The main aim of the study was an examination of the dynamics of family systems on the lives of youth awaiting trial at the Excelsior Place of Safety that functions as a secure care programme. Secure care is a new concept in South Africa and serves as an alternative to the imprisonment of children awaiting trial. The study identifies the family as central in adolescent development and assumes that there are particular dynamics within family systems that may impact on the lives of youth resulting in deviancy and criminality. The study was based on the philosophy of secure care, Erikson's theory of Adolescent Development, Attachment theory, the Ecosystems and Ecological Strengths-Based Approaches. Twenty-five youth awaiting trial were interviewed at Excelsior. The study found that children who offend come from impoverished communities where the household income is less than the Poverty Datum Line (PDL.) High-risk youth come from women-headed households that lack male role models and have little or no source of income. In these instances where the family cannot provide for the youth's needs that the youth is prone to criminality to satisfy them. The study recommended strengthened intervention strategies to be utilised by all service providers in working with youth at risk and their families. It also recommends the strengthening of the secure care programme to address the needs of awaiting trial youth and to divert youth from the prison environment. The study further suggested that secure care centres that have trained personnel in adolescent development, should undertake more community outreach to also target children and youth in communities. / Thesis (M.Dev.Studies)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

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.

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)

The goal of this research study was to explore and describe the experiences of parents whose children have completed the diversion programme in order to make recommendations to probation officers, social workers and people who facilitate the diversion programmes. The study focused on the Youth Empowerment Scheme programme (YES Programme) because it is the diversion programme mostly used in the Eastern Cape. The aim of the programme is to divert young people in trouble with the law away from the criminal justice system and to rehabilitate the young offenders by providing them with essential life skills that can address the offenders’ real problems. In the study the researcher made use of a qualitative research approach in an attempt to explore the experiences of parents whose children have completed the YES programme. The permission of the gatekeeper was sought before the study commenced. The researcher used purposive sampling to recruit participants. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews. In analysing the data, the researcher used the steps for qualitative data analysis as stated in Creswell (2003:192). Three main themes along with sub-themes and categories were identified during the process of data analysis. The main findings that emanated from this study were: the seemingly upcoming culture of lack of respect for authority on the part of the youth of today. Another major finding of this study is that the traditional function of families, notably, socialisation of young people within the family structure is on the wane. The recommendations that emanated from this study are: that the YES programme needs to be adjusted to address the specific needs of children that are referred to the YES programme and those of their families and communities. Family life should be strengthened through community development programmes that seek to address family problems of any nature, namely, material, psycho-social, economic, to mention just a few. Community development programmes should address fragile families through community development approaches that are comprehensive and integrated.

At a Muslim school a group of boys with a reputation for stealing got the opportunity to share stories with communities of concern. Honesty meetings, honesty tests, honesty certificates and honesty celebrations formed part of narrative therapy ways of working together to try and regain reputations for honesty. As an outsider researcher/therapist I was confronted by stories of slavery, racism, unemployment, poverty, crime and violence. Through collaboration with a cultural consultant it became possible to do theology and pastoral care as a Christian in a Muslim community in a respectful and ethical way. The sharing of stories of pain and resistance contributed to the mutual care and community amongst participants from communities separated by racism and apartheid legislation as well as differences of culture and religion. Reflections on this journey mark a migration of identity for me as researcher, therapist, Christian and white South African practical theologian. / Practical Theology / M.Th. (Pastoral Theology)

The judicial system is moving away from a retributive justice system to a more rehabilitative, restorative justice system. Diverting youth offenders from the justice system by alternative sentencing options such as diversion programmes is one way of doing this. Jt was found that a need exists for the development of a therapeutic programme for the rehabilitation of youth offenders in South Africa. The purpose of the study was to detennine the content of therapeutic rehabilitation programme and subsequently to develop a provisional therapeutic programme for youth offenders. The first part of the literature study summarized a number of theories used to explain the incidence of youth offence. The second part of the literature study discussed various risk factors that could lead to youth offence. Thirdly, the juvenile justice system in South Africa was discussed. Finally, the characteristics of effective rehabilitation programmes were discussed and a number of international and South African rehabilitation programmes were evaluated in tenns ofthese characteristics. In the literature study certain aspects for inclusion in a rehabilitation programme were identified. A list of topics that should be addressed by a rehabilitation programme was drawn up. A provisional therapeutic programme was compiled using the information gained from the literature study and the needs for a programme as identified by staff members at the facility where the programme was to be conducted. The programme was based on experiential learning. lt included a number of activities that addressed the topics identified by the literature study. The provisional programme was evaluated in tenns of its short-term effectiveness and adjustments to the programme were made. The adjusted programme was conducted at two other facilities and evaluated in tenns of its short-term effectiveness by the researcher, the staff at these facilities and the youth who took part in the programme. Staff at the two facilities where the empirical study took place were asked to complete questionnaires to identify their needs with regards to a rehabilitation programme as well as background questionnaires on the youth who were taking part in the programme. Recommendations for further improvements of the programme were made. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

In this project the various International Instruments, namely the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, 1989, the Beijing Rules and the African Charter, relating to the protection of the rights of children were discussed focusing on the rights of children in conflict with the law. The important guidelines regarding the establishment of a minimum age for criminal capacity, detention, legal representation, diversion, sentencing, pre-sentence reports, child justice Courts and the confidentiality of children’s Court hearings were highlighted. The current positions in South African law with regard to these issues were discussed and the proposed provisions in the Child Justice Bill, 49 of 2002 were furnished. The research included all the magistrates in Gauteng that were in service during February 2003 and March 2003. Throughout the project the important role that forensic criminologists can and should play in a juvenile justice system was highlighted. / Criminology / M.A.

In this project the various International Instruments, namely the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child, 1989, the Beijing Rules and the African Charter, relating to the protection of the rights of children were discussed focusing on the rights of children in conflict with the law. The important guidelines regarding the establishment of a minimum age for criminal capacity, detention, legal representation, diversion, sentencing, pre-sentence reports, child justice Courts and the confidentiality of children’s Court hearings were highlighted. The current positions in South African law with regard to these issues were discussed and the proposed provisions in the Child Justice Bill, 49 of 2002 were furnished. The research included all the magistrates in Gauteng that were in service during February 2003 and March 2003. Throughout the project the important role that forensic criminologists can and should play in a juvenile justice system was highlighted. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A.

The judicial system is moving away from a retributive justice system to a more rehabilitative, restorative justice system. Diverting youth offenders from the justice system by alternative sentencing options such as diversion programmes is one way of doing this. Jt was found that a need exists for the development of a therapeutic programme for the rehabilitation of youth offenders in South Africa. The purpose of the study was to detennine the content of therapeutic rehabilitation programme and subsequently to develop a provisional therapeutic programme for youth offenders. The first part of the literature study summarized a number of theories used to explain the incidence of youth offence. The second part of the literature study discussed various risk factors that could lead to youth offence. Thirdly, the juvenile justice system in South Africa was discussed. Finally, the characteristics of effective rehabilitation programmes were discussed and a number of international and South African rehabilitation programmes were evaluated in tenns ofthese characteristics. In the literature study certain aspects for inclusion in a rehabilitation programme were identified. A list of topics that should be addressed by a rehabilitation programme was drawn up. A provisional therapeutic programme was compiled using the information gained from the literature study and the needs for a programme as identified by staff members at the facility where the programme was to be conducted. The programme was based on experiential learning. lt included a number of activities that addressed the topics identified by the literature study. The provisional programme was evaluated in tenns of its short-term effectiveness and adjustments to the programme were made. The adjusted programme was conducted at two other facilities and evaluated in tenns of its short-term effectiveness by the researcher, the staff at these facilities and the youth who took part in the programme. Staff at the two facilities where the empirical study took place were asked to complete questionnaires to identify their needs with regards to a rehabilitation programme as well as background questionnaires on the youth who were taking part in the programme. Recommendations for further improvements of the programme were made. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

This study aimed to explore and describe the role perceptions of social workers working with children who have been sentenced to compulsory residence due to being in conflict with the law. Exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research designs were applied in using a qualitative research approach. The researcher collected the data using semi-structured interviews with all the social workers working with children sentenced to compulsory residence at Bosasa Child & Youth Care Centres. The data analysis was done using the eight steps identified by Tesch (in Creswell, 2014:198). The data verification was accomplished using Guba’s model (in Krefting, 1990:214-220). The research study provided valuable conclusions and recommendations to different role-players who have an interest in the role of social workers working with children sentenced to compulsory residence. The findings indicated the importance of regular training for social workers who work with children sentenced to compulsory residence to help children to deal with risk factors that may increase the probability of offences occurring. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science, Social Work)