This study explored adolescent township boys’ attitudes and perceptions towards sexual relationships. There has been substantial evidence in recent literature that violence against women is a problem worldwide and a growing concern, especially in South Africa (Human Rights Watch, 2001; Jewkes, Levin, Mbananga & Bradshaw, 2002; Statistics South Africa, 2005; Stats SA Archive, 2002). In addition, it appears that South African girls are more likely to be sexually assaulted by one, or more of their male classmates (Haffejee, 2006; Human Rights Watch, 2001; Mirsky, 2003; Posel, 2005). Moreover, adolescents’ attitudes regarding violence against girls have been found to help perpetuate such violence (Lewis, 2000; Varga, 2003; Vogelman, 1990). On the basis of the socialisation theory, it was postulated that the way in which a boy is socialised in his home, school, peer group and society at large, impacts on his attitudes and perceptions of rape and hence the incidence of sexual violence in South Africa (Vogelman, 1990). This study therefore aimed to understand and investigate male adolescents’ perceptions and attitudes towards gender stereotypes, sexual consent and rape supportive beliefs or myths, in particular, focusing on what the construct of ‘rape’ is perceived to be. The subjective world of adolescent township boys was explored within the qualitative paradigm. In investigating the research aims, 11 adolescent boys, aged between 16 and 19 attending one high school in Alexandra participated in the study. The research was conducted in the form of both semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups of 3-5 participants. Various psychological, social and emotional themes relating to the theory of socialisation were explored. The participants’ responses were recorded and then analysed utilising content analysis. From the analysis one can infer that society has got a major role to play in attitudes towards sexual assault and how it is dealt with. It was found that the majority of the participants in this study have adopted some rape supportive beliefs and ideas, and have been heavily encouraged to display, and hence do display some sexrole stereotypes and hegemonic masculinity. This study therefore supports the notion that socialisation factors play an important role in the development of stereotypical notions of sex role behaviour in adolescent males, which may further contribute to the incidence of rape.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2017 / This study aimed to investigate factors that protect violence-exposed male adolescents from partaking in violence. A total of 110 male adolescents (n=110) from Grades 11 and 12, were recruited by means of a self-selection sampling method, from two secondary schools located in a small township called Enseleni, in the north of KwaZulu-Natal, approximately 15 km from Richards Bay. The researcher used the Screen for Adolescent Violence Exposure (SAVE) to assess violence-exposure in participants. Participants also completed a questionnaire which aimed to investigate factors that they felt were instrumental in preventing them from partaking in violence despite being exposed to it. A number of protective factors were identified by participants but all of them were found to be independent from participation in violence. There was no significant relationship found between any of the identified protective factors and participants’ decisions to either participate or not participate in violence.

The educational disenfranchisement of many urban, African American male adolescents aggravates the complex social and economic issues which America must reconcile. Two significant behaviors resulting from young Black men's disaffection are school failure and violence against the community. The sense of futility in these youth can nullify the possibility of their positive contributions to society. Many of the social structures that were once in place to provide support for the African American community were weakened during the sixties; and the need for structure and support is as critical today among young Black men as it has ever been. This study sought to understand the perspectives of these young African Americans when they modified their at-risk behaviors to become academically successful in high school. It was based on one school's example of supportive systems and behaviors designed to intervene and encourage their transformation. A qualitative case study research design was selected because it allowed the researcher to examine and holistically interpret the complexities of achievement-related issues at school, at home and in the community, during the process of their transformation. Based on the recommendations of administrators and teachers, a sample pool of 10 young men was developed; each was interviewed. Two young men were selected for in-depth interview, observation, and document analysis. The study found that the young men became successful by (a) responding to the school's specialized organic and institutional care systems; (b) responding to the reconfiguration of the anti-academic fictive kinship culture; (c) bonding with culturally synchronous sensitive role models; (d) benefiting from the school's staff development initiative; (e) responding to their parents' school involvement; and (f) experiencing these accentuated dynamics in a smaller annex building. Data analysis was based on the tenets of grounded theory developed by Glaser and Strauss. This research fills part of the gap in the literature which explores the dynamics of transformation in anti-academic, African American male adolescents, as they become academically successful. Insights evolving from this study will also help to fill the vacuum that exists in developing high school programs that effectively change their attitudes towards learning and promote their success. / Ph. D.

No description available.

Child maltreatment and household dysfunction have long been linked to delinquency, adult criminality, and sexual offending. However, the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), factors related to out-of-home placement, and the onset of maladaptive behaviors has not thoroughly been explored in adolescents who have engaged in sexually abusive behavior. In the present study, we examined archival records of 120 male youths who have received treatment for sexually abusive behavior. As expected, the male adolescents in this sample have experienced higher rates of ACEs than samples of adult males in the community, adult males who committed sexual offenses, and juvenile justice–involved males as reported in the literature. Discrete-time survival analyses yielded increased risks of onset of aggression and sexually abusive behavior during early childhood and mid-to-late childhood, with significant associations between higher ACE scores and a greater number of out-ofhome placements. Implications and future directions are discussed.

FundaÃÃo de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Cearà / A tese investiga a produÃÃo de sentidos da sexualidade de adolescentes masculinos com experiÃncia de rua em situaÃÃo de abrigo. A partir da produÃÃo de crianÃas e adolescentes pobres no Brasil em que historicamente a relaÃÃo em governÃ-las passa inicialmente pelo poder pastoral chegando ao biopoder na contemporaneide. Fundamenta-se na perspectiva foucaultiana em que as relaÃÃes de poderâsaber sÃo construÃdas fundamentalmente atravÃs das produÃÃes histÃricas e polÃticas do homem. Neste sentido, a sexualidade à considerada como um dispositivo histÃrico de poder na sociedade ocidental. Desta forma, dada à sua plasticidade, a sexualidade à utilizada como estratÃgia de aÃÃo da biopolÃtica com o objetivo disciplinar de controle social da populaÃÃo. A partir dos diversos discursos, prÃticas e saberes normalizadores existentes nas ciÃncias humanas o foco destes discursos nÃo se encontra na proibiÃÃo mas na maneira como a sexualidade deve ser regulada, controlada e normatizada. Investigamos os processos de subjetivaÃÃo dos adolescentes a partir da sua forma de ser, pensar, sentir e das suas vivÃncias, passando pela experiÃncia de rua e situaÃÃo de permanÃncia no abrigo. Na construÃÃo da pesquisa utilizamos tÃcnicas, recursos e instrumentos que nos possibilitaram coletar os dados tais como, a observaÃÃo, diÃrio de campo, roteiro de vista, entrevista semi-estruturada e tambÃm a produÃÃo de colagem e desenho a partir da interpretaÃÃo dos adolescentes. O exercÃcio da sexualidade foi demarcado a partir da iniciaÃÃo sexual deles. Constatamos atravÃs dos discursos deste grupo que hà um feixe de aprendizagens que atravessam os saberes e as prÃticas sexuais relativos à sexualidade destes adolescentes, destacamos fundamentalmente a prÃtica discursiva do abrigo atravÃs do modelo anÃtomo-biolÃgico em que produz valor de verdade, apontando comportamentos, atitudes, na relaÃÃo poder-saber da sexualidade associando-a à prevenÃÃo de doenÃas (DSTâS e AIDS) e risco de gravidez. No entanto, os adolescentes apresentam os sentidos produzidos acerca da sexualidade para a ordem do prazer, da satisfaÃÃo imediata, do tesÃo, de sensaÃÃes agradÃveis e boas. Dessa forma, escapam do discurso institucional atravÃs do afeto, da emoÃÃo que constituem os processos de formaÃÃo de sua subjetividade.

While a number of studies have indicated disparities in mental health services use among African-Americans, specific factors that account for within-group disparities have not been thoroughly addressed. Research shows that African-American adolescent males generally are less likely to utilize mental health services and this is especially true among those involved with the juvenile justice system (Hazen, Hough, Landsverk, & Wood, 2004). Previous research indicates that culture is a viable and necessary factor to consider regarding African-Americans' pattern of mental health help-seeking (Cauce et al., 2002). This study utilized a qualitative research design and the Network-Episode Model (NEM) (Pescosolido & Boyer, 1999) as the theoretical framework to examine the influence of culture on the attitudes of African American adolescent males released from juvenile detention facilities to understand their mental health help-seeking. Criterion sampling procedures were utilized to recruit for the study, two groups of African-American adolescent males (n = 54) who initially received services at John Hope Family Renewal Center following their release from juvenile detention. In-depth interviews with participants were conducted and participants' case records were reviewed. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts produced four overarching themes: (1) beliefs about causes of mental health problems, (2) other beliefs about mental health, (3) social barriers - isolation/exclusion, and (4) social network influence on service utilization. Comparisons were made between those youth who used services and those who discontinued service use. Findings revealed that: 1) participants' beliefs about the root causes of mental health problems prevented some from utilizing mental health services, 2) cultural factors partially influenced participants' attitudes and negatively shaped their behaviors towards use of mental health services. Findings also revealed that mental health stigma, ineffective treatment, fear and shame from peers, negative community reaction, and mistrust of mental health providers were important barriers to service utilization. Implications for social work practice, policy, and future research are discussed.

The present investigation evaluated the efficacy of a Cognitive-Behavioural Therapeutic Approach for the anger management of three adolescent males. The study is noteworthy because it utilised essential features of Beck's Cognitive Therapy in the cognitive restructuring phase of treatment. Previous studies have commonly employed Rational Emotive Therapy's disputation of irrational beliefs for this phase. For this reason it is considered to be an original contribution to the literature. A multiple (three) single-case study research design was employed. The three adolescents, aged 13 to 17 years, attended seven to nine one-hour counselling sessions over a two to three month period. Pre-, post-treatment and long-term followup psychometric measures of aggression and anecdotal reports of anger-control were obtained from parents and teachers. Self-reports in the affective and cognitive domain, progress in therapy, psychometric measures (aggressive behaviour subscale of the Child Behaviour Checklist, Adapted Novaco Anger Inventory and Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale) and continuous (including pre-, post-treatment and long-term follow-up) assessments of the frequency of angry outbursts were obtained. Counsellor assessments of cognitive homework and behaviour in therapy were also made. Results reveal marked reductions in the average daily frequencies of angry outbursts in all cases by post-treatment and treatment effects were maintained throughout the three-month follow-up period. It was concluded that the cognitive-behavioural therapeutic approach warrants further investigation as it is proposed that it is a comprehensive and efficacious treatment for male adolescent anger problems.

This study focuses on the sense of self of adolescents when they are reintegrated into schools after dropping out. Dropout is a global phenomenon and yet very little research has been undertaken regarding reintegration and especially the successful reintegration of adolescents and how this reintegration affects their sense of self. The goal of the study was to determine how reintegrated adolescents experience their reintegration into schools, and how this has affected them in terms of how they see themselves. The research hoped to discover what personal difficulties the adolescents had overcome in their return to school as well as the motivating factors that would keep the reintegrated adolescents in school. The research was conducted from a phenomenological Gestalt, field approach and followed a qualitative research design within an interpretivist framework. This research design allows the participants to give meaning to their own experiences. A total of six adolescent boys between the ages of 13 and 17 were purposefully selected from the informal settlement of Groenheuwel, Paarl in the Western Cape. Five of the six adolescents had been reintegrated into schools in 2011 and 2012 by the Khula Development Group. One adolescent participant was a peer educator and although he had never dropped out, he contributed meaningful data on how reintegrated adolescents are experienced as seen from his role as a peer educator. Other participants in the research included the Headmaster of Groenheuwel Primary School and the President and Project leader of the Khula Development Group. The qualitative data were collected in the form of individual open-ended interviews with the adolescents, project leader and headmaster. The researcher’s objective was to understand and interpret the meanings the participants gave to their own experiences, which was further done through observation, member checking, and a reflective group discussion including the application of an art technique. The interviews were recorded on DVD. The reflective group discussion was held with the adolescent participants two weeks after the individual interviews. The group discussion included an art technique, where the adolescents were asked to create their experiences of their return to school in clay. This session was also recorded on DVD. Recordings were transcribed by the researcher to ascertain certain emerging themes and categories. Thematic data analysis was used to transform the transcribed data into meaningful information. The principles and strategies for enhancing the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallisation. The findings of the study revealed the unrealistic expectations with which the adolescents view their sense of self. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

This study focuses on the sense of self of adolescents when they are reintegrated into schools after dropping out. Dropout is a global phenomenon and yet very little research has been undertaken regarding reintegration and especially the successful reintegration of adolescents and how this reintegration affects their sense of self. The goal of the study was to determine how reintegrated adolescents experience their reintegration into schools, and how this has affected them in terms of how they see themselves. The research hoped to discover what personal difficulties the adolescents had overcome in their return to school as well as the motivating factors that would keep the reintegrated adolescents in school. The research was conducted from a phenomenological Gestalt, field approach and followed a qualitative research design within an interpretivist framework. This research design allows the participants to give meaning to their own experiences. A total of six adolescent boys between the ages of 13 and 17 were purposefully selected from the informal settlement of Groenheuwel, Paarl in the Western Cape. Five of the six adolescents had been reintegrated into schools in 2011 and 2012 by the Khula Development Group. One adolescent participant was a peer educator and although he had never dropped out, he contributed meaningful data on how reintegrated adolescents are experienced as seen from his role as a peer educator. Other participants in the research included the Headmaster of Groenheuwel Primary School and the President and Project leader of the Khula Development Group. The qualitative data were collected in the form of individual open-ended interviews with the adolescents, project leader and headmaster. The researcher’s objective was to understand and interpret the meanings the participants gave to their own experiences, which was further done through observation, member checking, and a reflective group discussion including the application of an art technique. The interviews were recorded on DVD. The reflective group discussion was held with the adolescent participants two weeks after the individual interviews. The group discussion included an art technique, where the adolescents were asked to create their experiences of their return to school in clay. This session was also recorded on DVD. Recordings were transcribed by the researcher to ascertain certain emerging themes and categories. Thematic data analysis was used to transform the transcribed data into meaningful information. The principles and strategies for enhancing the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallisation. The findings of the study revealed the unrealistic expectations with which the adolescents view their sense of self. / Thesis (MA (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013