measure used for the good of pupils and the society. Teachers see it as a discip1inary measure, a strategy used for effective learning, and a negative stimulus used to inflict pain towards the goal of an orderly school environment. To pupils the punishment scene provides an opportunity for what they perceive as sadistic enjoyment and as something negative which is used by teachers to vent their own frustrations. Participants agree that clear, consensually agreed upon rules should be set to regulate school behaviour and that there should be clear and consensually agreed upon ways of ensuring that these rules are adhered to; and constructive ways of dealing with violation of these rules. The central concern seems to be to move away from a retributive, punitive mode of thinking about punishment, towards a purposeful one. The implications of the research findings are discussed in the context of existing literature in the area and in relation to policy development.

Theses (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / Pages 71-74 are missing. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Adolescents are often perceived as moody, rebellious, disinterested in school and inclined to risky behaviours such as premature sex, drug-taking and alcohol abuse. As a result of the 'storm and stress' period that they are associated with, parents appear to lose touch with their adolescents, and fail to maintain the close bonds that they took for granted while their children were young. In attempts to control their adolescents' behaviour, parents seem to drive their teenagers further away from them. The conclusion is reached that adolescents experience parental discipline in a way that either creates a sense of belonging to the family unit, or causes them to become distant and defiant of parental authority. A qualitative approach is used to establish what adolescents experience as positive and what they experience as negative regarding their parents' disciplinary styles. The study is undertaken in a private school in a suburb of Cape Town. The study revealed the following: • A democratic parenting style creates a sense of worthiness in the adolescent. In this atmosphere adolescents feel nurtured and respected and therefore grow into well-balanced young adults. • Parents should take note of their adolescents' emotional experiences and attune their disciplinary approach in order to obtain their children's willing co-operation to be guided towards adulthood by their parents. • Most teenagers do appreciate and respect their parents. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Adolessente word dikwels beskou as buierig, rebels, ongeïnteresseerd in skool en geneig tot riskante gedrag soos voortydige seks, dwelmgebruik en alkoholmisbruik. As gevolg van die 'storm-en-drang' - periode waarmee hulle geassosieerword, verloor ouers dikwels voeling met hul adolessente, en faal hulle daarin om die noue bande wat hulle as vanselfsprekend met hul jonger kinders aanvaar het, met hul tieners te behou. Die slotsom word bereik dat adolessente ouerlike dissipline ervaar op 'n manier wat óf gehegtheid met die gesinseenheid skep, óf verwydering en opstandigheid teenoor ouerlike gesag in die hand werk. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is gebruik om vas te stel wat die adolessent as positief en as negatief ervaar ten opsigte van ouers se dissiplineringstyle. Die studie is in 'n privaatskool in 'n voorstad van Kaapstad onderneem. Die studie het die volgende getoon: • 'n Demokratiese ouerskapstyl kweek 'n gevoel van waardigheid by die adolessent. In hierdie omgewing voel die tiener geborge en gerespekteer en as gevolg daarvan ontwikkel hy tot 'n goedgebalanseerde jong volwassene. • Ouers moet kennis neem van hul adolessente se emosionele belewenisse en hul dissiplineringstyle aanpas om hul tieners vrywilliglik tot volwassenheid te lei. • Meeste tieners waardeer en respekteer hulouers.