The research dealt with the implementation of Gestalt play therapy for the treatment of the sexually abused primary school child who experiences problems to maintain himself. The need for research on the theme originated from the researcher's experience with sexually abused primary school children. The aim of the research was to render therapeutic support to the primary school child through Gestalt play therapy, in order to explore the influence of such support on the child's maintaining behaviour. The applied research design was used for this purpose. For the purpose of the research, one sexually abused child who experienced problems to maintain himself was identified by means of purposeful sampling. During each Gestalt play therapy session the child was brought into contact with his senses. Conclusions as well as recommendations were formulated as a result of the research. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The aim of this study was to determine the value of Gestalt Play Therapy with the aggressive child in middle childhood. Literature regarding the different etiological theories on aggression, as well as the physical, cognitive, emotional, social and moral development of the aggressive child in his middle childhood was explored. The main concepts in Gestalt Play Therapy were discussed, followed by an outline of an intervention programme with the aggressive child in middle childhood in order to set objectives and establish a structure for the case study. The empirical part of the study was divided into a qualitative component consisting of the case study and unstructured interviews with the parent and teacher of the participant, while the participant's level of aggression before and after intervention was determined quantitatively by means of the Aggression Questionnaire of Buss and Perry. Analysis of the results showed a reduction in the level of anger, verbal and physical aggression and hostility of the participant. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

In South Africa the Center for Child Youth and Family Studies is training practitioners yearly to work as play therapists from a gestalt approach. Once these practitioners successfully complete their training and qualify they could begin practicing play therapy from a gestalt approach. Each of these recently qualified play therapists is then responsible for organising and committing to their own supervision. Therapists who do not attend supervision risk stagnation and burn out due to a lack of positive interaction in relation to receiving knowledge and support from those more experienced in gestalt play therapy and from their peers. At present there is a perceived lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach particularly for those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach that are geographically distant from the areas where training takes place. This study sought to answer the question of what supervision resources are currently available to recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach in South Africa. In order to answer this question combined quantitative and qualitative research approaches were used. An internet survey questionnaire was completed by recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach which formed part of the quantitative section of the research. Structured interviews were conducted via Skype with professionals experienced in the field of Gestalt therapy theory and supervision from a gestalt approach and this formed part of the qualitative section of the research. Overall the results from the merged data indicate a lack of supervisors qualified to give supervision based on a gestalt approach. This factor contributes to the overall lack of supervision resources based on a gestalt approach for recently qualified play therapists working from this approach. Geographical distance from supervision resources places financial and time constraints on recently qualified play therapists that prevent them from accessing supervision based on a gestalt approach. Despite this results indicate those recently qualified play therapists working from a gestalt approach are attempting to meet their responsibility and requirement for supervision. / Psychology / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The research dealt with the influence that gestalt group therapy may have on the emotional development of deprived toddlers. The research consisted of a literature study and an empirical study. The literature study contains information on groupwork and emotional development of the toddler. The empirical research was conducted by involving six toddlers in a group. They were identified by means of purposive sampling. A pre-test was done with each child to determine their emotional development. After six group sessions of 30 minutes each, a post-test (using the same test as for the pre-test) was done with each child. The pre-test and post-test results were compared with each other. The content of each session were examined and also included in the findings. Empirical data revealed that gestalt group therapy can stimulate the emotional development of deprived toddlers. The conclusion can thus be made that gestalt group therapy can stimulate the emotional development of deprived toddlers. As a result of this study, conclusions and recommendations for future research were formulated. AFRIKAANS : Die ondersoek was daarop gerig om te bepaal of die benutting van gestaltgroepspelterapie die emosionele ontwikkeling van die gedepriveerde kleuter kan stimuleer. Die ondersoek het bestaan uit 'n literatuurstudie sowel as empiriese navorsing. Die literatuurstudie is gedoen ten opsigte van groepwerk en die kleuter se emosionele ontwikDie empiriese deel van die ondersoek is uitgevoer deur ses kleuters deur middel van doelgerigte steekproeftrekking by die groep in te sluit. 'n Voortoets om die emosionele ontwikkeling van die kleuters te bepaal, is gedoen. Daarna is ses gestaltgroepwerksessies van 30 minute elk uitgevoer. Dieselfde toets as wat vir die voortoets benut is, is weer aan die kleuters gegee en die resultate is met mekaar vergelyk. Die inligting uit die sessies is ook genoteer en benut. Uit die empiriese gegewens het dit geblyk dat daar wel emosionele ontwikkeling by die kleuters plaasgevind het. Die gevolgtrekking kan dus gemaak word dat gestaltgroepspelterapie benut kan word om gedepriveerde kleuters se emosionele ontwikkeling te stimuleer. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing is na aanleiding van die studie geformuleer. keling. Copyright / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie, adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, bewus te maak van hulself, ten einde hul toe te rus om hul lewenssituasie meer toereikend te hanteer. Daar is veral gefokus op die aspekte van die Gestaltterapeutiese proses wat die bewustheidsvlakke van die adolessente verhoog het. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is die navorsing kwalitatief benader, spesifiek deur ‘n deeglike literatuurstudie en die beskrywing van individuele en groepsgevallestudies. Die informasie is ontleed deur die data-spiraal analise. Vanuit die informasie wat verkry is, deur die integrasie van die literatuur en die empiriese ondersoek, kon die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie met adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, verken en in diepte beskryf word. / The main purpose of this study was to utilize Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems, to make them aware of themselves, in order to equip them to handle their life situation more effectively. The focus were specifically on that aspects of the Gestalt therapeutic approach that increase the levels of awareness. In order to achieve this goal the research was approached qualitatively, specifically through a thorough literature study and the describing of individual and group case studies. The information was processed and analised by using the data-spiral analysis. From this information it was possible to explore and describe the utilization value of Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om deur die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie, adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, bewus te maak van hulself, ten einde hul toe te rus om hul lewenssituasie meer toereikend te hanteer. Daar is veral gefokus op die aspekte van die Gestaltterapeutiese proses wat die bewustheidsvlakke van die adolessente verhoog het. Ten einde hierdie doel te bereik is die navorsing kwalitatief benader, spesifiek deur ‘n deeglike literatuurstudie en die beskrywing van individuele en groepsgevallestudies. Die informasie is ontleed deur die data-spiraal analise. Vanuit die informasie wat verkry is, deur die integrasie van die literatuur en die empiriese ondersoek, kon die benutting van Gestaltspelterapie met adolessente wat gedragsprobleme openbaar, verken en in diepte beskryf word. / The main purpose of this study was to utilize Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems, to make them aware of themselves, in order to equip them to handle their life situation more effectively. The focus were specifically on that aspects of the Gestalt therapeutic approach that increase the levels of awareness. In order to achieve this goal the research was approached qualitatively, specifically through a thorough literature study and the describing of individual and group case studies. The information was processed and analised by using the data-spiral analysis. From this information it was possible to explore and describe the utilization value of Gestalt Play therapy with adolescents that display behavior problems. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)

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.

The research deals with the empowerment of adolescent victims of family violence. The purpose of the study was to give an account of the therapeutic intervention process of two case studies, by means of a descriptive, qualitative type of research. This research was executed via semi-structured interviews by the researcher. The population in the study was limited to adolescent victims between the age of twelve to eighteen years, who are victims of family violence. The sample in this study was two respondents. The children are students at a high school in Roodepoort. After completion of the empiric study it was concluded that the adolescent who is exposed to family violence, is empowered if a therapeutic process - like the one suggested by Oaklander (1994:289) which applies gestalt play therapeutic techniques - is followed. As clearly shown in the literature, the researcher came to the conclusion that family violence has a destructive effect on the adolescent and that he can be empowered by gestalt play therapy. OPSOMMING Die navorsing handel oor die bemagtiging van adolessente slagoffers van gesinsgeweld. Die doel van die studie was om deur middel van 'n beskrywende, kwalitatiewe tipe navorsing die terapeutiese intervensieproses van twee gevallestudies te beskryf. Hierdie navorsing het met behulp van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudvoering geskied. Die populasie in die studie was begrens tot adolessente slagoffers tussen die ouderdom twaalf tot agtien jaar wat slagoffers van gesinsgeweld is. Die steekproef in hierdie studie was twee respondente. Die kinders is verbonde aan 'n hoërskool te Roodepoort. Daar is na afloop van die empiriese studie tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat indien 'n terapeutiese proses - soos wat deur Oaklander (1994:289) voorgestel word met die benutting van gestaltspelterapeutiese tegnieke - deurloop word, die adolessent wat aan gesinsgeweld blootgestel word, bemagtig word. Soos ook uit die literatuur duidelik blyk, het die navorser die afleiding gemaak dat gesinsgeweld vernietigend op die adolessent inwerk en dat hy deur gestaltspelterapie bemagtig kan word. / Social work / MDIAC (PLAY THERAPY)

This study aimed to test the efficacy of the memory box as a medium in Gestalt Therapy, specifically within a therapeutic group with AIDS orphans in the middle childhood phase of development. The aim was to explore and describe the utilisation of the memory box, as a medium for telling one's story, within the safety of the Gestalt play therapy group. It was felt that the increased self-awareness fostered by belonging to a supportive group could enhance self-concept. The research included qualitative and quantitative data. Theoretical and the meta-theoretical assumptions affecting children, in the middle childhood phase, orphaned through HIV/AIDS, were reviewed. The group sessions were described and the data obtained from the pre and post-test was graphically illustrated. The information was then compared to ascertain whether the objectives had been met. Results show that the memory box, used in Gestalt play therapy groups, with AIDS orphans was effective. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Divorce is a prominent phenomenon that affects thousands of children in South Africa. The point of departure for this research is that children in divorce situations require therapeutic guidance in order to manage their experience of loss. The research problem formulated was concerned with the lack of guidelines for Gestalt play therapists to address those losses experienced by children during the latency period. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to provide a guideline in order to ensure a meaningful therapeutic experience for children in the latency period. In order to reach this goal, the research process was guided by qualitative research. Triangulation was used as a data collection technique, in order to achieve this goal of investigating children who experience loss and behavioural responses. The value and suitability of Gestalt therapy during the therapeutic management process was examined. Stemming from the process and integration of results obtained in the empirical investigation, guidelines consisting of six diverse phases were developed and explicated. The goal of the research was therefor achieved with the application of: A guideline for Gestalt play therapists in addressing loss through divorce in children in the latency period. / Social work / M. Diac. (Spelterapie)