A qualitative research design that is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature was employed in order to understand and describe the factors that predispose children to be in conflict with the law and to develop guidelines to support these children. The data-collection techniques were individual semi-structured interviews and field notes. The sample consisted of eight (8) children who volunteered to be interviewed. The theme that emerged during data collection and analysis was the factors that predispose children to break the law. Five categories were identified in this theme, namely * Personal factors * Family factors * Community factors * Police service factors and * Education factors It is recommended that all the institutions involved in the provision and maintenance of the child's mental health be involved in the implementation of the guidelines. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The aim of this study is to explore the experiences and evaluations of young male offenders who were diverted to family group conferencing in order to improve current services. An exploratory research design was chosen to obtain an understanding of what these young male offenders experienced during their conferencing and also to seek out their recommendations for future improvement of the family group conferencing diversion programme. This study comprised two samples which were purposively selected. The first sample was made up of ten young male offenders and the second sample comprised of the parents and /or guardians of the young male offenders. The data was collected using structured interview schedules. The data was collected on separate occasions for the two samples. Each interview lasted about 30- 40 minutes each. The findings of this study showed that there is still a need to train probation officers on appropriate implementation of family group conferencing and that families also have a role to play towards succefull implementation of diversion programmes. It is evident from the findings that young offenders need their families to support and care for them during difficult situations, as purported by the systems theory whereby society is regarded as a system with different parts and families are an important part of this system. Young offenders belong to families and families are part of communities and society. It is also important to note that victims are part of families, thus also part of society and the system. Family group conferencing provide an opportunity for all these parts to meet in a mediated environment to address the harm caused and make amends. The findings of this study also showed that there is a need to educate the general public about child justice legislation and the emerging trends in the field of child justice including diversion programmes.

Many young people in South Africa are involved in crime, especially violent crime. This statement is supported by statistics obtained from the Annual Report (2013:37) of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services which indicates that 26 282 young people were serving sentences in South African Correctional Centres at the end of the 2012/13 financial year. This annual report of the Department of Correctional Services (2013:13) indicates that at the time of the report, 11 000 offenders were sentenced to life imprisonment and a third of them were youth offenders. The majority of these young people have to be transferred from juvenile facilities to adult centres to continue their incarceration when they turn twenty one. This transition holds a number of challenges, both for these young people and the Department of Correctional Services. Young people are confronted with the reality of possibly falling victim to HIV/AIDS, gangs, sodomy and rape in overcrowded, adult correctional facilities. The Department of Correctional Services encounters problems in assisting these young people to adjust to this transition and the protection of these young people from assault and abuse by older inmates remains an institutional concern. The main aims of this research are to examine: the age at which juveniles are transferred to adult correctional centre to continue with their sentences; the factors taken into account before transfer; the challenges faced by youth offenders in adult correctional centre; and the needs of youth offenders in adult correctional facility. The study addresses the following questions: • At what age are youth offenders transferred to adult correctional centre? • What other factors besides age are considered before youth are transferred to adult correctional centre? • Are there any preparatory measures in place to assist youth with the transfer? • Are there any induction programmes available to assist youth adjusting in adult correctional facility? • What are the challenges faced by youth in adult facility? • What are the needs of youth offenders in adult facility? / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminology)

Many young people in South Africa are involved in crime, especially violent crime. This statement is supported by statistics obtained from the Annual Report (2013:37) of the Judicial Inspectorate for Correctional Services which indicates that 26 282 young people were serving sentences in South African Correctional Centres at the end of the 2012/13 financial year. This annual report of the Department of Correctional Services (2013:13) indicates that at the time of the report, 11 000 offenders were sentenced to life imprisonment and a third of them were youth offenders. The majority of these young people have to be transferred from juvenile facilities to adult centres to continue their incarceration when they turn twenty one. This transition holds a number of challenges, both for these young people and the Department of Correctional Services. Young people are confronted with the reality of possibly falling victim to HIV/AIDS, gangs, sodomy and rape in overcrowded, adult correctional facilities. The Department of Correctional Services encounters problems in assisting these young people to adjust to this transition and the protection of these young people from assault and abuse by older inmates remains an institutional concern. The main aims of this research are to examine: the age at which juveniles are transferred to adult correctional centre to continue with their sentences; the factors taken into account before transfer; the challenges faced by youth offenders in adult correctional centre; and the needs of youth offenders in adult correctional facility. The study addresses the following questions: • At what age are youth offenders transferred to adult correctional centre? • What other factors besides age are considered before youth are transferred to adult correctional centre? • Are there any preparatory measures in place to assist youth with the transfer? • Are there any induction programmes available to assist youth adjusting in adult correctional facility? • What are the challenges faced by youth in adult facility? • What are the needs of youth offenders in adult facility? / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminology)

The problem that motivated the study was that the way in which juvenile sex offenders are configuring themselves, and the way that self-development is currently understood, potentially has negative implications for the way they may be treated in therapy. The Gestalt paradigm was the lens through which this phenomenon was explored. The research method was from a qualitative perspective and was an explorative and descriptive analysis of the factors that contribute to this self-configuration. Data was collected by way of unstructured and semi-structured interviews and systematically represented by the emergent themes. Results showed the factors that contribute to the self-configuration of the juvenile sex offender. Recommendations were made to the juveniles, their caretakers and the social workers. The researcher concluded that the Gestalt approach to self-configuration, with its emphasis on the field and relationships, provides a coherent lens through which to approach the phenomenon of juvenile sex offenders. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The problem that motivated the study was that the way in which juvenile sex offenders are configuring themselves, and the way that self-development is currently understood, potentially has negative implications for the way they may be treated in therapy. The Gestalt paradigm was the lens through which this phenomenon was explored. The research method was from a qualitative perspective and was an explorative and descriptive analysis of the factors that contribute to this self-configuration. Data was collected by way of unstructured and semi-structured interviews and systematically represented by the emergent themes. Results showed the factors that contribute to the self-configuration of the juvenile sex offender. Recommendations were made to the juveniles, their caretakers and the social workers. The researcher concluded that the Gestalt approach to self-configuration, with its emphasis on the field and relationships, provides a coherent lens through which to approach the phenomenon of juvenile sex offenders. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and to compare it with the self-concept of non-delinquent adolescents. The aspects of the self and their role in self-concept formation were outlined. Psychosocial and moral development were discussed, as well as factors that affect moral development. Juvenile delinquency was studied. Poverty and lack of parental care stood out as the main causes of juvenile delinquency. The South African juvenile justice system was also investigated. The Adolescent Self-concept Scale was administered to 20 delinquent and 20 nondelinquent adolescents. The results revealed that there is a significant difference between the self-concept of juvenile delinquents and that of non-delinquents. The delinquent group was found to have a low general self-concept. In order to determine how delinquent behaviour influences the self-concept and vice versa, one respondent from the delinquent group was randomly selected and an indepth study was carried out. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (with specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (MSocialWork)--Stellenbosch University, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Juvenile delinquency is currently reaching alarming proportions and the number of juveniles within the prison population is on the increase. The crimes committed by male juvenile offenders, are often of an aggressive nature and include crimes such as murder and rape. The high rate of crime and the nature of the offences make it essential for social work services to be rendered to the juvenile offender. The purpose of the study was to establish guidelines for the social worker with the male juvenile offender in the Department of Correctional Services. The literature study dealt with the development of the juvenile offender as adolescent and a profile of the offender was compiled. Those factors both within the family and in the environment that contribute to criminal behaviour in the male juvenile offender were discussed. Furthermore the social work intervention process based on behaviour therapy was described. An exploratory descriptive study was undertaken in order to determine the knowledge that social workers have with regard to social work intervention to the male juvenile offender. An empirical study was done based on the literature study. A sample comprised of ten social workers that work with juvenile offenders at the youth centres of the Department of Correctional Services were involved in the study. With the help of the empirical study the knowledge and skills of social workers regarding the nature of social work intervention to the juvenile was examined. The findings of the study reveal that social workers require more knowledge on the development of the juvenile offender and on those factors that contribute to criminal behaviour, as well as skills with regard to the social work intervention process with the male juvenile offender. In order to render effective social work intervention to male juvenile offenders, social workers must possess adequate knowledge about the juvenile offender and about the skills needed to apply the social work intervention process. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Jeugmisdaad neem tans geweldige afmetings aan en die gevangenisbevolking neem toe. Die misdade wat deur manlike jeugoortreders gepleeg word, is dikwels aggressief van aard en sluit misdade soos moord en verkragting in. Die hoë voorkoms van misdaad en die aard van die oortredings noodsaak dat maatskaplike werk dienste aan die jeugoortreder gelewer sal word. Die doel van die studie was om riglyne daar te stel vir die maatskaplike werker in die Departement Korrektiewe Dienste wat met die manlike jeugoortreder werk. Die literatuurstudie het gehandel oor die ontwikkeling van die jeugoortreder as adolessent en 'n profiel van die jeugoortreder is saamgestel. Die faktore in die gesin en in die omgewing wat aanleiding gee tot misdaadgedrag by die manlike jeugoortreder, is bespreek. Voorts is die maatskaplike werk intervensieproses aan die hand van gedragsterapie beskryf. 'n Verkennende-beskrywende studie is onderneem om die kennis van maatskaplike werkers ten opsigte van maatskaplike werk intervensie aan die manlike jeugoortreder te bepaal. 'n Empiriese studie gegrond op die literatuurstudie is gedoen. 'n Steekproef bestaande uit tien maatskaplike werkers wat by jeugsentrums van die Departement Korrektiewe Dienste met jeugoortreders werk, is by die ondersoek betrek. Met behulp van die empiriese ondersoek is die kennis en vaardighede van maatskaplike werkers rakende die aard van maatskaplike werk intervensie aan die jeugoortreder ondersoek. Die bevindinge van die ondersoek toon dat maatskaplike werkers meer kennis benodig oor die ontwikkeling van die jeugoortreder en die aanleidende faktore tot misdaadgedrag, asook oor vaardighede ten opsigte van die maatskaplike werk intervensieproses aan die manlike jeugoortreder. Ten einde effektiewe maatskaplike werk intervensie aan die manlike jeugoortreder te lewer, moet maatskaplike werkers beskik oor voldoende kennis van die jeugoortreder en oor vaardighede in die toepassing van die maatskaplike werk intervensieproses.

Thesis (MEdPsych (Educational Psychology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / As primary caregivers (such as residential youth-care workers) are the first teachers of children and spend much more time with the child than any other service provider, educational psychologists need to implement programmes that include primary caregivers in actively working with the youth in their care. This calls for educational psychologists to gain a rich understanding of the experiences of youth-care workers in order to work collaboratively in rehabilitating youth at risk within the youth’s ecosystem. The study attempts to explore the experiences of youth-care workers in residential facilities, using the ecosystemic perspective. A proposed outcome of the research is to contribute to the skills and interventions educational psychologists can use in collaborating with and supporting youth-care workers in residential facilities to rehabilitate youth who are at risk successfully. Qualitative research within the interpretive/constructivist paradigm was employed as the research design. Research was based at two residential facilities in an outlying area of Cape Town, from which four youth-care workers and two youths were drawn as a sample. The data was collected through six semi-structured interviews, observations over a 10-month period at one of the facilities, and photographs of youth-care workers and children. The review of literature and the findings of this research uncovered many experiences that appear to typify residential youth care. These experiences include the multifaceted nature of the role that youth-care workers fulfil in a residential facility; three types of emotional affect experienced by youth-care workers working in facilities; the significance of healthy youth-care worker-child relationships and the importance of these relationships in the successful rehabilitation of youth at risk; and the levels of support and training required in order to perform the task of successfully rehabilitating youth at risk in residential settings.

The primary task of this thesis is to explain the establishment of the 'correctional institution', the Ottery School of Industrues, in Cape Town in 1948 and the programmes of rehabilitation, correctional and vocational training and residential care that the institution developed in the period until 1968. This explanation is located in the wider context of debates about welfare and penal policy in South africa. The overall purpose is to show how modernist discourses in relation to social welfare, delinquency and education came to South Africa and was mediated through a racial lens unique to this country. In doing so the thesis uses a broad range of material and levels from the ethnographic to the documentary and historical. The work seeks to locate itself at the intersection of the fields of education, history, welfare, penalty and race in South Africa.