This study firstly investigates the prevalence of HIV/AIDS and the resulting deaths from an international, African and South African perspective. These statistics provide a backdrop to the phenomenon of grandparent-headed households. The needs of orphans and the characteristics of grandparent-headed households are explained. The researcher describes the services offered to these households by a number of supporting agencies internationally and in South Africa. Erik Erikson’s model of psychosocial development is used as a structure to explain childhood grieving during the various psychosocial development stages, including adolescence. The views and experiences of a number of South African grandparent-headed households are described as well as the views of stakeholders offering support to these families. Lastly the researcher offers guidelines to professionals and lay people who endeavour to empower grandparents who fulfil the role of parents in the context of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

This research study focuses on the sexual encounters of teenagers. Teenagers do not always have private intimate places of their own and tend to use school grounds, toilets and classrooms to engage in sexual activities. Recently, various newspapers published articles about teen pregnancy and sex on school grounds. The alarming rate of sexual activities at schools among South African teenagers became a driving force for the researcher to investigate this phenomenon. The goal was to develop in-depth understanding of the experiences of teenagers being engaged in sexual activities at school and social work support required. A qualitative approach was employed following explorative, descriptive and contextual research designs. The study was conducted in the Gauteng province. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data. Purposive sampling was utilised. Analysis of data was conducted according to Tesch (cited in Smit, 2002) and Guba's model (cited in Shenton, 2004) was employed for data verification. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Social Work))

We conducted the study to explore and define the role of the social worker in Primary Health Care. The medical care model on its own is viewed as inappropriate for developing countries. We see Primary Health Care as holding the key to improving the health status of the many disadvantaged communities in South Africa. The Primary Health Care approach demands those health care providers, including social workers work collaboratively to provide the best possible services to the communities. Social Work is a profession concerned with the disadvantaged. However, social workers are assigned a very limited role in Primary Health Care. Since participants are concerned about subjective and experiential realities, participatory research was the appropriate research method. The major findings and conclusions were that, social workers have a role in Primary Health Care. They have to be assertive and tell others what is it that they do to find a place in Primary Health Care / Social Work / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

Children are being removed unnecessarily from their families and placed into substitute care because service programmes lack resources to keep families intact. There are overseas programmes, which provide home services to families, with children at risk of out of home placement. Although there has been an IFPS project there is no established intensive short-term programme in South Africa that deals with families at the brink of dissolution.The objective of the research is to investigate whether an Intensive Family Preservation Programme is feasible in South Africa. The researcher received training in the United States and met with leaders in the field, to discuss the development and implementation of the programme in South Africa. Surveys obtained the attitudes and opinions of the local social workers and commissioners of Child Welfare in Durban towards the programme. The results from opinion surveys indicate that an Intensive Family Preservation Programme is feasible in South Africa. / Social Science / M.A.(Social Work)

Text in Afrikaans / Na aanleiding van die toename in tendense wat voorkom by die ontplooide soldate, byvoorbeeld aansoeke om verplasings nader aan die huis, afwesigheid sander verlof en alkoholmisbruik, het die navorser ondersoek ingestel na die effek van die ontplooiing op die soldaat en sy gesin. 'n Verkenningstudie is gekies om die probleemareas te verken. Die nominale groepstegniek is gebruik om die inligting te verkry vanaf die 16 gesinne wat deur doelbewuste seleksie gekies is. Die Die navorser het bevind dat daar wel verskeie probleme tuis ontstaan het as gevolg van die ontplooiing. Beide die blanke en Zoeloe gesinne het probleme ervaar as gevolg van die ontplooiing, alhoewel die probleme verskil het by die verskillende kulture. Verskeie aanbevelings is gemaak en sluit die samewerking van die maatskaplike werkers, kompanie bevelvoerders, eenheidsbevelvoerders om die omstandighede van die soldate in die ontplooiingsituasie, asook die van hulle gesinn, te verbeter. / M.A. (Maatskaplike Werk)

The study focuses on the emotional experiences of parental bereavement of African adolescents who live in a rural environment. Findings revealed that the loss of a parent is very devastating for African adolescents. The adolescents received inadequate assistance from family, peers, community members or educators. It is essential after this study to uncover ways in which these adolescents could be assisted to cope with the loss of a parent who had been providing love, care, financial and material support, as well as safety and security. To gather data the researcher drew meaning from eight participants’ lived experiences from transcriptions of interviews with the participants. The participants, seven girls and one boy, were adolescents between the ages of twelve and fifteen years, who had lost their fathers. This study recommended that educators be equipped to take a major role in dealing with children in bereavement, since there are no educational psychologists or other professionals based in the school or neighbourhood. The community needs to be made aware of the plight of bereaved adolescents and should be introduced into giving positive and constructive assistance to these young people. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Many South African families are beset by social, psychological and economic challenges placing children at risk. Family preservation services, capitalising on families’ strengths to resolve their problems, are crucial to avoid the removal of children from their homes. Using a qualitative approach, this study reveals the experiences and perceptions of twelve social workers providing family preservation services in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan of Gauteng Province. These social workers articulate their understanding of and experiences with the Children’s Act (Act No. 38) of 2005. They are generally optimistic that family preservation services can offer a helping process with the potential to improve family functioning. Nevertheless, there are stumbling blocks to effective service delivery, such as the kinds of social problems experienced by families, lack of funding, high caseloads, lack of resources and little co-operation from other disciplines and agencies. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for practice, policy and further research. / Social Work / M. A. (Social Work)

An intoxicated police employee can never keep the community safe and secure, as mandated by law enforcement prescripts. However, limited attention is given to harmful or hazardous substance abuse or the binge drinking habits of police employees. Substance abuse being a ‘culture’ in law enforcement agencies and the maintenance of the blue wall of silence as a protective measure necessitates scientific research to explore how a collaborative working relationship between the occupational social worker and especially First Line Managers (FLMs) can contribute to addressing this phenomenon in a timeous manner. The researcher applied a quantitative research approach and utilised a switching replication quasi-experimental design to determine whether the collaborative working relationship between South African Police Service (SAPS) FLMs and Police Social Workers (PSWs) can be strengthened to the extent that they effectively and efficiently deal with the harmful or hazardous substance abuse or binge drinking habits of SAPS employees by exposing the FLMs to a social work intervention, namely the Sober Workplace Programme for Managers. The pre-, mid-, and posttest measurements are based on knowledge, attitude, and behaviour constructs to determine if the two hypotheses formulated were supported. The study, however, did not indicate that the Sober Workplace Programme for Managers strengthens the collaborative working relationship between the FLMs and PSWs to address the harmful or hazardous substance abuse or binge drinking habits of employees in the workplace. Alternative research and occupational social work strategies are recommended to establish if and how the Sober Workplace Programme for Managers can be implemented to strengthen the collaborative working relationship between the FLMs and PSWs to address the harmful or hazardous substance abuse or binge drinking habits of employees. / Social Work / Ph. D. (Social Work)

Mental illness remains one of the most devastating condition affecting the social functioning of individuals and families. The affected individuals and their caregivers expressed dissatisfaction in mental health service delivery. The mental health system is medically oriented and does not involve caregivers as partners in the provision of mental health services. Although the developmental approach has been adopted to guide the provision of services recognising human rights and social justice, the medical model remains a challenge in the provision of comprehensive mental health services. This is compounded by the Mental Health Care Act (Act No. 17 of 2002) that is silent on the role of families in the mental health system. Additionally, social workers are unable to provide adequate services due to lack of resources. A qualitative study using the exploratory, descriptive and contextual designs was undertaken. Purposive sampling was used to select 28 participants from three groups, namely ten MHCUs, nine caregivers and nine social workers. The goals of the study were to understand the experiences of MHCUs, caregivers and social workers in mental health service delivery; and to proffer guidelines for social work practice to enhance partnership between the family and mental health care providers. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews and analysed according to Tesch’s (in Creswell, 2009:186; 2014) framework. Data verification was guided by Lincoln and Guba’s (in Krefting, 1991:214-222) model to enhance trustworthiness. The findings suggest that MHCUs and caregivers received inadequate psychosocial support which is attributed to lack of involvement in service delivery. Furthermore, social workers lack adequate training to provide effective mental health care. As a result, guidelines were developed for the establishment and enhancement of partnership between families and mental health service providers to offer comprehensive and sustainable mental health services. Future exploration of the role of the family in mental health services is required. / Social Work / D. Phil. (Social Work)

The research addresses secondary victimization of women reporting abuse at the Lenasia Police Station and reasons why it occurs. In addition, the research also determines if the expectations of the survivors of abuse about the police when reporting abuse are in line with what the Domestic Violence Act stipulates as their duties. To determine this, a sample of survivors reporting abuse was used. A qualitative and quantitative approach to the research was used. Two questionnaires were used for the sample of survivors and for service provides, with an opinion survey with knowledgeable people and a focus group discussion with police. It was found that some women were experiencing victimization by the police and that the survivors' expectations of the police were as stipulated in the Domestic Violence Act. Services provided by service providers were outlined and obstacles preventing police to provide a good service were identified. Recommendations were made. / Social work / MA(SS) (SOCIAL WORK)