Adolescent substance abuse is a major problem facing the world today. In order to understand the reasons for adolescent substance abuse behaviour, various theoretical perspectives were utilised and strategies to curb substance use were also identified. The study was conducted in the rural areas of Zeerust, North West province of South Africa. The participants included 12 male adolescents, whose ages ranged from 12 to 15 years. A qualitative, explorative research design was employed. Data was gathered using semi-structured interviews, genograms and observations. Thematic analysis was used to analyse audio-taped data. The study found that substances abused by the participants include alcohol, nicotine, cannabis and heroin. Their reasons for using these substances include individual, family and environmental factors. However, peer group pressure was identified as the primary factor for adolescent substance use. This study emphasises the painful nature of substance abuse among adolescents, yet at the same time it succeeds in highlighting the strategies that can be employed to address substance abuse among adolescents. In addition, this study recommends a concerted effort by all the stakeholders in addressing the substance abuse problem. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

This research programme endeavours to develop, implement and evaluate an effective method of offering psychosocial support to vulnerable children. Vulnerability is defined by trained community members as including children who are experiencing especially difficult lives. The forms of difficulties experienced by the children has usually been a consequence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, extreme poverty combined with other psychosocial risk factors, child abuse (especially child sexual abuse) and violence. This community based programme incorporates four phases of intervention, only two of which were the focus of summative evaluation. However, due to the integrated nature of the programme it was necessary to implement and document the various phases of the intervention programme: (i) community selection and mobilisation; (ii) the 5-day Sensitisation Programme (SP) sensitises adult community volunteers to the psychosocial needs of vulnerable children; (iii) the 15-session Structured Group Therapy Programme (SGTP) enables children to work through past adversities and to build resilience within small groups of peers in a programme where community volunteers served as apprentice facilitators under the supervision, guidance and ethical responsibility of qualified psychologists; (iv) community based initiatives to offer on-going of PSS activities to vulnerable children in each of the partnering communities. Nine partnering communities were selected, three township, periurban and rural communities. This programme was not effective in the informal settlements as it was not possible for these communities to place children as a priority. A qualitative summative evaluation of the SP took place using post workshop evaluation questionnaires, focus group discussions conducted by an independent researcher and an audit of the community based initiatives that developed as a result of participation in the SP. The SGTP was summatively evaluated using a 4-way Factorial design with one within-subject and three between-subject conditions: to investigate the age of the subjects, the geographic regions and gender variables. The 741 children formed five experimental and control conditions to conduct various combinations of the above-mentioned phases programmes and to adequately control for the many confounding variables. Pre- and post intervention assessments were conducted by trained community research assistants. The dependent variable measures were the Culture Free Self Esteem Inventory (Battle, 1992), the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (Biere & Elliot, 1997), the Reynolds Depression Scale for Children (Reynolds, 1989), the Social Support Scale (Beale Spencer, Cole, Jones, and Phillips Swanson, 1997) and the Connor's Parent Questionnaire Connors, 1998). Multivariate analysis evaluated the effectiveness of the various experimental and control conditions. The results indicate that the SGTP, run in combination with the SP, is an effective intervention strategy in that it alleviates symptoms of self-reported depression and other psychosocial manifestations of distress as well as decreased the number and severity of symptoms reported by primary caregivers, and leads to increased access to perceived social support. The SP and the SGTP conducted independently of each other have limited benefits and as such can be considered to be partially effective. The children who had formed part of the non-vulnerable control group felt left out of the programme and report an increase in symptomatology and decreased access to social support. While this community-based programme can be considered to be an effective method of therapeutic intervention and of offering psychosocial support to vulnerable children, further research is needed to consider the cost-effectiveness, the sustainability and ways in which those children who do not participate can still can benefit. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

In this study, guidelines were developed for used by social workers to provide emotional support to children in foster care. The child in foster care as well as the services rendered in respect of such a child have been discussed in a literature study. The principles of Gestalt therapy were also discussed as these were used as part of the empirical study and as basis for the guidelines for social workers. A qualitative research design was used to complete the empirical study and case studies were used. Children between six and twelve years who have been in foster care for less than two years and who needed emotional support were selected for the study by means of a purposeful test sample. The research results showed that children in foster care are in need of emotional support. To provide such emotional support to the child in foster care, guidelines have been developed for social workers which they can apply when providing services to the child. These guidelines also serve as the conclusions and recommendations of the study. / Social Work / (M. Diac. (Play Therapy))

Mental health services in South Africa and the field of psychology are not keeping up with the changed landscape of child sexual abuse that includes women who perpetrate these violations. New laws have not made a massive impact on out of control behaviours, while the paucity of mental health services for women who sexually violate children is a significant failing in mental health service provision. Exploratory, descriptive research approached the topic from the perspective of the psychology of healing rather than the psychology of wrongdoing. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with 38 professionals in relevant fields, purposefully selected in four provinces in South Africa that revealed a lack of knowledge, resources, and funding, as well as gaps in curricula. Some practitioners were willing to work with women who sexually violate children, while others were either unwilling or reluctant to do so for various reasons. Women who sexually violate children are typically not mentally ill but could have mental disorders and lives dominated by dysfunction and trauma. Data were analysed utilising Attride- Stirling’s (2001) thematic networks, while Gannon, Rose, and Ward’s (2008) descriptive model of female sexual offending (DMFSO) provided the theoretical framework. Recommendations include establishing online services to aid perpetrator disclosure and therapeutic interventions, providing individual psychotherapeutic interventions to uncover more than recent trauma, directing donor funding to sex offender programmes, networking among service providers including government agencies, and training those within the mental health services environment and the criminal justice system. Furthermore, mental health and relevant medical practitioners need to ensure comfort with their sexuality and to resolve their psychological blind spots before offering psychotherapeutic interventions to women who sexually violate children. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

The system of care for persons suffering from mental retardation is in a state of upheaval. Considering the mentally handicapped as holistic beings, this study explored and assessed the needs of those residing in the community of District 22 (sub-district 222), KwaZulu-Natal, thus facilitating the planning of care and care facilities for these individuals to enable them to function optimally in the community. To accomplish this purpose, specific objectives were formulated. A quantitative, exploratory and descriptive study based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory was carried out, using 167 respondents. The study revealed that despite being mentally retarded, they were still regarded as valuable members of the community, their needs did not differ from the needs of others in the rest of the world and that mental retardation is still rated low in the prioritization of health problems, hence the lack of resources and support needed for the rehabilitation of such persons. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The purpose of the study was to investigate Grade 12 learners’ perceptions of their vulnerability to HIV infections in order to gain insight of their experiences on HIV and AIDS at schools in the Eastern Cape. This was done by using a mixed method approach where focus-group discussions and questionnaires were used to gather data. This study found that the teaching of HIV and AIDS or Life Skills is not adequate. It is possible that the lack of learner involvement in the design and implementation of the programmes could be one of the reasons why there is low participation by learners in intervention programmes in schools, as noted in this study. There is need for strong advocacy on the use of condoms as a preventive measure against unwanted pregnancies, and sexually transmitted diseases (STIs) including HIV. More involvement in extra-curricular activities would help learners to develop self-esteem and the ability to resist drugs and other risky sexual behaviours. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV & AIDS)

Abstract in English, Zulu and Xhosa / The study’s intent is to explore challenges experienced by incarcerated mothers relating to childcare, based at the Durban Westville Correctional Centre. The theoretic framework of this study encompasses the Relational Theory, the Gendered Pathways Theory, and the General Strain Theory. This research utilises the qualitative research technique. Semi-structured, open-ended interviewing was concluded with 15 incarcerated mothers based at the Durban Westville Correctional Centre using the probability sampling technique.The relationship between a mother and her children is of paramount importance, even for incarcerated mothers. However, incarcerated mothers are unable to tend to their childcare responsibilities due to their physical and emotional limitations presented by incarceration. Incarcerated mothers in this study expressed their challenges experienced and their need for rehabilitation programmes to help them mitigate their childcare challenges. The research reveals that some of the incarcerated mothers have experienced traumatic backgrounds inclusive of emotional strains, financial impediments, verbal abuse, physical abuse and sexual abuse prior to their incarceration. Their challenges exacerbate whilst incarcerated and literature referred to denotes that their challenges continue post-release. Rehabilitation and reintegration of the offender have become the primary focus for the Department of Correctional Services seeing that its scope of service has shifted from a system of “control” to that of rehabilitation. The study indicates gaps in the rehabilitation programmes offered by the Department. Further, the study intends to make recommendations to the Department of Correctional Services on implementing rehabilitation programmes that aid and support a healthy mother and child bond. Such programmes would assist by enlightening, educating and encouraging incarcerated mothers to tighten and protect unions with their children and for the Department to offer special visitation programmes that aid such a process / Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukuhlola izinselele ezitholwa omama ababoshiwe ngokuphathelene nokunakekelwa kwezingane, esekelwe eThekwini West Correctional Centre. Uhlaka lwama-theoretic walolu cwaningo luhlanganisa i-Theory Theory, i-Gendered Pathways Theory, ne-General Strain Theory. Lolu cwaningo lusebenzisa indlela yokucwaninga yekhwalithi. Izingxoxo ezinemihlangano evulekile, evuliwe ziphelile nabomama abangu-15 ababoshiwe base-Durban Westville Correctional Centre basebenzisa inqubo yokwenza isampula. Ubuhlobo phakathi komama nezingane zakhe bubaluleke kakhulu, ngisho nakumama ababoshiwe. Kodwa-ke, omama ababoshiwe abakwazi ukuthambekela emithwalweni yabo yokunakekelwa kwengane ngenxa yokwehluleka kwabo ngokomzimba nangokomzwelo okuvezwe ukuboshwa. Owesifazane abangenalutho kulolu cwaningo babonisa izinselele zabo abahlangabezana nazo kanye nesidingo sabo sokuvuselela izinhlelo zokusiza ekunciphiseni izinselelo zabo zokunakekela izingane. Ucwaningo lwembula ukuthi abanye omama ababoshiwe baye babhekana nezizinda ezibuhlungu ezihlanganisa izinkinga zomzwelo, izithiyo zemali, ukuhlukunyezwa ngamazwi, ukuxhashazwa ngokomzimba nokuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi ngaphambi kokuboshwa kwabo. Izinselelo zabo zikhungatheka kanti iziboshwa ezibhekiswe kuzo zikhomba ukuthi izinselele zabo ziqhubeka nokukhululwa. Ukuvuselelwa nokubuyiselwa kabusha kwalowo owenze iphutha kuye kwaba yiyona ndlela eyinhloko eMnyangweni Wezokwelulekwa Kwezempilo ngokubona ukuthi izinga labo lensizakalo lishintshile ohlelweni "lokulawula" kulokho lokuvuselelwa. Ucwaningo lubonisa izikhala ezinhlelweni zokuvuselela ezinikezwe uMnyango. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lolu cwaningo luhlose ukwenza izincomo eMnyangweni Wezokwelulekwa Kwezokuqondisa ekusetshenzisweni izinhlelo zokuvuselela ezisiza nokusekela ukuboshwa komama nengane. Izinhlelo ezinjalo zizosiza ekukhanyiseni, ekufundiseni nasekukhuthazeni omama ababoshiwe ukuqinisa nokuvikela izinyunyana nezingane zabo kanye noMnyango ukuhlinzeka ngezinhlelo ezikhethekile zokuvakashelwa ezisiza. / Injongo yesifundo kukuphanda iingxaki ezinokubanjwa koomama abavalelwe ngokubhekiselele ekunakekeleni abantwana, esekelwe kwi-Durban West Correctional Centre. Isikhokelo sobugcisa beli phofu siquka iNkcazo yobudlelwane, iNkcazelo yeGendered Ways, kunye ne-General Strain Theory. Olu phando lusebenzisa ubuchule bokuphanda. Iingxowa-ndlebe ezivulekileyo, ezivulekileyo zagqitywa kunye noomama abathunjiweyo aba-15 basekelwe e-Durban West Correctional Centre basebenzisa ubuchule bokuncedisa. Ubudlelwane phakathi koomama nabantwana bakhe bubaluleke kakhulu, kwanokuba boomama abavalelwe. Nangona kunjalo, oomama abavalelwa bengenakukwazi ukunyamekela uxanduva lwabo lokunakekela abantwana ngenxa yokunciphisa ngokomzimba nangokomzwelo owenziwe ngokubanjwa. Oomama abangabandakanyekanga kulolu cwaningo babonisa imingeni yabo kunye neemfuno zabo zokuphucula iinkqubo zokubanceda ukunciphisa imingeni yokunakekela abantwana. Uphando luyabonisa ukuba abanye babamama abavalelwe bavaleleke kwimvelaphi ephazamisayo, kuquka imingcipheko yemvakalelo, iimingcipheko zemali, ukuxhaphazwa ngamagama, ukusetyenziswa kakubi ngokomzimba nokuxhaphazwa ngokwesondo ngaphambi kokuvalelwa. Imingeni yabo inzima xa iboshwe kunye neencwadi ezibhekiswe kuzo zibonisa ukuba imingeni yabo iyaqhubeka yokukhululwa. Ukubuyiselwa kwakhona nokubuyiswa kwakhona komenzi wesono kuye kwaba yintloko ekujoliswe kuyo kwiSebe leeNkonzo zoLuleko ekuboneni ukuba ububanzi beenkonzo sele buyekelele kwinkqubo "yokulawula" leyo yokubuyiswa. Uphononongo lubonisa izikhala kwiiprogram zokuvuselela ezinikezelwa liSebe. Ukuqhubela phambili, isifundo sinenjongo yokwenza iingcebiso kwiSebe leeNkonzo zoLuleko ekuphunyezweni iinkqubo zokubuyisela ukuxhasa nokuxhasa unxibelelwano lomama nomntwana. Ezi nkqubo zinokuncedisa ngokukhanyisa, ukufundisa nokukhuthaza oomama abavalelwe ukuqinisa kunye nokukhusela iimanyano nabantwana babo kunye neSebe ukwenzela iinkqubo zokutyelela ezikhethekileyo. / Corrections Management / M.A. (Correctional Management)

This study examined the validity of the South African Police Service (SAPS) multiple stressor intervention. The multiple stressor was developed for members of their specialised units to address Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, the SAPS multiple stressor intervention lacks scientific evidence to support its possible effectiveness in addressing PTSD. In the current study a deployment and intervention group was compared which employed a pre- test post-test design. The Davidson Trauma Scale and the Revised Impact of Event Scale measured PTSD globally, but also the PTSD dimensions of Intrusion, Avoidance/Numbing, and Hyperarousal. The Wilcoxon signed rank test results indicated that the intervention and deployment was both effective in addressing PTSD although the intervention group revealed the greatest improvement in their overall PTSD scores. The intervention group made significant progress in dealing with all three PTSD symptoms while the deployment group made less progress with their Intrusion and Avoidance/Numbing symptoms, but made significant progress with their Hyperarousal symptoms. The Mann-Whitney u test revealed no significant differences between the post intervention test scores of the two groups, either globally or on the three PTSD dimensions. It appears that deployment was just as effective as the multiple stressor intervention in addressing PTSD. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Every human being deserves to have their rights respected all the times. Not only does the correctional system have the responsibility to rehabilitate offenders before they are released to the community but also to respect their rights throughout the rehabilitation process.. In this research the extent in which human rights affect the process of rehabilitation was outlined. This was achieved by analyzing the provisions of major human rights instruments, both internationally and nationally as well as standards required for the treatment of offenders. In addition various rehabilitation programmes were also discussed. The findings of the research indicated that South Africa has achieved a lot when it comes to the recognition of human rights. From the research it was discovered that indeed offenders' rights have an impact on the rehabilitation process. Based on these and other findings recommendations were made. / Criminal Justice / M. Tech. (Correctional Services Managemnent)

The present study compared the suicidal behaviour and related measures of adolescents in high school in Germany (N=318) and South Africa (N=299). Participants completed a series of self-report measures of the SPS (Suicide Probability Scale), PSS-Fa (Perceived Social Support From Family Scale), PSS-Fr (Perceived Social Support From Friends Scale), SIB (Scale Of Interpersonal Behaviour) and a number of demographic questions. Analyses were conducted using content analysis, correlation coefficients and logistic regression to determine variables related to previous suicide attempts, stepwise multiple regression to account for variables predicting currents suicidal risk; and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to examine differences among the groups and among suicide attempters and non-attempters. 36 German (11.3%) and 48 South African (16.1%) adolescents reported that they had made previous suicide attempts. German adolescents reported 45 (14.2%) suicide attempts in the family and 82 (25.8%) suicide attempts by friends. South African adolescents reported 43 (14.4%) suicide attempts in the family and 92 (30.7%) suicide attempts by friends. The following variables were associated with previous suicide attempts in the German sample: attempted suicide by friends, a life-threatening event, previous psychiatric contact, the death of a friend, low perceived family support, female gender, attempted suicide in the family, suicide of a friend, and low perceived friend support. The following variables were associated with previous suicide attempts in the South African sample: low perceived family support, death of a friend, attempted suicide by friends, female gender, a life-threatening event, previous psychiatric contact, suicide of friends, and attempted suicide in the family. The following variables for the German sample were found to be significant predictors of current suicidal risk: low perceived family and friend support, previous suicide attempts, suicide attempts in the family, a life-threatening event, suicide attempts of friends, suicide of friends, female gender, and previous psychiatric contact. The following variables for the South African sample were found to be significant predictors of current suicidal risk: previous suicide attempts, low perceived family and friend support, death of a friend, a life-threatening event, previous psychiatric contact, suicide attempts in the family, suicide of friends, and suicide attempts of friends. These findings show that suicidal behaviour is frequent in both countries. Suicidal deaths of friends and family is more prevalent in Germany, whereas religion or belief in god does not protect against suicide attempts in both countries. Results indicate that perceived support from family is a strong protective factor against suicide attempts. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)