Thesis M.A. (Criminology) --Univesity of Limpopo, 2011 / The study on bullying is very important to the effective prevention oflater crime in adulthood. Bullying is one of the anti-social behaviour that may lead to criminal behaviour in adulthood. If bullies are allowed to carry on with this destructive behaviour, when they become adults, they may be involved in criminal behaviour such as partner abuse, road rage, child abuse, theft, etc. When a study is conducted to determine the extent and nature of bullying, the practices of bullying can be prevented on the primary level than waiting for it to continue and try toprevent it in the tertiary level. To prevent this crime at the tertiary level will result in financial losses to the state that will then have to sentence and keep perpetrators in correctional facilities. This study focuses on the nature and the extent to which bullying affect learners at secondary schools in Mankweng. No criminological study has ever been done on this phenomenon in Mankweng, Limpopo Province. A study that was conducted by Sathekge in 2004 focused on the psychological factors that contribute to aggressive behaviour among secondary school students. Sathekge (2004:63-66) found that, 68.9% of learners reported that they were bullied, taunted or teased in their schools. The aim of the study was to determine the nature of bullying among learners at a secondary school level, and the extent to whichit affects learners, specifically focusing on two schools Hwiti and Mountainview Secondary Schools that are located in Mankweng area, Limpopo Province. A quantitative approach was used in this study. Two hundred learners from two schools were selected to form part of the study using a snow ball sampling as a way of collecting the data.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016 / The aim of the present study was to explore and describe the psychosocial experiences of secondary school learners from child-headed households in Mankweng area, Limpopo province. A qualitative research approach, specifically the phenomenological research design was used in this study. Ten grade 8 to 10 learners (male = 5; female = 5), aged between 16 and 18 years were purposively selected and requested to participate in the study. Data were collected through structured interviews. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) method was used to analyse the data. The following three categories of themes were identified: a). Circumstances leading to child-headed households; b). Socioeconomic themes category; and, c). Psychosocial themes category. Each of the three categories yielded a number of themes. There were nine psychosocial category themes that emerged from the data. These among others included the following: a). Poor scholastic performance by learners from child-headed families; b). Increased levels of sexual abuse and teenage pregnancy for the girl child; and, c). Psychosocial trauma. With regard to coping strategies, the study found that girls tended to engage in risky sexual behaviour as a way to access financial support and to cope with their challenges when compared to boys who tended to engage in more positive behaviour like garden work in order to earn a living. Based on the above findings, the study recommends that learners from child-headed households should receive counselling support from school based support teams. Special consideration should be given to the orphaned girl child who is more vulnerable to psychosocial risks when compared to a boy child from a similar family background. The study further recommends that community support centres be established in order to support learners from child-headed families with after-school care, meals and recreational activities. There is also a need for community forums to be established and to prioritise the safety of their neighbourhoods in order for all children to feel appreciated and safe in their environments. The Department of Social Development should also continue to provide the support grant to learners who have reached the age of 18 who live in child-headed households as they still need care and support.

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / See the attached abstract below

MA ( Psychology) / Dpartment of Psychology

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The study explored the stress levels and alcohol use amongst first entering students at the University of Limpopo. There are various reasons that students’ use and abuse alcohol for instance, academic workload, peer pressure, negative life events and boredom. In this study a cross-sectional survey design was used with a random sample of 217 first year psychology students. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), which measures individual stress and the Alcohol Use Identification Disorder Test (Audit), which measures alcohol use were used. Descriptive statistics, the chi-square test and an independent t-test were used to analyse data. Findings revealed that the majority of students drink alcohol but only a few drink to excess. Stress was reported mostly in the low to moderate range. However, female students did report significantly more stress than males in the sample. Some findings, although not significant, were problematic as for instance, a portion of students stated they could not remember what they were doing the night before after drinking and one female student was found to be dependent on alcohol. The Self-Medication Model (SMM) posits that people in a group are likely to selfmedicate if certain conditions are met in order to avoid stress, this appears to be the case in this study. It was recommended that a larger study be undertaken with a qualitative component to ascertain reasons why students are drinking alcohol in ever increasing numbers. It was also recommended that the institution run programmes related to the dangers of alcohol use and about stress and its consequences.

MPH / Department of Public Health / Introduction: It has been noted that stress is considered a major global health challenge. This is because it affects the well-being of service providers, especially those working in the human service sector, such as educators. The sources of stress are attributed to social factors, discipline of students, occupational pressures and workload. Studies have shown that stress is a silent killer that affects the health and productivity of educators, leading to mental, physical, emotional and behavioral illnesses. Educators in the Malamulele North East Circuit are confronted with work challenges and continue experiencing stress. Purpose: The study aimed at finding out the experienced stressors by educators in public high schools of Malamulele North East circuit, Vhembe District. Method: The study was conducted in Malamulele North East public high schools. Malamulele North East is situated in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative approach using explorative and descriptive design was adopted for the study. A sample of twelve educators was chosen from the target population by means of convenience sampling and data was collected through a face to face individual in-depth interview. Interviews and discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and coded into larger themes, categories and sub-categories. Results: The following themes were derived from data analysis: factors considered to be sources of stress, perceived effects of stress among high school educators, strategies that educators use to cope with stress and strategies to manage the experiences of stress for educators. The study showed that different factors at schools have a great impact on educators. All the educators were affected by stressors in their work daily and adopted some coping strategies. However, these educators required continued intervention to manage the stress. Conclusions: The findings showed that all educators were experiencing stress in their work environment and were affected personally as well as professionally. Hence, the DOE needs to design strategies for continues support in order to manage the stress.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of South Africa, 2001.

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology

PhD (Sociology) / Department of Sociology / The purpose of this study was to critically determine the impact of communal child-rearing approach on the prevalence of teenage pregnancy in Vhembe District, in order to develop facilitation tools from which the parents can be empowered on the constructive parenting approaches, specifically for a girl-child and teenage girls against the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. This study further empowers the teenage girls in particular growing-up in Vhembe District with the chance of healthy development and future favourable womanhood. A combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches was used to conduct the study, with a quantitative description and exploratory study design. A total of 400 participants, mainly teenage girls, participated in a quantitative approach. Then 16 pregnant teenage girls, 19 teenage mothers, 6 key informants and 23 parents of pregnant teenage girls and mothers participated in a qualitative approach. The participants for the quantitative approach were sampled using the stratified random sampling technique because of the age-specific (13-19 years). Close-ended questionnaires were administered to them. The participants for in-depth interviews were sampled using the purposive and snowball non-random sampling technique. They were high school principals, teachers, and community leaders, pregnant teenage girls and teenage mothers, and their parents. Data collected through close-ended questionnaires were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) programme. Frequencies tables were created to categorize variables and cross-sectional frequencies tables were further created to show associations between the variables. The data collected through structured interviews, matrices were created using content thematic analysis. The responses were grouped thematically and, with the emergence of subthemes, broad categories were generated to differentiate and explain the thoughts expressed by the participants. The study findings suggest that the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is purely a social behavioral problem develop through critical parenting practices and approaches. The study concluded that the total blame for the prevalence of teenage pregnancy is in the way parents raise the teenage girls, whether influenced by their socio-economic status, cultural values, availability or absence of the other parent, etc. the primary lack of sensitive parenting recognition of the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, critically placed the teenage girls in Vhembe District in the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. / NRF

MA (Psychology) / Department of Psychology / Students enter university with the hope to graduate and become successful one day but those hopes are shattered when their academic results decrease. Despite poor performance and poor results of students’ academics, there has been a need to investigate why students’ performance differs significantly. Students achieve low academic performance due to psychological, social and behavioral problems which arise during academic life. The aim of this study is to explore factors contributing to poor academic performance faced by students at a selected department rural university, Limpopo province. The study was conducted at the University of Venda (UNIVEN), situated in the scenic Vhembe District of the Limpopo Province. A qualitative approach using phenomenological design was used for this study. A sample of 15 students was selected from the target population using non-probability purposive, convenient random sampling method. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview. An interpretative phenomenological approach was used to analyse data. The study findings indicate that revealed that low levels of social support from parents, friends and family contribute to anxiety experienced by students at the university. In addition, Students developed low self-esteem, low self-confidence as a result of poor academic literacy, low marks and lack of social support. The study recommends that Head of the Department to have an open session for students to discuss matters concerning the teaching and learning style offered to them and ways to improve. / NRF