The purpose of the present archival study was to investigate the relationship between parental substance abuse and the risk for maladjustment and psychopathology in children in a clinic sample. Children of alcoholic parents and children of drug-dependent parents were compared to children of non-substance abusing parents. The subjects were 83 boys age 6 to 12. Children of substance abuse parents had lower levels of adaptive functioning and higher levels of school behavioral problems. Although previous studies have reported a strong association between an adverse family environment and the risk of child maladjustment, the present study did not find that the addition of an adverse family environment increased the risk for maladjustment or school behavioral problems in children of substance abusers.

Text in Afrikaans / The child in early middle childhood experiences certain developmental changes. He is absorbed in the foundation phase of the formal education system and parents are no longer the most important authoritative figures. Social interaction now also includes the school environment and peer groups start playing a very important role. To face the new challenges, the possession of EI skills is of cardinal importance. The ability to observe, recognise and understand personal and other people's emotions and to react correctly is now developed. The study, a quantitive research process, is directed by holism as the point of departure from the Gestalt approach in which `totality' is a key concept. According to this concept all situations in the child's terms of reference will influence his development, including the parental style of his parents. The purpose of the study therefore was to determine and describe the correlation between parental style and emotional intelligence. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study reviews literature regarding the antecedents of locus of control. The development of locus of control in children is found to be related to parent attitudes, behaviours and interactions between parents and children. Literature was further consulted to understand the relationship between parenting and locus of control development. It was decided, based on continued review of literature, that parent guidance based on a social cognitive learning approach was a valid therapeutic model to enhance internal locus of control in children. The parent guidance model proposed in this study was based on parenting guidelines to enhance internal locus of control in children. The aim is to bring about transformation of parent attitudes and behaviours through therapeutic means, which will produce change in the parent-child relationship. This interaction was expected to lead to enhanced internality in the child participants. The empirical study engaged a predominantly qualitative methodology, using an action research design. The sample consisted of 14 families representing various racial groups and family structures. Data collection methods included questionnaires, observation and focus groups to determine the effectiveness of the proposed therapeutic model. Results showed that group parent guidance based on a social cognitive learning approach and focussing on development, responsibility, consistency, home environment, parent style, emotional intelligence, modelling, discipline and roles of mothers and fathers is effective in enhancing internal locus of control in primary school children. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

1598 students (from Primary 2 to Primary 4) participated in Study One on prevalence. Data on internalizing problems were collected using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL). The overall prevalence rate in the current sample was 11.4 percent. Association between children's internalizing problem and mother-child relationship was assessed using the Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (PCRQ). Warmth in PCRQ had the highest negative correlation with Anxious/Depressed in CBCL. / Early identification of internalizing problems in young children is important as internalizing behaviour may intensify over time and lead to psychiatric disorders (e.g., Seligman & Ollendick, 1998), or even suicide (e.g., Lewinshon, Rohde, & Seeley, 1998). The internalizing problems of Hong Kong young children also reached an alarming point. A recent survey released by the Hong Kong Association for Careers Masters and Guidance Masters (HKACMGM) in late 2005 indicated that around 75 percent of primary school children considered themselves unhappy in their daily life. The present research looked into the internalizing problems among Hong Kong primary school children. It consisted of two studies. Study One was on the prevalence of childhood internalizing problems, and its association with mother-child relationship. Study Two was a treatment outcome research on the effectiveness of different intervention programs for these children. Three interventions were compared with the waitlist control group in order to identify the effectiveness of interventions on reducing internalizing symptoms, enhancing mother-child relationship, and increasing self-esteem. These interventions were: FRIENDS (cognitive-behavioural approach), THERAPLAY (relationship-based approach), and COPE (an integrative approach). / In general, this research was among the first few in Hong Kong on assessing the prevalence rate of internalizing problem and its association with mother-child relationship. The results on the impact of different interventions on children provided further insight to local practitioners in evaluating the characteristics of their intervention programs on these children. Limitations of this research were also discussed. / Results showed that intervention of any kind could help to reduce children's internalizing problems. Such reduction could, in general, be maintained to the follow-up period despite fluctuations in between. Three major findings on the intervention programs were highlighted. First, COPE, using an integrative approach, had the biggest drop in internalizing problems as measured by CBCL. Second, FRIENDS and COPE were particularly effective in enhancing warmth, disciplinary warmth (as seen by mothers) and personal relations (as reported by children). Third, THERAPLAY was reported to be effective in reducing children's social anxiety and in enhancing children's social self-esteem. / Study Two included 92 children whose CBCL score reached at least the cutoff point (i.e., they were considered as "high risk" for having internalizing disorders) and met the selection criteria for the treatment groups. These children and their mothers were randomly allocated either to one of the three treatment conditions (n=23, 22, 23 respectively) and completed an 8-session intervention program, or to a wait-list control condition (control group, n=24). Children completed the Reynold's Child Depression Scale (RCDS), Screening for Children Anxiety-Related Disorders (SCARED) Culture-free Self-Esteem Inventory (CFSEI) at pre- and post-intervention while mothers completed the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) and the Parent-Child Relationship Questionnaire (PCRQ) at post-intervention. 1-month follow-up assessment on the above measures was conducted. Peer nomination was done at pre- and post-intervention as well as at 1-month follow-up time points to explore more on the impact of these interventions on children's social world. / Siu Fung Ying Angela. / "June 2006." / Adviser: David W. Chan. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-01, Section: A, page: 0115. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 162-180). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Text in Afrikaans / The child in early middle childhood experiences certain developmental changes. He is absorbed in the foundation phase of the formal education system and parents are no longer the most important authoritative figures. Social interaction now also includes the school environment and peer groups start playing a very important role. To face the new challenges, the possession of EI skills is of cardinal importance. The ability to observe, recognise and understand personal and other people's emotions and to react correctly is now developed. The study, a quantitive research process, is directed by holism as the point of departure from the Gestalt approach in which `totality' is a key concept. According to this concept all situations in the child's terms of reference will influence his development, including the parental style of his parents. The purpose of the study therefore was to determine and describe the correlation between parental style and emotional intelligence. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study reviews literature regarding the antecedents of locus of control. The development of locus of control in children is found to be related to parent attitudes, behaviours and interactions between parents and children. Literature was further consulted to understand the relationship between parenting and locus of control development. It was decided, based on continued review of literature, that parent guidance based on a social cognitive learning approach was a valid therapeutic model to enhance internal locus of control in children. The parent guidance model proposed in this study was based on parenting guidelines to enhance internal locus of control in children. The aim is to bring about transformation of parent attitudes and behaviours through therapeutic means, which will produce change in the parent-child relationship. This interaction was expected to lead to enhanced internality in the child participants. The empirical study engaged a predominantly qualitative methodology, using an action research design. The sample consisted of 14 families representing various racial groups and family structures. Data collection methods included questionnaires, observation and focus groups to determine the effectiveness of the proposed therapeutic model. Results showed that group parent guidance based on a social cognitive learning approach and focussing on development, responsibility, consistency, home environment, parent style, emotional intelligence, modelling, discipline and roles of mothers and fathers is effective in enhancing internal locus of control in primary school children. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of Selective Mutism, its possible causes, the strong impact it creates in English learner students, and what teachers could do to help the students who suffer from Selective Mutism.

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die leerder in die primêre skool, wat ander afknou, se psigiese lewensaktualisering te verken en te beskryf. Om hierdie doelstelling te bereik, is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie is ondersoek ingestel na die ontwikkeling van die leerder in die middelkinderjare. Voorts is die konsep van afknouery ondersoek, om sodoende ‘n psigiese beeld te kan skep van die leerder wat ander afknou. Projeksiemedia is in drie gevallestudies gebruik om empiriese inligting rakende die doel van die navorsing te bekom. Temas is uit die projeksiemedia geïdentifiseer en teen die bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die inligting wat uit die projeksiemedia verkry is, is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Daar is gepoog om die bevindinge nie te veralgemeen nie, omdat dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was. / The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the psychological life actualization of the learner in primary school who bullies others. To achieve this goal, specific objectives were set. The development of the learner in middle childhood was examined by means of a literature investigation. Furthermore, the concept of bullying was investigated, thus creating a psychological image of the learner who bullies others. Projection media were used in three case studies to obtain empirical information regarding the objective of the research. Themes from the projection media were identified and verified against the existing literature. During the discussion of the information acquired from the projection media, conclusions and recommendations were made. An attempt was made not to generalize the findings, because this was a qualitative study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doelstelling van hierdie kwalitatiewe navorsing was om die leerder in die primêre skool, wat ander afknou, se psigiese lewensaktualisering te verken en te beskryf. Om hierdie doelstelling te bereik, is bepaalde doelwitte gestel. Deur middel van ’n literatuurstudie is ondersoek ingestel na die ontwikkeling van die leerder in die middelkinderjare. Voorts is die konsep van afknouery ondersoek, om sodoende ‘n psigiese beeld te kan skep van die leerder wat ander afknou. Projeksiemedia is in drie gevallestudies gebruik om empiriese inligting rakende die doel van die navorsing te bekom. Temas is uit die projeksiemedia geïdentifiseer en teen die bestaande literatuur geverifieer. Tydens die bespreking van die inligting wat uit die projeksiemedia verkry is, is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Daar is gepoog om die bevindinge nie te veralgemeen nie, omdat dit ‘n kwalitatiewe studie was. / The aim of this qualitative study was to explore and describe the psychological life actualization of the learner in primary school who bullies others. To achieve this goal, specific objectives were set. The development of the learner in middle childhood was examined by means of a literature investigation. Furthermore, the concept of bullying was investigated, thus creating a psychological image of the learner who bullies others. Projection media were used in three case studies to obtain empirical information regarding the objective of the research. Themes from the projection media were identified and verified against the existing literature. During the discussion of the information acquired from the projection media, conclusions and recommendations were made. An attempt was made not to generalize the findings, because this was a qualitative study. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)