published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Abstract The study explores the perceptions of learners and educators at the Strelitzia Secondary School in Isipingo, Durban, regarding safety at the school. Members of the Isipingo Community Policing Forum, as well as South African Police Service were involved in the study as external participants. Through known types of research approaches (quantitative and qualitative), more than 400 questionnaires were completed by Strelitzia Secondary School learners while 20 interview schedules were conducted with Strelitzia Secondary School educators, as well as members of the Isipingo Community PolicingForum and the South African Police Service (Durban South Area). The questionnaires were analysed through nonparametric statistical tests such as Chi-square, while the interview schedules made use of content analyses and theme identification. The study revealed that most Strelitzia Secondary School learners and educators as well as Isipingo CPF members and SAPS members who participated in the study, were of the opinion that Strelitzia Secondary School is a safe environment even though a culture of violence exists in which learners bring drugs, alcohol and firearms to school, and corporal punishment is still practised.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Clinical Psychology / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Five policemen (26-46 years) participated in a Police Fitness Program lasting for 13 to 16 weeks. They either jogged or combined walking and jogging for a minimum of two miles per session until the time of the post test. As a result, all of the officers reduced their percentage of body fat, and four of the five policemen increased their maximal oxygen consumption. Training had no effect on the initial heart rate response to a fifteen second sudden exertion run on the treadmill at nine mph., twenty percent incline. The rate of recovery, however, was improved in all subjects. No electrocardiographic abnormalities were observed either before or after training. Because a limited number of subjects completed the study, the amount of data was insufficient to make any conclusive statements about the effects of physical training on the heart rate and electrocardiographic response to sudden exertion.

The era of globalisation calls for a flexible, multi-skilled, knowledgeable, inter-changeable and adaptable healthy workforce. Employee wellness is essential to ensure an effective and efficient workforce. It is important. however. to measure wellness before it can be developed. Currently there is a need for a measuring instrument in South Africa which can measure all the dimensions of wellness as conceptualised in the literature. However, it is risky to apply psychometric instruments developed in other cultures to the South African contest without validating it. The objective of this study were to validate the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) in the South African Police Service (SAPS) The specific objectives of the study. included to conceptualise perceived wellness and the dimensions thereof from the literature to access the internal consistency and construct validity of the PWS in a sample of police personnel and to investigate differences in the perceived wellness of biographical groups. A cross-sectional survey design with an accidental sample (N=840) of police personnel was used. The sample was composed of personnel from multiple divisions in the SAPS, including Functional as well as Public Service Act personnel. The Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, target rotations, alpha coefficients and multivariate analysis of variance were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations failed to confirm the construct equivalence or the PWS for Afrikaans and Setswana language groups. Two reliable factors. namely wellness and illness were extracted in a random sample (n = 335) of the Setswana group and in a replication sample (n=338) However. an alternative interpretation was also possible. Statistically significant differences were found between perceived wellness of employees in terms of age and rank. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Empirical data indicates that work satisfaction has an effect on work attendance, decisions regarding retirement, general behavioural syndromes indicating a positive organizational orientation, attempts to influence work situations by means of trade union activities as well as psychological withdrawal. In the past work satisfaction has been coupled with individual, group and organizational factors. Increasing attention is currently paid to the hypothesis that factors within the individual (dispositional factors) rather than merely the characteristics of the position, affect individuals' work satisfaction. If locus of control does indeed show a relationship with work satisfaction, it could be of significant value for any organization, especially with regard to the selection and development of personnel. Die objectives of this research are to determine whether there is a connection between locus of control and work satisfaction. The literature study focussed on conteptualizing work satisfaction and the relationship thereof with locus of control. A survey design (correlation design) was used to test the hypotheses of the research. Each individual in the subject group was tested on two variables simultaneously and the connection between the measurements that were obtained, was established. The survey group consisted of 101 senior police personnel of the South African Police Service (SAPD) in the Marico area. An availability sample was used. Two questionnaires were used in this research, namely the Locus of Control Questionnaire (LCQ) and the Minnesota Job Satisfaction Index (Weiss et al., 1976). Statistical analyses were done by means of the SAS programme. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, product moment correlations, multiple correlations and canonical correlations were used to analyze information. With regard to the level of satisfaction of senior police personnel, they indicated dissatisfaction with regard to the remuneration that they receive, as well as physical working conditions, opportunities for promotion, acknowledgement, social status, supervision-human, as well as supervision-technical. More work satisfaction is experienced with regard to performance, authority, independence and responsibility. The results of the empirical survey indicate that there is a moderately negative relationship between the external locus of control and work satisfaction of senior police personnel. The canonical correlations indicate that there is a practically significant connection (large effect) between locus of control and work satisfaction. In conclusion recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 1999.

Thesis (M.Com.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000.

Suicide is a reality in South Africa that can be confirmed by the increasing statistics annually. The South African Police Service (SAPS) also shows increasing numbers of suicide. However, these numbers only focus on successful suicides and little is known about the suicidal ideation of members within the service. It now seems that only the tip of the iceberg is causing panic. although the problem might be much bigger than originally thought. In this research the emphasis will be on possible correlations between coping sense of coherence and job satisfaction on the one hand and suicidal ideation on the other hand within the SAPS in the North West Province. If correlations between coping: sense of coherence, job satisfaction and suicidal ideation can be found, it can be of great significance for the SAPS, especially in terms of recruitments, selection, development and management of human recourses. The objective of this research is to determine if there is a relationship between coping sense of coherence, job satisfaction and suicidal ideation among police personnel. The focus of the literature was on the conceptualising of suicidal ideation and if suicidal ideation can be linked to construct such as coping, sense of coherence and job satisfaction. The research is quantitative in nature and entails a survey design. The population consisted of 120 police personnel in the North West Province, of which all were ranked between constable to inspector. Four measuring instruments were used, namely the Adult Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire and the ways of Coping Questionnaire. The SAS-program was used for statistical analysis purposes. Descriptive statistics, t-test, product moment correlations and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the results. Police personnel indicated dissatisfaction with regard to the remuneration that they receive, as well as physical working conditions, supervision-human and company policy. They use coping styles such as seeking social support, planful problem-solving as well as positive reappraisal. Black police members showed to be more suicidal than white members. The empirical study showed that dissatisfaction with specific aspects of their work and sense of coherence could predict suicidal ideation. Recommendations for future research are made in the conclusion. / Thesis (M.A.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000.