Exploration of factors that lead to early termination of therapeutic services to sexually abused children at TygerBear Unit. Some children referred to TygerBear Unit because of sexual abuse did not complete their therapeutic intervention programmes and possibly did not receive sufficient time to work through the trauma of sexual abuse. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the factors that result in the early termination of sexually abused children’s therapeutic services at TygerBear Unit. Applied research that is exploratory and descriptive in nature, with the case study method as strategy, was followed. Data were collected through telephonic and/or one-on-one semi-structured interviews, in addition to the use of notes in personal records. Respondents included parents and/or caregivers of children whose therapy was terminated early, as well as social workers involved with play therapeutic service delivery to these children. Information was analysed with reference to the Field Theory, Ecological Theory and the relevant literature. Several factors that influenced parents and/or caregivers to terminate therapeutic services early were identified. / Die verkenning van faktore wat lei tot voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by TygerBeer Eenheid. Sommige kinders wat na TygerBeer Eenheid verwys word weens seksuele mishandeling, voltooi nie hul terapeutiese intervensieprogramme nie. Die kinders is moontlik nie genoeg tyd gegun om deur die trauma van seksuele mishandeling te werk nie. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om faktore te verken en te beskryf wat lei tot die voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by die TygerBeer Eenheid. Toegepaste navorsing van 'n verkennende en beskrywende aard is gebruik, met die gevallestudiemetode as strategie. Data is versamel deur middel van telefoniese en/of een-tot-een semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en persoonlike rekords. Respondente het bestaan uit ouers en/of versorgers wat hul kinders of voogde se terapie voortydig termineer het, asook maatskaplike werkers betrokke by spelterapeutiese dienslewering aan kinders. lnligting is ontleed met verwysing na die Veldteorie en Ekologiese Teorie, asook die relevante literatuur. Verskeie faktore is geidentifiseer wat ouers en/of versorgers noodsaak om terapeutiese dienste voortydig te termineer. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Exploration of factors that lead to early termination of therapeutic services to sexually abused children at TygerBear Unit. Some children referred to TygerBear Unit because of sexual abuse did not complete their therapeutic intervention programmes and possibly did not receive sufficient time to work through the trauma of sexual abuse. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the factors that result in the early termination of sexually abused children’s therapeutic services at TygerBear Unit. Applied research that is exploratory and descriptive in nature, with the case study method as strategy, was followed. Data were collected through telephonic and/or one-on-one semi-structured interviews, in addition to the use of notes in personal records. Respondents included parents and/or caregivers of children whose therapy was terminated early, as well as social workers involved with play therapeutic service delivery to these children. Information was analysed with reference to the Field Theory, Ecological Theory and the relevant literature. Several factors that influenced parents and/or caregivers to terminate therapeutic services early were identified. / Die verkenning van faktore wat lei tot voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by TygerBeer Eenheid. Sommige kinders wat na TygerBeer Eenheid verwys word weens seksuele mishandeling, voltooi nie hul terapeutiese intervensieprogramme nie. Die kinders is moontlik nie genoeg tyd gegun om deur die trauma van seksuele mishandeling te werk nie. Die doel van hierdie kwalitatiewe studie was om faktore te verken en te beskryf wat lei tot die voortydige terminering van terapeutiese dienslewering aan seksueel-mishandelde kinders by die TygerBeer Eenheid. Toegepaste navorsing van 'n verkennende en beskrywende aard is gebruik, met die gevallestudiemetode as strategie. Data is versamel deur middel van telefoniese en/of een-tot-een semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude en persoonlike rekords. Respondente het bestaan uit ouers en/of versorgers wat hul kinders of voogde se terapie voortydig termineer het, asook maatskaplike werkers betrokke by spelterapeutiese dienslewering aan kinders. lnligting is ontleed met verwysing na die Veldteorie en Ekologiese Teorie, asook die relevante literatuur. Verskeie faktore is geidentifiseer wat ouers en/of versorgers noodsaak om terapeutiese dienste voortydig te termineer. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The aim of this study is to get a deeper understanding, from a Swedish context, of how you can do social work with vulnerable and orphaned children in a developing country such as Uganda. We have investigated this through the example WEBALE, an NGO working in a context where among other things HIV/AIDS, poverty and a defective social safety net have led to social problems affecting children. Further, we have also aimed at acquiring a deeper understanding of what it is that motivates the volunteers and the director to work with vulnerable children at WEBALE. In order to fulfil this aim, the research has the following two key questions: What is the motivation for the teacher volunteers and the manager to work with vulnerable children at WEBALE? How do the teacher volunteers perceive the social work with the children in everyday life at WEBALE and what experiences do they have from this? The study is a field study with a phenomenological and ethnological approach. We were present at and took part in the everyday life of the informants at the school and orphanage in Uganda for eight weeks. The investigation uses a qualitative method where four interviews and participant observations were carried out. The results are analyzed in connection with theories on social work defining preventions and interventions, where theories on risk- and protection factors and the salutogenetic theory on SOC have been used. The analysis is also connected to theories on social work with children from a developmental-ecological and attachment-theoretical perspective. The results show what it is that motivates the volunteers and manager to work as volunteers in this specific contest through personal accounts of their background. Our observation is that the motivation of the volunteers and the manager to work with orphaned and vulnerable children is closely connected to their own background and childhood. The biggest reason for this kind of a life choice seems to be a sense of coherence and the largest motivating factor is that the work they do feels meaningful. The results further highlight the social work that is carried out and how the volunteers perceive their work at WEBALE. The study shows that the volunteers (who mainly consist of teachers) carry out what can be called social work, according to the definitions of interventions and preventions within various fields, such as health, education, emotional and behavioural development, ability to take care of oneself, social behaviour, family and social relations, and identity.

Sammanfattning Syftet med studien, som grundar sig i en kvalitativ ansats, är att genom semistrukturerade intervjuer få uppfattning om vilka positiva och negativa aspekter det finns med privatisering av barn- och ungdomsvård. Dessutom grundar sig studien på att upptäcka socialarbetare upplevda skillnader i uppföljningsarbetet hos kommunalt utredda familjehem respektive konsulentstödda familjehem. Utifrån tidigare forskning framgår det att barn och vuxna är väldigt beroende av kontinuitet gällande att träffa samma socialarbetare för att uppleva situationen på ett bra sätt. Stor omsättning av socialarbetare leder till att upplevelsen med dessa inte blir lika bra och att förtroendet för socialarbetaren sjunker.   Genom tematisk analys framkom det att uppföljningen av placerade barn skiljer sig beroende på om barnet är placerat i kommunal eller privat verksamhet. I studien framkommer det att socialtjänsten besitter det yttersta ansvaret för det placerade barnet men saknar insyn i de privata aktörernas arbete. Det finns inte heller någon granskning från IVO gällande de privata verksamheterna. Detta skapar en osäkerhet om barnets behov tillgodoses på rätt sätt. / Abstract The purpose of this study is to get an idea through a qualitative method based in semi-structured interviews of which positive and negative aspects exist with the privatization of child and youth care. In addition, the study is based on discovering social workers perceived differences in the follow-up work of municipally investigated family homes and consultant-supported family homes. Previous research conclude that children and adults are very dependent on continuity in meeting the same social worker to experience the situation in a good way. A high turnover of social workers generates a bad experience and a lack of trust between the social worker and client.  Through thematic analysis, it emerged that the follow-up of placed children differs depending on whether the child is placed in a municipal or private operation. In the study it appears that the social service has the ultimate responsibility for the placed child but lacks insight into the work of the private operations. This creates uncertainty as to whether the child’s needs are being met in the right way.

This research is about bullying in schools. The aim of the study was to investigate how the problem of bullying is understood in schools, its causes, types, effects, general patterns and strategies to curb this bullying problem in schools derived from the bioecological theory, through interviewing teachers, learners and principals at secondary school level. Qualitative approach and a case study were used. This qualitative research was conducted at three inclusive secondary schools in Johannesburg North District in Gauteng province in South Africa through engaging eighteen learners in Grade Eleven and Twelve in focus groups. One focus group composed of six learners was conducted at each of three participating schools. Nine teachers, three from each of the three participating schools were involved in semi- structured interviews to solicit data on how they understand bullying, its causes, types, effects, general patterns and ways of addressing bullying in schools. Three principals, one from each of the selected schools also participated in this study. All the participants participated in this research through invitation to voluntary participation after being made aware of the purposes of the study by the researcher. Thus, a purposive sample of three principals, nine teachers and eighteen learners was used by the researcher. Semi- structured interviews and focus group interviews were used as research instruments in this study. Teachers and principals were engaged in semi- structured interviews and learners were involved in focus group interviews. The bio- ecological theory and the wellness theory were used as theoretical frameworks in this research to understand bullying, its causes, types, effects and general patterns, so as to come up with strategies to address bullying that target the learners’ social contexts rather than the learners themselves as is with the case with the psychological model. Before conducting this research, the researcher obtained ethics clearance from the University of South Africa’s ethics committee, clearance was also obtained from Gauteng Department of, clearance from Johannesburg North District as well as acceptance letters from participating inclusive secondary schools. The researcher also obtained assent from the eighteen Grade eleven and twelve learners who participated in this study. Assent was also obtained from parents of learners who participated in this research. Consent was also obtained from the nine teachers and three principals who participated in this research. After conducting focus group discussions and semi- structured interviews with teachers and principals, the researcher transcribed data verbatim for the purposes of analysing it. After transcribing data, it was colour coded, then categorised and categories were further fused into themes which were discussed in chapter five in relation to literature reviewed in chapter two. Some interesting findings were discovered in this research. Lack of resources, violence and violent video games were found to be causes of bullying in schools. ‘Gangsterism’ and peer influence were said to be general patterns of bullying in schools. Low academic performance and absenteeism were said to be effects of bullying in schools. Physical bullying, verbal bullying, emotional bullying, social bullying, sexual bullying, teacher- learner bullying, learner to learner bullying, gender based bullying and cyber bullying were said to be some types of bullying prevalent in schools. Working with various stakeholders in education such as organisations like Love Life, S.E.N.C.A, South African Police Services and Community Based Youth Centres as well as other professionals like social workers, psychologists and specialist teachers was found to be helpful address bullying in schools. Findings also indicated that involving parents and community leaders in school activities assist to address bullying in schools. Installing cameras and suggestion boxes, reporting all forms of bullying installing cameras, bullying awareness campaigns, training staff and having bullying lessons in the school timetable were mentioned effective methods of eradicating all forms of bullying in all schools. However, the study recommends that, teachers and principals be staff developed on issues related to how bullying is understood in schools in relation to its causes, types, effects, general patterns and strategies to stop it in school. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive education)

No description available.

<p>  </p> <p>A school safety team collaborates with stakeholders to promote and maintain a physically and psychologically safe school environment. Together they must identify safety deficits and prioritize initiatives and practices. This phenomenological qualitative case study examined how a school safety team makes decisions and determines safety outcomes. Individual interviews and a focus group discussion explored how they calibrate what a safety concern is to help prevent violence. Four emergent themes were identified: (1) severity and impact, (2) safety-minded culture, (3) communication and collaboration, and (4) leadership. In addition, the study explored whether one of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems has more influence over the others when validating a concern. This study suggests that the Microsystem is most influential. From these findings, three assertions were proposed to help the school safety team, and building leaders promote safe school practices: (1) The safety team must establish collaborative relationships with stakeholders and develop convenient reporting systems to collect concerns; (2) A school safety team judges a safety concern by the severity and potential impact on the school environment; and (3) Leadership is vital for the school safety team to prepare for, respond to, and address safety concerns. These findings aim to help stakeholders promote and maintain a safe learning environment as they evaluate perceived safety concerns by highlighting areas to focus on to improve the calibration process. Though a school safety team may never know how many times they were right in calibrating a concern, a single error will be well known.</p>

As female adolescents go through the transition phase of adolescence, they respond to a variety of factors influencing their sexual development, for instance, cultural practices, socioeconomic status, media exposure, internet access, increased autonomy to explore their sexuality, as well as quality of care, guidance and supervision by primary caregivers. If they do not get enough guidance from caregivers, teachers or medical clinics, adolescents often fall pregnant. The consequences of unexpected pregnancies prove to be negative on intrapersonal as well as interpersonal levels. There is a need to reduce such pregnancies to give adolescents a better chance in life and to enhance optimal development on individual, social, emotional and moral levels. This study explored female adolescents’ experiences and perceptions of teenage pregnancy in Belfast, Mpumalanga, in South Africa. The researcher tried to make a positive contribution towards reducing the incidence of teenage pregnancy in South Africa, especially in rural, farm and semi-urban settings, through an inductive study of African female adolescents in selected secondary schools. Data were collected through individual in-depth audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with 20 African adolescent girls who were purposefully selected for the study. The researcher used Tesch’s method of analysis to analyse the data collected and to deduce themes and categories. Adolescents mostly fell pregnant, because of changes in sexual interest, emotional experiences, social development dynamics, adolescent thinking patterns and failure to use contraceptives. Teenage pregnancy affected the life-world of adolescents by influencing negatively on their physical health, psycho-emotional wellbeing, moral behaviour, social and school lives. The researcher established that the adolescents, their families, communities and society would continue to face the adverse outcomes of teenage pregnancy if the rates of teenage pregnancy remained unabated. The study therefore recommended collaborative efforts of adults in various governmental and private spheres for prevention of teenage pregnancy and for support of adolescent mothers and their babies during and after early-unexpected pregnancies. Some of the recommendations were: national awareness campaigns to curb teenage pregnancies; the review of the Life Orientation curriculum by the Department of Basic Education; the re-orientation of health delivery services; the positive inputs of teachers and schools; and a re-orientation of the responsibilities of primary caregivers and other adults / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study explores the utilisation of spatial technologies as a tool to analyse and combat crime. The study deals specifically with remote sensing and its potential for being integrated with geographical information systems (GIS). The integrated spatial approach resulted in the understanding of land use class behaviour over time and its relationship to specific crime incidents per police precinct area. The incorporation of spatial technologies to test criminological theories in practice, such as the ecological theories of criminology, provides the science with strategic value. It proves the value of combining multi-disciplinary scientific fields to create a more advanced platform to understand land use behaviour and its relationship to crime. Crime in South Africa is a serious concern and it impacts negatively on so many lives. The fear of crime, the loss of life, the socio-economic impact of crime, etc. create the impression that the battle against crime has been lost. The limited knowledge base within the law enforcement agencies, limited logistical resources and low retention rate of critical staff all contribute to making the reduction of crime more difficult to achieve. A practical procedure of using remote sensing technology integrated with geographical information systems (GIS), overlaid with geo-coded crime data to provide a spatial technological basis to analyse and combat crime, is illustrated by a practical study of the Tshwane municipality area. The methodology applied in this study required multi-skilled resources incorporating GIS and the understanding of crime to integrate the diverse scientific fields into a consolidated process that can contribute to the combating of crime in general. The existence of informal settlement areas in South Africa stresses the socio-economic problems that need to be addressed as there is a clear correlation of land use data with serious crime incidents in these areas. The fact that no formal cadastre exists for these areas, combined with a great diversity in densification and growth of the periphery, makes analysis very difficult without remote sensing imagery. Revisits over time to assess changes in these areas in order to adapt policing strategies will create an improved information layer for responding to crime. Final computerised maps generated from remote sensing and GIS layers are not the only information that can be used to prevent and combat crime. An important recipe for ultimately successfully managing and controlling crime in South Africa is to strategically combine training of the law enforcement agencies in the use of spatial information with police science. The researcher concludes with the hope that this study will contribute to the improved utilisation of spatial technology to analyse and combat crime in South Africa. The ultimate vision is the expansion of the science of criminology by adding an advanced spatial technology module to its curriculum. / Criminology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Criminology)

This study explores the utilisation of spatial technologies as a tool to analyse and combat crime. The study deals specifically with remote sensing and its potential for being integrated with geographical information systems (GIS). The integrated spatial approach resulted in the understanding of land use class behaviour over time and its relationship to specific crime incidents per police precinct area. The incorporation of spatial technologies to test criminological theories in practice, such as the ecological theories of criminology, provides the science with strategic value. It proves the value of combining multi-disciplinary scientific fields to create a more advanced platform to understand land use behaviour and its relationship to crime. Crime in South Africa is a serious concern and it impacts negatively on so many lives. The fear of crime, the loss of life, the socio-economic impact of crime, etc. create the impression that the battle against crime has been lost. The limited knowledge base within the law enforcement agencies, limited logistical resources and low retention rate of critical staff all contribute to making the reduction of crime more difficult to achieve. A practical procedure of using remote sensing technology integrated with geographical information systems (GIS), overlaid with geo-coded crime data to provide a spatial technological basis to analyse and combat crime, is illustrated by a practical study of the Tshwane municipality area. The methodology applied in this study required multi-skilled resources incorporating GIS and the understanding of crime to integrate the diverse scientific fields into a consolidated process that can contribute to the combating of crime in general. The existence of informal settlement areas in South Africa stresses the socio-economic problems that need to be addressed as there is a clear correlation of land use data with serious crime incidents in these areas. The fact that no formal cadastre exists for these areas, combined with a great diversity in densification and growth of the periphery, makes analysis very difficult without remote sensing imagery. Revisits over time to assess changes in these areas in order to adapt policing strategies will create an improved information layer for responding to crime. Final computerised maps generated from remote sensing and GIS layers are not the only information that can be used to prevent and combat crime. An important recipe for ultimately successfully managing and controlling crime in South Africa is to strategically combine training of the law enforcement agencies in the use of spatial information with police science. The researcher concludes with the hope that this study will contribute to the improved utilisation of spatial technology to analyse and combat crime in South Africa. The ultimate vision is the expansion of the science of criminology by adding an advanced spatial technology module to its curriculum. / Criminology and Security Science / D.Litt. et Phil. (Criminology)