The objective of this study has been to investigate the influence of an entrepreneurial orientation on the perceived success of personal protective equipment organisations in South Africa. For the purpose of this study, business success has been measured by means of two dependent variables, namely Business development and improvement and Business growth. Structured questionnaires have been administered to managers in one company that is perceived to be the current market leader in the personal protective equipment industry in South Africa. Construct validity of the measuring instrument has been assessed by means of a principal component exploratory factor analysis and by calculating Cronbach alpha coefficients. A literature study on the field of Entrepreneurship has been conducted. The term entrepreneurial orientation consisting of five constructs, namely autonomy, innovation, pro-activeness, risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness, is defined. Perceived success of the industry is defined in terms of growth and development. Both ratings of the constructs and their evaluation of the perceived success of the industry, have been measured, analysed and reported. The results obtained from the questionnaire in conjunction with the literature review, are used to draw conclusions and make recommendations. The study is based on perceived corporate entrepreneurship within the line, middle and senior management levels of SPPE, a division of SAMSAC Africa (Pty) Ltd. The year 2009, has marked a series of economic events that placed the personal protective equipment market under immense pressure to maintain its bottom line growth. The environment within the organisation is constantly changing. SPPE customers, which are mainly the mining industry, have pressurised SPPE to filter cost savings through to them to ensure that they, in turn, alleviate the pressure to cut costs. Costs have been identified as one of the key challenges facing the entire mining sector. In turn, the suppliers of SPPE have also been applying pressure to the company to increase their purchase price, due to increased labour, production and overhead costs. The strengthening of entrepreneurship is an important objective for any organisation that is building its responsiveness to a globalised and changing environment. For SPPE to face the pressures brought to bear upon them by their customers and suppliers respectively, and, coupled with fierce competition in the personal protective equipment industry, it is necessary to review its processes and actively search for new ways to increase its capacity for innovation and competitiveness. The results show that the managers in the participating personal protective equipment business have perceived that the entrepreneurial orientation factors of Pro-activeness, Risk-taking and Autonomy have a positive influence on their business’s development and improvement. A significant relationship within the dependent variable Business development and improvement has also been found to exist within the independent variable Competitive aggressiveness. Corporate entrepreneurship is seen as a critical component to organisational success, especially in organisations that operate in rapidly changing industries. Corporate entrepreneurship can be a solution to large organisations’ lack of innovation, stagnated top-line growth and the inaction that often overtakes the large, mature organisations of the world. Organisations need to consistently search for new opportunities and therefore may benefit from adopting an entrepreneurial orientation. Established organisations may in essence be forced to behave entrepreneurially within the organisation, in order to defend their positions in the market. Competitive successes for organisations require managers to make strategic choices. Strategy is about relating the organisation with its environment and entrepreneurship is about exploiting opportunities in the same environment. To enhance the entrepreneurial orientation in personal protective equipment businesses, it is recommended that the word “entrepreneurship” should specifically be included in the vision statement of the businesses, setting goals and developing strategies for entrepreneurship. The focus of the business then becomes opportunity identification, discovery of new sources of value, and product and process innovation that could lead to greater success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Since the early 1990s entrepreneurship education has experienced a significant interest and growth in South Africa, due to the fact that it plays a very important part in the success of businesses, whether it is a new or an existing business venture. Corporate entrepreneurship can be defined as the development of new ideas and opportunities within a large organisation and is characterized by individuals who are energetic, creative, innovative, self-confident and take calculated risks. When looking at the entrepreneurial orientation variables, Autonomy, Innovativeness, Risk-taking, Pro-Activeness and Competitive aggressiveness in any organisation, they require an acceptable climate to ensure that each dimension prosper. The line, middle and senior managers play an important role in entrepreneurial actions, whether it is part of creating the climate or driving the process once initiated. Entrepreneurial success factors such as creativity, innovation, risk orientation, leadership, good human relations, a positive attitude and perseverance, are all attributes of successful entrepreneurs. The primary research focus of this study has been to investigate the influence of entrepreneurial orientation variables (Autonomy, Innovativeness, Risk-taking, Pro- Activeness and Competitive aggressiveness) on the perceived success in a personal protective equipment organisation in South Africa. For the purpose of this study, the business success has been measured by means of two dependent variables namely Business growth and Business development and improvement. An empirical study has been conducted by using a questionnaire that measured five dimensions regarding entrepreneurial orientation. Data from 42 participants have been collected and analysed, and the results indicate that the organisation have certain aspects of entrepreneurial orientation present. The results show that the managers in the personal protective equipment business perceived that the entrepreneurial orientation variable Innovativeness have a positive influence on their Business Growth. An important relationship between the independent variable Innovativeness and the dependent variable Business development and improvement has been found to exist. Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial orientation are more than just vibrant words in the industry; they play important roles in the survival and growth of organisations. It is also crucial to understand that the correct climate needs to be fostered within the organisation to ensure that all the various aspects of corporate entrepreneurship are achieved. The organisation will reap greater benefits that could contribute to the business staying the leader in the industry, being more competitive, creating new ventures, and introducing new products and services. The area of significant concern for the organisation is a low or poor tolerance for risktaking. Practical recommendations, suggestions and an action plan are presented in order to improve the entrepreneurial climate of the organisation. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Streetism is a world-wide, socio-economic problem and vulnerable children continue to migrate to the streets due to personal and contextual reasons. Attempts have been made to prevent streetism however; these interventions tend to ignore the need to recognise and incorporate the views of street children. In other words, current interventions are based on the views of adults (adultist views) working in the field of social work and psychology excepting the views of street children themselves. This is where this study is located. The study sought to explore the views of street children on how streetism can be prevented. This study was a qualitative, phenomenological study in which semi-structured focus group interviews were used as data collection methods. Twenty street children volunteered to participate in this study. All of the children fell into the category of children on the streets who still had connections with their parents and guardians. Their ages ranged between 10 and 16, and were all attending school. The following themes emerged from the data: families should be strengthened to prevent streetism, sound peer support can prevent streetism, schools can be used to prevent streetism, having access to social services can prevent streetism, churches can prevent streetism, a supportive community can prevent streetism and access to government services can prevent streetism. These findings provide insight into how, according to the views of street children, streetism can be prevented. The findings add to theory and have implications for practice. / MEd (Educational Psychology), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2014

The objective of this study has been to investigate the influence of an entrepreneurial orientation on the perceived success of personal protective equipment organisations in South Africa. For the purpose of this study, business success has been measured by means of two dependent variables, namely Business development and improvement and Business growth. Structured questionnaires have been administered to managers in one company that is perceived to be the current market leader in the personal protective equipment industry in South Africa. Construct validity of the measuring instrument has been assessed by means of a principal component exploratory factor analysis and by calculating Cronbach alpha coefficients. A literature study on the field of Entrepreneurship has been conducted. The term entrepreneurial orientation consisting of five constructs, namely autonomy, innovation, pro-activeness, risk-taking and competitive aggressiveness, is defined. Perceived success of the industry is defined in terms of growth and development. Both ratings of the constructs and their evaluation of the perceived success of the industry, have been measured, analysed and reported. The results obtained from the questionnaire in conjunction with the literature review, are used to draw conclusions and make recommendations. The study is based on perceived corporate entrepreneurship within the line, middle and senior management levels of SPPE, a division of SAMSAC Africa (Pty) Ltd. The year 2009, has marked a series of economic events that placed the personal protective equipment market under immense pressure to maintain its bottom line growth. The environment within the organisation is constantly changing. SPPE customers, which are mainly the mining industry, have pressurised SPPE to filter cost savings through to them to ensure that they, in turn, alleviate the pressure to cut costs. Costs have been identified as one of the key challenges facing the entire mining sector. In turn, the suppliers of SPPE have also been applying pressure to the company to increase their purchase price, due to increased labour, production and overhead costs. The strengthening of entrepreneurship is an important objective for any organisation that is building its responsiveness to a globalised and changing environment. For SPPE to face the pressures brought to bear upon them by their customers and suppliers respectively, and, coupled with fierce competition in the personal protective equipment industry, it is necessary to review its processes and actively search for new ways to increase its capacity for innovation and competitiveness. The results show that the managers in the participating personal protective equipment business have perceived that the entrepreneurial orientation factors of Pro-activeness, Risk-taking and Autonomy have a positive influence on their business’s development and improvement. A significant relationship within the dependent variable Business development and improvement has also been found to exist within the independent variable Competitive aggressiveness. Corporate entrepreneurship is seen as a critical component to organisational success, especially in organisations that operate in rapidly changing industries. Corporate entrepreneurship can be a solution to large organisations’ lack of innovation, stagnated top-line growth and the inaction that often overtakes the large, mature organisations of the world. Organisations need to consistently search for new opportunities and therefore may benefit from adopting an entrepreneurial orientation. Established organisations may in essence be forced to behave entrepreneurially within the organisation, in order to defend their positions in the market. Competitive successes for organisations require managers to make strategic choices. Strategy is about relating the organisation with its environment and entrepreneurship is about exploiting opportunities in the same environment. To enhance the entrepreneurial orientation in personal protective equipment businesses, it is recommended that the word “entrepreneurship” should specifically be included in the vision statement of the businesses, setting goals and developing strategies for entrepreneurship. The focus of the business then becomes opportunity identification, discovery of new sources of value, and product and process innovation that could lead to greater success. / MBA, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

No description available.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Biofouling in cooling water systems lead to several problems resulting in reduced efficiency and financial losses. Antifouling coatings present an environmental friendly solution to prevent biofouling alternatively to the current use of toxic chemicals in cooling water systems. In this study biofilm growth in a cooling water system was simulated in a modified flow cell system to evaluate industrial antifouling coatings and biocide-enriched coatings as potential antifouling coatings for metal surfaces. The design of a novel antifouling coating was also attempted. Firstly, analytical methods for biofilm monitoring to evaluate selected antifouling coatings and biocides were optimised. Pseudomonas sp. strain CT07 was selected to grow biofilms in the biofilm studies. A metal alloy of stainless steel and mild steel (3CR12) showed no corrosion after a 24 h biofilm growth and was selected as metal surface for the biofilm growth discs. Sonification for 5 min was determined as the optimum biofilm removal method from the growth discs. After biofilm removal the metal growth discs were stained with the LIVE/DEAD® BaclightTM Bacterial Viability kit. Visualisation by confocal laser scanning microscopy and flow cytometry revealed auto fluorescence signals from metal discs that hindered quantitative and qualitative analysis of the metal substrate. The use of Pseudomonas sp. strain CT07::gfp to grow biofilms on the metal growth discs and the exclusion of the stain SYTO9 from the LIVE/DEAD® BaclightTM Bacterial Viability kit reduced auto fluorescence signals from the metal discs. The industrial coatings containing quaternary ammonium salt (QAC), triclosan (TC) and copper oxide (CUO) respectively, showed the highest antimicrobial activity in the disc diffusion test. The minimum inhibition concentrations for silver nitrate (SN) and copper sulphate (CS) were 432 ppm and 160 ppm respectively. A minimum of 6.25 % of furanone solution (FR) was biocidal in the dilution susceptibility test. Secondly, the metal growth discs were coated respectively with the three selected industrial coatings QAC, TC and CUO and the epoxy biocide-enriched coatings SN, CS and FR and chemically characterised before and after exposure to biofilm formation. The antifouling activity of these coatings was also characterized. Growth media inoculated with Pseudomonas sp strain CT07::gfp was circulated through the modified flow cell system via a multichannel peristaltic pump for 48 h before the coated metal discs were removed and washed to perform chemical or antifouling analysis. All the industrial coatings and biocide enriched epoxy coatings complied with the thermal stability requirements of a cooling water system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging and Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis confirmed that the adhesion properties of industrial coatings TC and QAC in aqueous environments were insufficient and that the copper and silver ions leached out of the biocide-enriched epoxy coatings. The qualitative analyses of the attachment of bacteria on the surfaces of both the industrial and biocide enriched epoxy coatings was confirmed by SEM, CLSM. The attached bacteria were removed and analysed quantitatively through plate counts and flow cytometry. None of the industrial coatings or the biocide incorporated epoxy coatings that were used in this study would therefore be efficient for the use on metal surfaces in cooling water systems. Thirdly, several approaches were followed to synthesise a poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (SMA) coating, chemically bind a furanone derivative, 2,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxy-3-(2H)-furanone, to the polymer back bone of the SMA coating for the application as an antifouling coating for cooling water systems. The synthesis of SMA was confirmed through 1H NMR and SEC and the synthesis of tert-butyl 2-(2-hydroxyethoxy) ethylcarbamate and 4-(2-(2-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)ethoxy)ethoxy)-4- oxobutanoic acid was confirmed through 1H NMR and ES-MS+. The synthesis of the end furanone derivative product could however not be achieved. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Bio-aanpaksels in waterverkoelingsisteme veroorsaak talle probleme wat lei tot verminderde doeltreffendheid en finansiële verliese. Antimikrobiese oppervlakbedekkings verskaf ‘n omgewingsvriendelike oplossing om bio-aanpaksels te voorkom en ‘n alternatief vir die huidige gebruik van giftige chemikalieë in waterverkoelingsisteme. Biofilm groei in waterverkoelingsisteme was nageboots in ‘n gewysigde vloeiselsisteem om industriële aanpakwerende en biopsied bevattende antimikrobiese oppervlakbedekkings as potensiële aanpakwerende beskermingslae vir metaaloppervlaktes te evalueer. Die ontwerp van ‘n nuwe aanpakwerende beskermingslaag is ook ondersoek. Eerstens is analitiese moniteringsmetodes vir bio-aanpaksels op geselekteerde aanpakwerende antimikrobiese oppervlakbedekkings en biosiedes geoptimiseer. Pseudomonas sp. stam CT07 was verkies om bio-aanpaksels te simuleer gedurende hierdie studie. ‘n Metaalalooi van vlekvrye staal en sagte staal (3R12) het geen korrosie getoon na 24 uur se groei van bio-aanpaksels nie en is vir hierdie rede gebruik as metaal vir die bio-aanpaksel groeiplate. Dit was vasgestel dat sonifisering die optimale verwyderingsmetode vir groeiplate was. Na verwydering van bio-aanpaksels was die metaal groeiplate bedek met die LIVE/DEAD® BaclightTM bakteriële lewensvatbaarheid-toestel. Visualisering deur middel van konfokale mikroskopie en vloeisitrometrie het outofluoreserende seine vanaf die metaal groeiplate onthul wat kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe analise van die metaal substraat verhinder het. Die gebruik van Pseudomonas sp. stam CT07:gfp om bio-aanpaksels te kweek op metal plate en die uitsluiting van SYT09 van die LIVE/DEAD® BaclightTM bakteriële lewensvatbaarheid-toestel, het die outofluoreserende seine van die metaalskywe verminder. Industriële beskerminglae, wat onderskeidelik Kwaternêre ammonium sout (QAC), triclosan (TC) en koperoksied (CUO) bevat, het die hoogste antimikrobiese aktiwiteit in die skyf-diffusie toets getoon. Die minimum inhibisiekonsentrasies vir silwernitraat (SN) en kopersulfaat (CS) was onderskeidelik 432 dpm en 160 dpm. ‘n Minimum konsentrasie van 6.25% van die furanoonoplossing (FO) is geklassifiseer as ‘n biosied in die oplossingstoets.Tweedens was die metaal groei-skywe bedek met drie industriële beskermingslae QAC, TC en CUO en die epoksie-biosied-verrykte lae SN, CS en FR en chemiesgekarakteriseerd voor en na die vorming van bio-aanpaksel. Die karaktereienskappe van die aktiwiteit van die beskermingslae was ook vasgestel. Opgeloste triptiese soja sop vermeng met Pseudomonas sp strain CT07: gfp was gesirkuleer in die gemodifiseerde vloeisel deur ‘n multikanaal peristaltiese pomp vir 48 uur voordat die beskermde metaalskywe verwyder en gewas is om chemiese en aanpakwerende analise uit te voer. Al die industriële beskermingslae en biosied-verrykte epoksie-beskermingslae het aan die vereistes van termiese stabiliteit van ‘n waterverkoelingsisteem voldoen. Skandeer elektronmikroskopie (SEM) en X-straal spektroskopie (EDX) analise het aangetoon dat die aantrekkingseienskappe van industriële beskermingslae TC en QAC in waterige oplossings onvoldoende was en dat die koper- en silwerione uit die biosiedverrykte epoksie-resin beskermingslae diffundeer. Die kwalitatiewe analise van die aanpaksel van bakterieë op die oppervlaktes van beide industriële en biosied -verrykte epoksie-beskermingslae was bevestig deur SEM en CLSM. Die aangepakte bakterieë was verwyder en kwantitatief geanaliseer deur middel van plaattellings en vloeisitrometrie. Nie een van die industriële beskermingslae of die biosied-bevattende epoksie beskermingslae wat in hierdie studie gebruik is, is dus gepas vir gebruik op metaaloppervlaktes in waterverkoelingsisteme nie. Derdens was verskeie pogings aangewend om ‘n poli(stireen-alt-maleic anhidried) (SMA) beskermingslaag chemies te bind tot ‘n furanoon afgeleide 2.5-demitiel-4-hidroksie-3-(2H)- furanoon, tot die polimeer-ruggraat van die SMA beskermingslaag vir aanwending as ‘n aanpakwerende beskermingslaag vir waterverkoelingsisteme. Die sintese van SMA was bevestig deur 1H NMR en SEC en die sintese van tert-butyl 2-(2-hirdoksie-etoksie) etielkarbamaat en 4-(2- (2-(tert-butoksiekarboniel)etoksie)etoksie)-4-oksobutanoiesesuur was bevestig deur 1H NMR en ES-MS+. Die sintese van die uiteindelike afgeleide furanoon kon egter nie behaal word nie.

The purpose of this study was to explore what contributes to resilience in females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. Fragile X Syndrome can be defined as an inherited (genetic) condition that causes mental impairment, attention deficit and hyperactivity, anxiety and unstable mood, autistic behaviours, hyper-extensible joints, and seizures. I became aware of Fragile X Syndrome during my time as a live-in caretaker to an adolescent female who was diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. Because she coped with her disability so resiliently, I was encouraged to explore what contributes to resilience in females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. I followed a qualitative approach, anchored in the interpretivist paradigm. This means that I tried to understand the resilience of females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome through the meanings that the participants in my study assigned to them. Furthermore, I worked from a transformative paradigm, which meant that I was interested in changing the traditionally negative ways in which females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome are seen. I followed a multiple case study approach, which included four case studies. I conveniently selected the first participant, but realised that convenience sampling was not very credible for a qualitative case study. An Advisory Panel was then used to purposefully recruit three more participants. In order to explore what contributed to their resilience, I made use of interviews, observations, and visual data collection. I also interviewed adults (e.g. parents, teachers and consulting psychologists) who were significantly involved in the lives of my participants. My findings suggest that resilience in females with Fragile X Syndrome is rooted in protective processes within the individual as well as within her family and environment. Because my findings do not point to one specific resource, my study underscores newer understandings of resilience as an Eco systemic transaction. Most of the resilience-promoting resources noted by the participants in my study as contributing to their resilience have been identified as resilience-promoting in previous studies. Although the themes that emerged in my study have been reported in resilience previously, I make a contribution to theory because I link traditional resilience-promoting resources to resilience in females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. Peer support was previously reported as a resilience-promoting resource, but in my study I noticed that the main source of peer support came from peers who were also disabled. Furthermore, my study transforms how we see females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. This transformation encourages communities and families to work together towards resilience in females diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome. / Ph.D, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

This empirical research study focuses on the qualities of resilient adolescents in a technical school. The study indicates why some adolescents in a technical school are resilient, while other adolescents in this technical school are not resilient. Thirty resilient and thirty non-resilient adolescents in a technical school were chosen to participate in the empirical study. The empirical study consisted of quantitative research (a questionaire that was completed by the sixty adolescents), and qualitative research (three chosen resilient adolescents took part in an interview). This study is therefore a mixed methods study. The conclusions of the study were supported by the literature. The qualities of the resilient adolescent in a technical school are similar to the qualities of resilient adolescents in other contexts. Resilient adolescents in this technical school were characterized by protective factors and processes that had their roots in the individual, the community, culture and relationships. This study is an explorative study. More rigorous research is needed before this study's findings can be generalised. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

The application of the thermally sprayed WC-Co and Cr 3C2-NiCr coatings have been widely used in industry for its superior sliding, abrasive and erosive wear properties. The Al2O3 coating possessing high hardness can be utilized to improve the wear resistance of the metallic surface. Replacing the stamping tool material from steel to lightweight aluminium with protective coatings offers significant gains such as reduction in power costs and increasing operational efficiency during manufacturing of sheet automobile parts. In this study, the WC-CoCr and Cr3C2-NiCr coatings were sprayed with High Velocity Air-Fuel (HVAF) process and Al2O3 coating was deposited using Atmosphere Plasma Spraying (APS) process. The coatings were evaluated and compared based on the results of roughness tests, hardness tests, adhesion tests, quantitative imaging analysis and microstructure analysis. The experimental results revealed that the roughness value varied in a lower range which implies of a high density of the coatings. It was found that coatings have an extremely high hardness value as tested by the Vickers hardness test. The WC-Co coating was found to be the hardest (1215.2HV). The adhesion test was implemented according to the ASTM C633-79 standard. The result showed that WC-Co and Cr3C2-NiCr coatings without a bond coat had high tensile strength, higher than the respective glue strength (63.54MPa, 75.89MPa). Whereas, the Al2O3 coating has a much lower tensile strength (15.2MPa, 25.68MPa, with and without bond) than others and using a bond coat layer does not contribute to an increase in adhesion strength of the cermet coatings. The coating thickness was evaluated using Light Optical Microscopy (LOM) and microstructure analysis was carried out using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). From the microstructure analysis, it was observed that all the coatings have a dense microstructure, very low porosity and low oxide inclusions in top coat. The WC and Cr3C2 grains retain a large volume fraction of finely dispersed in matrix. The alumina coating was found to have low levels of un-melted or the re-solidified particles in the coating. All of the aforementioned analysis and results reveal that WC/CoCr and Cr3C2-NiCr coating show promising potential for press tool applications. However, abrasive resistance test still remained to be done and will be performed in the future. The result of it can reveal the actual wear resistance between two coatings in reality and will be helpful in determining the better protective coating for aluminium press tools

This study examined victims' perceived sense of empowerment during the process of seeking a Preliminary Protective Order. A cross sectional survey design with stratified sampling was used to gather information from women seeking Preliminary Protective Orders in Richmond City, Virginia. During a six month period 89 women agreed to participate, for a response rate of 83 percent. In general, the sample consisted of women who identified themselves as African-American, single, with either a high school/GED degree, and/or some college education.Overall, the women found the steps during the process of seeking an Order, either easy or very easy. In general, the participants responded positively to the steps outlined in the process index. Exceptions to the largely positive results included: getting help preparing a safety plan, explaining what you wanted to the judge, and learning about how to seek a Protective Order. The empowerment sub-scales' results suggest that overall the participants felt empowered during the process of seeking an Order. The final mean for each sub-scale was higher than the minimum score necessary to be considered a high score. The results of the multivariate analysis suggest that the process of seeking an Order was an empowering act on two of the three levels of empowerment studied. The two sub-scales found to have a positive and statistically significant relationship with the process index were the self-efficacy, and collective advocacy level. Alternatively, when utilizing the self-advocacy sub-scale as the dependent variable, only marital status was found to be significant. Implications for social work practice include practitioners educating themselves on legal protections for abused women and educating clients about the process of seeking an Order. Additionally, social workers should incorporate empowerment theory concepts while working with clients. Social work educators should incorporate empowerment theory throughout the curriculum and increase content on intimate partner violence and interdisciplinary teams. Additionally, social workers should consider partnering with other disciplines, such as criminal justice departments to offer cross-listed courses and certificate programs to prepare future professionals who will work in the domestic violence field. Policies to enhance victim-witness advocates' ability to assist victims and specialized courts are recommended.