Summary in Afrikaans and English / Although the rights of children in South Africa are being regulated by legislation, statistics prove that statutory services on behalf of children annually increase. Scientific accountable information regarding the child can be obtained by the assessment of the child. The purpose of this investigation was to identify the gaps in the existing assessment guidelines, as well as the needs of social workers regarding assessments. The sequential exploratory strategy was utilized, as quantitative data supported qualitative findings. The investigation showed that minimal assessment literature is available in South Africa and internationally, although assessment is the basis evidence of the social worker. The biggest gap in assessment guidelines is that assessment does not carry weight in the court. There is a need for social workers to be trained in relevant assessment skills based on a specific frame of reference. Gestalt therapy can provide a suitable theoretical frame of reference for assessment, and can serve as scientific foundation for social workers during the statutory process. A framework for an assessment guideline was thus proposed. / Ten spyte daarvan dat die regte van kinders in Suid-Afrika deur wette gereguleer word, bewys statistiek dat statutere dienste aan kinders jaarliks toeneem. Wetenskaplik verantwoordbare inligting ten opsigte van die kind kan bekom word deur die kind te assesseer. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om leemtes wat in bestaande assesseringsriglyne is vas te stel, asook die behoeftes wat by maatskaplike werkers ten opsigte van assessering bestaan. Die opeenvolgende verkennende strategie is tydens hierdie ondersoek gevolg, aangesien kwantitatiewe data gebruik is om die kwalitatiewe bevindings te ondersteun. Die ondersoek het getoon dat min literatuur ten opsigte van assessering in Suid-Afrika en internasionaal beskikbaar is, ten spyte daarvan dat assessering die basis van die getuienis van die maatskaplike werker vorm. Die grootste leemte wat in assesseringsriglyne ge'identifiseer is, is die feit dat assessering nie gewig in die hof dra nie. 'n Behoefte ten opsigte van opleiding in toepaslike assesseringsvaardighede vanuit 'n spesifieke teoretiese verwysingsraamwerk bestaan. Gestaltterapie kan 'n teoretiese verwysingsraamwerk vir assessering bied en kan dien as wetenskaplike fundering vir optrede van maatskaplike werkers tydens die statutere proses. 'n Raamwerk vir 'n assesseringsriglyn is voorgestel. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Summaries in English and Afrikaans / Any loss in an adolescent's life may lead to shattered dreams. Therapists, who work with adolescents who have experienced a loss must support and guide them to develop an awareness of their needs, impulses and dreams. Therapists must furthermore be aware of the factors that contributed to a turning point for the adolescents who managed to recreate their dreams. Adolescents' dreams are influenced by the current circumstances in South Africa, as well as their parents' perceptions and parenting styles. The loss of what could have been, after a loss, must also be addressed. The gestalt therapist establishes the process of awareness in the here-and-now. Furthermore, the adolescent must be guided to accept responsibility for his own choices and to purposeful create a new life dream. / Enige verlies in adolessente se lewens kan lei tot verbrokkelde lewensdrome. Terapeute wat werk met adolessente wat 'n verlies ervaar het, moet hul ondersteun en begelei sodat hulle bewustheid kan ontwikkel van hul behoeftes, drange en drome. Terapeute moet verder bewus wees van die faktore wat 'n keerpunt meegebring het by die adolessente wat wei hul drome kon herskep. Adolessente se lewensdrome word beinvloed deur die huidige omstandighede in Suid-Afrika, sowel as deur hul ouers se persepsies en ouerskapstyl. Die verlies aan dit wat kon wees, na afloop van 'n verlies moet dus ook aangespreek word. Die gestaltterapeut bewerkstellig die bewusmakingsproses in die hier-en-nou. Verder moet die adolessent gelei word om verantwoordelikheid te neem vir sy eie keuses en om doelbewus 'n nuwe lewensdroom te skep. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Every child has the constitutional right to be protected from maltreatment, neglect or abuse. However, contrasting every child's constitutional right is the escalating worldwide prevalence of child sexual abuse. The incidence of child sexual abuse must be reduced as far as possible by a multi-faceted approach, including effective prevention programmes which facilitate disclosure and empower children. Since insufficient South African research on prevention programmes and preventative measures are available, the primary aim of the study was to develop a board game which can foster the prevention of sexual abuse of children. Scientifically, the motivation for the study was based on the improved understanding of the educational impact of a board game as primary prevention tool. The researcher developed the HOOC board game as part of the Hands Off Our Children Campaign. The board game, being practical and educational, has the goal of teaching children self-protective behaviours that can lower their probability of being abused. A representative sample of 1697 grade four learners, nine to twelve years of age, were selected from the Metropole East region. In order to determine the educational impact of the HOOC board game, the results of the children on the Children's Knowledge of Abuse Questionnaire-Revised (CKAQ-RIII) in the experimental and control groups were compared. The experimental group (n=407) received the board game as intervention. The control group (n=1290) did not receive any intervention. Performance on the test were also compared with gender and ethnicity. According to the obtained results, the HOOC board game correlated with the improvement of knowledge in an acceptable manner. No significant correlations were found between the scores of the tests and gender. The gender of a learner had no significant impact on the learner's ability to learn and retain information. A significant correlation was found between the difference in scores on the tests and the ethnic grouping of learners. It therefore seems that the ethnicity of a learner relates to the improvement of knowledge. Considering the overall results of the study, the use of the HOOC board game as preventative measure against the sexual abuse of grade four learners is acceptable. The HOOC board game offers a significant and valid preventative measure for sexual abuse of children in the middle age group within the South African context. / Practical Theology / D. Diac.

This explorative case study was undertaken to uncover how transformative self-discoveries were facilitated through Gestalt playtherapy, enabling agency of a single pre-school participant. Data were captured around the participant's baseline agentic status; emerging agency, facilitated trough the intervention and post-intervention agentic status. A content analysis aided thematic coding. Theme 1 identified inherent agency trends and the agency blocks "what is that". Theme 2 dealt with patterns of active resistance "I don't want to feel / I don't want to know". Theme 3 captured enhanced agentic behaviour "I can and I understand". Through the intervention the participant's entrapped agency was unleashed, leading to an awareness of her `being', enabling her `doing' and thereby allowing her to `become'. Enabled agency increased the participant's active involvement in her life and her engagement in developmental tasks was increased. Implications of the findings support further investigation and application of this intervention. / Educational Studies / M. Diac (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / In this study Gestalttechniques within a group work-program as intervention was used to bring awaiting-trail youth in detention in contact with themselves and to broaden their awareness. The goal of the research is to determine if the Gestalt groupworkprogram have a influence on the self-image and general satisfaction of the awaiting-trail adolescent. To reach the above goal the researcher used applied research. Standardised measure-instruments as well as observation was used. Gestaltgroupwork can be implemented with great success in residential institutions like secure care facilities for children. / In hierdie studie is Gestalttegnieke binne 'n groepwerkprogram benut as intervensie, om die verhoorafwagtende jeugdige in aanhouding weer in kontak te bring met homself en om sy bewustheidskontinuum te vergroot. Die doel van die navorsing was om te bepaal of die Gestaltgroepwerkprogram 'n invloed sal he op die selfbeeld en algemene tevredenheid van die verhoorafwagtende adolessent. Om bogenoemde te bereik het die navorser toegepaste navorsing onderneem en het van sowel waarneming as gestandaardiseerde meetinstrumente gebruik gemaak. Die teoretiese onderbou van die behandelingsprogram wat gebruik is spruit uit die Gestaltterapie en kan met groot sukses geimplementeer word in residensiele inrigtings soos bewaarsorgsentrums vir kinders. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Spelterapie)

Emotional abuse is present in all forms of abuse and neglect, which implies that emotional abuse has a devastating impact on all the developmental factors of the pre-adolescent in the phase where he is striving towards independence and where his relations towards his environment are crucial. The Gestalt approach forms the basis for this recommended program, and makes provision for a holistic approach, which brings the child in contact with himself, his environment and his perception there of. The study focuses on a descriptive research methodology and according to the first five phases of the intervention research design, developed a play therapeutically program for the emotionally hurt pre-adolescent within the Gestalt approach. A literature study was undertaken to establish a theoretic perspective on the following aspects:  The impact of emotional abuse on the pre-adolescent within the boundaries of the family system.  The influence of abuse on the development of the pre-adolescent and how a child can be assisted through play therapy.  A theoretic foundation of the Gestalt approach and the application of this approach within the theoretic play therapeutic process with the pre-adolescent. The above mentioned theoretic perspective answered the first research question. An empirical survey was done to supplement the literature study. A qualitative study was done and the play therapeutic program was implemented. The program was implemented through eight sessions and by utilizing eight activity forms. Through this process direct, systematic and participant observation could be recorded directly on the activity form, which took the format of a case study. The above mentioned empirical research and measuring scales answered the second research question. As a result of the study the conclusion was reached that a play therapeutic program for the emotionally hurt pre-adolescent within the Gestalt approach can be successfully implemented and that the pre-adolescent can be empowered by the use of this program. Two measuring scales confirmed the results of this program. Recommendations with regard to the content of the program as well as further research as a result of the conclusions were formulated. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D.Diac (Play Therapy)

In Gestalplaytherapy there is a need for guidelines with a pastoral perspective for the child that is experiencing loss. This research is undertaken to set Gestaltplaytherapeutic guidelines with a pastoral perspective for the therapeutic intervention of the primary school child who is experiencing loss due to the death of a loved one. The study consulted relevant literature and compared the literature study with experience acquired in practice. The impact of the loss that the child is experiencing has an influence on the child as a whole. The researcher has found that the Christian child's experience of loss due to the death of a loved one is influenced greatly by the child's spiritual experience. For this reason it is necessary that Gestaltplaytherapy includes a pastoral approach within the therapeutic setting when working with a child experiencing loss due to the death of a loved one. / In Gestaltspelterapie is daar 'n leemte aan riglyne vanuit 'n pastorale perspektief wat die kind wat verlies ervaar kan begelei. Hierdie navorsing het ten doel om Gestalspelterapeutiese riglyne met 'n pastorale perspektief daar te stel vir die hantering van die laerskoolkind wat verlies ervaar as gevolg van die dood van 'n geliefde. Die studie ondersoek die kind se geestelike belewing van verlies deur middel van navorsing in relevante literatuur en vergelyk dit met praktiese ervaring wat opgedoen is in die praktyk. Die impak van die verlies wat die laerskoolkind ervaar as gevolg van die dood van 'n geliefde raak sy totale menswees. Die navorser het waargeneem dat die Christenkind se ervaring en verwerking van die dood van 'n geliefde ook deur sy geestelike belewing beinvloed word. Daarom is dit nodig dat die kind wat verlies ervaar ook op die pastorale vlak binne die Gestaltspelterapeutiese opset hanteer word. / Social work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / This study is aimed at the development of a guiding framework for fathers and their adolescent sons by focusing on male identity as the main binding factor in the relationship between father a and son. The establishment, as well as the confusion regarding male identity, have been stated as starting point and problem statement of the study. The need regarding the way in which the father and son can be guided within this dynamic relationship in order to establish male identity, has been stated as motivation for the study. The need regarding the guidance of fathers and their sons was thus the primary aim with the research question, namely what the most applicable factors in a guiding framework should be that would guide fathers and their sons in order to support the formation of male identity within the sons. The research methodology that has been followed, was from a Gestalt perspective as meta theoretical assumption from which qualitative, explorative and descriptive strategies were followed. The qualitative strategy consisted of an auto-ethnography and semi-structured interviews. The trustworthiness of the research has been strengthened by a quantitative component of the research by utilizing questionnaires, after which data was collected and analysed. A purposive sample was drawn that included respondents from the Drakenstein municipal area in the Boland district. Categories that were identified from data from the semi-structured interviews, as well as indicators from the questionnaires, have been integrated, from which propositions were constructed. Six themes and resulting guiding strategies were presented in the form of a guiding framework. / Hierdie studie is gerig op die ontwikkeling van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk vir vaders en hulle adolessente seuns deur te fokus op manlike identiteit as die samebindende faktor in die verhouding tussen vader en seun. Die vestiging, asook die verwarring ten opsigte van manlike identiteit, is as vertrekpunt en probleemstelling vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte ten opsigte van die manier waarop vader en seun binne hierdie dinamiese verhouding begelei kan word ten einde manlike identiteit te vestig, is as motivering vir die studie gestel. Die behoefte aan begeleiding vir vaders en huile seuns was dus die primere doel met 'n navorsingsvraag, naamlik wat die mees toepaslike faktore sal wees wat in 'n begeleidingsraamwerk aan vaders en hulle seuns leiding sal bied ten einde die vorming van manlike identiteit by die seuns te ondersteun. Die navorsingsmetodologie wat gevolg is, was vanuit die Gestaltperspekief as metateoretiese aanname waaruit kwalitatiewe, verkennende en beskrywende strategies gevolg is. Die kwalitatiewe strategie het bestaan uit 'n outoetnografie en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die vertrouenswaardigheid van die navorsing is deur 'n kwantitatiewe komponent van die navorsing versterk deur vraelyste te benut waarna data ingesamel en geanaliseer is. 'n Doelgerigte steekproef is getrek, wat respondente ingesluit het uit die Drakenstein munisipale gebied in die Boland distrik. Kategoriee wat vanuit die data van die semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude geidentifiseer is, asook indikatore vanuit die vraelyste, is geintegreer waaruit proposisies saamgestel is. Ses temas en voortspruitende begeleidingstrategiee is aangebied in die vorm van 'n begeleidingsraamwerk. / Social Work / D.Diac. (Spelterapie)

Dyslexia is a difficulty in learning to read and write, with many implications for the children because of emotional and behavioral problems. The suspicion that they might experience problems with sensory integration as well, is confirmed in the literature. The purpose of sensory stimulation in Gestalt playtherapy is to raise the level of awareness of themselves and in this research, playtherapy was done with three primary school children with dyslexia. Information was further obtained through a literature study, semi-structured interviews and observations. It was clear that the sensory stimulation was part of the therapeutic sessions and led to thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. The qualitative characteristics which the sensations had for the children were observed and confirmed by the literature. Conclusions and recommendations were made according to the objectives of the study and this research made an important contribution to understanding the sensory awareness of children with dyslexia. Opsomming Disleksie is `n leergeremdheid met baie implikasies vir die kinders en wat kan lei tot emosionele en gedragsprobleme omdat hulle nie altyd aanvaar word deur hul portuurgroep nie. Die vermoede dat kinders met disleksie ook probleme ondervind met sensoriese integrasie, is in die literatuur bevestig. In hierdie navorsing is Gestaltspelterapie gedoen met drie laerskool kinders met disleksie om die kinders se bewussynsvlak van hulself te verhoog. Inligting is verder ingesamel deur `n literatuurstudie, waarneming en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met kundiges en ouers. Die kwalitatiewe kenmerke wat die sensasies vir die kinders gehad het is waargeneem en dit was duidelik dat die sensoriese stimulasie wat deel van die spelterapiesessies was, aanleiding gegee het tot voorgrondse gedagtes, gevoelens en gedrag. Hierdie waarnemings is in die literatuur bevestig en gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings is volgens die doelwitte gemaak. Gevolglik het hierdie navorsing `n belangrike bydrae gelewer om die sensoriese belewenis van kinders met disleksie beter te verstaan. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Spelterapie)

In this study focus is placed on the Impact of the Namibian judiciary system on the sexually-abused child witness and recommendations were made to criminal justice professionals. A literature study was undertaken to establish a grounded theoretical perspective. A single case study was done to evaluate how the Gestalt Play Therapy Process can be applied to mitigate some of the negative effects the judicial system has on the child witness. An empirical study was done and a qualitative approach was utilised. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with children, their parents and criminal justice professionals. Major findings of this study are that the Namibian criminal justice system leads to further traumatization of the sexually-abused child witness and that the Gestalt Play Therapy approach can be applied to make the court proceedings less traumatic and even therapeutic for the child witness. Recommendations were formulated for criminal justice professionals / In hierdie verhandeling is gefokus op die impak van die Namibiese regstelsel op die seksueel-misbruikte kindergetuie en daar word aanbevelings gedoen aan professionele persone in die kriminele regstelsel. 'n Literatuurstudie is gedoen om 'n grondige toeretiese perspektief daar te stel. 'n Enkele gevallestudie is uitgevoer om te evalueer hoe die Gestalt Spelterapieproses toegepas kan word om die hofverrigtinge vir die kind minder traumaties te maak. 'n Empiriese studie is gedoen en 'n kwalitatiewe benadering is gebruik. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevoer met kinders, hulle ouers en professionele persone wat met seksueel-misbruikte kindergetuies werk. In die studie is bevind dat die Namibiese regstelsel addisionele trauma veroorsaak vir die kindergetuie en dat die Getaltspelterapiebenadering gebruik kan word om die hofervaring minder traumaties en selfs terapeuties te kan maak vir die kindergetuie. Aanbevelings is gedoen aan professionele persone wat met kindergetuies werk. / Social work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)