The objective of this research was to establish what the influence of gestalt group playtherapy on the self-esteem of primary schoolgirls in a children’s home would be. The goals of the research were to build a knowledge basis by means of a literature study and consultation with experts in the field. The aim of this knowledge basis was the needs and developmental characteristics of the middle childhood years, the characteristics and problems encountered by the children’s home child, to assess by means of an empirical study what the influence of gestalt group playtherapy on the self-esteem of the child in the middle childhood years in a children’s home would be and the nature and scope of gestalt therapy. The study also had the further aim to make recommendations for the use and appropriate application of social workers working in the field of children’s welfare, especially the children’s home. For the empirical study the dominant-less-dominant model was used. The dominant data collection measure that was used, was of the quantitative kind with a small component of qualitative study to support the last mentioned quantitative investigation. Six respondents were identified and engaged in eight group playtherapeutic sessions. Applied research was used as the researcher aimed to find a solution for the problem of low self-esteem in specific children, namely the primary school child in the children’s home. The research resorted under the sub-category of intervention-knowledge-development. This type of research focuses on the practical application of research. The research design that researcher utilized, was the quasi-experimental design where one group pretest-posttest was being used. This design is useful to assess how an independent variable would influence a specific group. The data collection methods used were questionnaires, unstructured observation and the study of respondent’s case records. Empirical data results indicated the following: - the child in a children’s home has weak self-esteem; - the child in a children’s home has problems binding with the peer group; - respondents could already identify and regulate emotions in themselves and understand that emotions are not always correctly observed and interpreted in others; - respondent were very negative towards the children’s home and their committal to the home; - gestalt group playtherapy has a significant influence on the self-esteem of the above mentioned child. The research lead to specific recommendations addressed to parents, teachers, social workers and housemothers aiding them regarding the improvement of a child’s self-esteem. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

All adolescents are vulnerable to get involved in risky sexual behavior but the adolescent in a children’s home is more vulnerable due to excessive pressure from the peer group, dysfunctional family involvement and the high occurrence of sexual abuse. A high number of children in children’s homes were exposed to serious trauma before being admitted to a children’s home and this influences their view of the world and the frame of reference through which problems and challenges are approached. In the children’s home sex education form part of lifeskills programmes that are presented by the social workers. Lifeskills programmes are usually presented to groups and sex education includes information on reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases. The sex education programmes presented by the children’s home and schools do not seem to change the adolescent’s attitude and behavior in terms of sexual aspects. It is necessary to take the adolescent’s needs in terms of sex education into consideration since the adolescent’s search for independence also creates a need to be able to have input in decisions that influences her life. The goal of this research project was to determine the needs of adolescent girls in a children’s home regarding sex education. To achieve this goal a thorough literature study was performed with regard to the developmental needs of adolescents and specifically the developmental needs of adolescents in a children’s home. An investigation was also done on the history of sex education in South Africa and the need for sex education today. The current programmes and sources regarding sex education in South Africa were investigated and information was obtained on the sex education of the child in the children’s home. The researcher attempted to fill the gaps in the literature regarding the needs of adolescents regarding sex education by means of an empirical study. Qualitative information collection techniques were used, namely semi-structured interviews. The empirical study took the form of one-on-one interviews with the assistance of a semi-structured interview schedule with 11 adolescent girls in a children’s home. The respondents were selected by using purposive sampling. The collective case study was utilised as the research strategy since the study focused on understanding a specific social issue (sex education) in a specific population (adolescent girls in the Abraham Kriel Maria Kloppers Children’s Home). Through this the researcher came to the conclusion that adolescent girls in a children’s home have many needs regarding sex education and these needs were identified. Recommendations were made with reference to the conclusions formed that would enable professionals to develop programmes on sex education that are based on the needs of adolescent girls in a children’s home. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Social Work and Criminology / MSD (Play Therapy) / unrestricted