This research aimed to reflect upon the experiences of children in middle childhood regarding economically unstable circumstances within the family system. The theoretical underpinnings of this study were the ecological systems theory as proposed by Bronfenbrenner, the family systems theory as well as the field theory within the gestalt paradigm. Exploratory, qualitative research design with instrumental case studies was used during this research and data collection was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with randomly sampled participants and their parents. The researcher interviewed 16 individual children, consisting of seven male and nine female participants. The focus group consisted of seven parents, consisting of two male and five female participants. The researcher arrived at a conclusion that children are indeed influenced by the world wide economic turmoil. The researcher found that children experience the impact of economic instability in various contexts within their field of existence. They experience the effects of economic instability within the household as changes to daily luxuries are visible, conflict between parents increase and they experience an escalation in peer pressure to keep up with the financial expectations of their peers. The researcher is therefore of the opinion that the extent to which the economic unstable circumstances influence and affect children can easily be overlooked. In the absence of voicing the experiences of children, they cannot be fully understood and the researcher recommends that significant role players, such as parents and teachers should be assisted and guided to understand and support their children in a changing world. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study examines stresses experienced by primary school learners with learning problems in inclusive classrooms in an Independent School. Literature suggests that learners with learning problems experience more academic, emotional and social difficulties at school than do their peers without learning problems. The Transactional Model of stress was used as a point of departure for the qualitative empirical study to understand stress as it is experienced by three Grade 4 learners. Several school stresses were identified which contributed to unmet emotional and social needs. The three central sources of stress were classified as S1 (Inability to meet perceived/anticipated demand), S2 (Overload – too much expected) and S3 (Selfexpectations not met). The learners’ own suggestions regarding the relief of these stresses were examined and contributed to guidelines to assist teachers in relieving these stresses experienced by learners with learning problems in the inclusive classroom. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

A family is a basic unit of society. Among the many functions that are performed by a family, is the task of providing for its children's needs while simultaneously transmitting the society's way of life. The functioning of the family takes place through a parent-child relationship. It is therefore significant for the family to carry out parental tasks in order to give a sense of security, a sense of companion and belonging, a sense of responsibility, sense of purpose and direction to its members. Although there are many factors that pose a threat to family functioning, the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic cannot be underestimated. As the disease has advanced over time, it has negatively impinged on the children's lives. Children are losing their parents to HIV/AIDS opportunistic illnesses and this has resulted in the burgeoning of child-headed households. The phenomenon of a child-headed household presents a shift from a structural family since a significant subsystem of a family (i.e the parental subsystem) is non-existent. The study presents an in-depth investigation into the social functioning of a child-headed household. The aim was to come to a better understanding about issues that surround households that are headed by children. The social institutions with whom the household co-exists have been scrutinised in order to determine the ways in which these institutions impact upon the social functioning of child-headed households. The study highlights that child-headed households are a deviation from the norm and they create a situation where needs of children are unmet and their rights are eroded. The role of social work in mobilising resources to meet the unmet needs and championing for the rights of the children has been investigated. Case studies of ten families were conducted in the three districts of KwaZulu-Natal an area in South Africa that has widely been reported as hardest hit by the pandemic. A research team was constituted which designed a protocol for conducting case studies and collected data. Social workers also participated in the study with an aim of exploring guidelines for social service delivery with regard to a child-headed household. The study found that children are increasingly exposed to aspects of multiple care-giving through lack of parental care and a changing family structure. It was also revealed that the HIV/AIDS pandemic is shattering children's lives and reversing many hard won children's rights. In spite of the transition in the family life cycle, the family remains the central institution in the children's lives. The scourge of HIV/AIDS poses a great challenge to society. Children are left on their own without visible means of support. The problems of children develop into great magnitude in spite of policies that are in place. The findings of the study point to implications for a practice model that is aimed at co-ordinating services for effective service delivery. The researcher has presented suggested guidelines based on the findings of the study. These guidelines include the role of social work in ensuring that the social functioning of the children in child-headed households is enhanced and that social justice for these children is promoted. A protocol for intervention in child-headed households is provided. This would ensure that interventions in bringing about desired change in the lives of the children, produce sustainable results on a significant scale. / Social work / D. Phil.(Social Work)

This research aimed to reflect upon the experiences of children in middle childhood regarding economically unstable circumstances within the family system. The theoretical underpinnings of this study were the ecological systems theory as proposed by Bronfenbrenner, the family systems theory as well as the field theory within the gestalt paradigm. Exploratory, qualitative research design with instrumental case studies was used during this research and data collection was conducted by means of semi-structured interviews with randomly sampled participants and their parents. The researcher interviewed 16 individual children, consisting of seven male and nine female participants. The focus group consisted of seven parents, consisting of two male and five female participants. The researcher arrived at a conclusion that children are indeed influenced by the world wide economic turmoil. The researcher found that children experience the impact of economic instability in various contexts within their field of existence. They experience the effects of economic instability within the household as changes to daily luxuries are visible, conflict between parents increase and they experience an escalation in peer pressure to keep up with the financial expectations of their peers. The researcher is therefore of the opinion that the extent to which the economic unstable circumstances influence and affect children can easily be overlooked. In the absence of voicing the experiences of children, they cannot be fully understood and the researcher recommends that significant role players, such as parents and teachers should be assisted and guided to understand and support their children in a changing world. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

This study examines stresses experienced by primary school learners with learning problems in inclusive classrooms in an Independent School. Literature suggests that learners with learning problems experience more academic, emotional and social difficulties at school than do their peers without learning problems. The Transactional Model of stress was used as a point of departure for the qualitative empirical study to understand stress as it is experienced by three Grade 4 learners. Several school stresses were identified which contributed to unmet emotional and social needs. The three central sources of stress were classified as S1 (Inability to meet perceived/anticipated demand), S2 (Overload – too much expected) and S3 (Selfexpectations not met). The learners’ own suggestions regarding the relief of these stresses were examined and contributed to guidelines to assist teachers in relieving these stresses experienced by learners with learning problems in the inclusive classroom. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Universiteit van Suid-Afrika, 2002.

HIV and AIDS related deaths have left numerous children heading households as the number of adults dying from this pandemic increased significantly. The goal of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, challenges and coping resources of AIDS-orphans heading households in an urban area in Free State using a qualitative study. The research revealed that the level of suffering faced by these children began with their parents’ illness. This was further worsened by the death of the parents. These children are in most instances not absorbed by their extended families as the traditional safety nets are stretched to their limits. Children heading households were forced to take up adult responsibilities prematurely and as such encounter challenges on daily basis. The study concluded that the child headed families are a reality in South Africa and need lots of support from the government and local communities. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / The aim of this research was to explore the emotional experience of grade 7 learners in a gang afflicted area. The researcher further investigated how the learners experience this gang violence and how they give meaning to it The researcher also examined the possible ways in which the educational psychologist could assist these learners in actualising their full potential. A literature study of relevant sources has been undertaken to establish the theoretical context of the gang related problem. Two groups of 8 grade 7 learners were used as respondents in the empirical study. The qualitative research method has been used and the researcher made use of focus groups and interviews as measuring instruments. The results of the empirical study have shown that learners experience gang violence negatively when they are exposed to it on a regular basis and that it impacts negatively on their performance at school. / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om die emosionele belewing van graad 7-leerders in 'n bendegeteisterde gebied te ondersoek. Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die belewing van leerders van die bendegeweld en op watter wyse hulle daaraan betekenis gee. Voorts is daar ook gekyk na moontlike hulpverlening aan hierdie bendegeteisterde leerders deur die opvoedkundige sieikundige ten einde die leerders te help om hulle volle potensiaal te verwesenlik. 'n Literatuurstudie van relevante kontemporere bronne is onderneem om die teoretiese konteks van die bendeprobleem te bepaal. Vir die empiriese ondersoek is daar twee groepe van 8 leerders elk uit 'n graad 7-klas as respondente gebruik. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode is gebruik en daar is spesifiek gefokus op fokusgroepe en die voer van onderhoude. Die resultate uit die empiriese ondersoek het getoon dat leerders die gereele blootstelling aan bendegeweid negatief beleef en dat dit negatief op hulle skoolwerk impakteer. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

Summaries in Afrikaans and Engish / The aim of this research was to explore the emotional experience of grade 7 learners in a gang afflicted area. The researcher further investigated how the learners experience this gang violence and how they give meaning to it The researcher also examined the possible ways in which the educational psychologist could assist these learners in actualising their full potential. A literature study of relevant sources has been undertaken to establish the theoretical context of the gang related problem. Two groups of 8 grade 7 learners were used as respondents in the empirical study. The qualitative research method has been used and the researcher made use of focus groups and interviews as measuring instruments. The results of the empirical study have shown that learners experience gang violence negatively when they are exposed to it on a regular basis and that it impacts negatively on their performance at school. / Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was om die emosionele belewing van graad 7-leerders in 'n bendegeteisterde gebied te ondersoek. Daar is ook ondersoek ingestel na die belewing van leerders van die bendegeweld en op watter wyse hulle daaraan betekenis gee. Voorts is daar ook gekyk na moontlike hulpverlening aan hierdie bendegeteisterde leerders deur die opvoedkundige sieikundige ten einde die leerders te help om hulle volle potensiaal te verwesenlik. 'n Literatuurstudie van relevante kontemporere bronne is onderneem om die teoretiese konteks van die bendeprobleem te bepaal. Vir die empiriese ondersoek is daar twee groepe van 8 leerders elk uit 'n graad 7-klas as respondente gebruik. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode is gebruik en daar is spesifiek gefokus op fokusgroepe en die voer van onderhoude. Die resultate uit die empiriese ondersoek het getoon dat leerders die gereele blootstelling aan bendegeweid negatief beleef en dat dit negatief op hulle skoolwerk impakteer. / Psychology of Education / M.Ed. (Specialisation in Guidance and Counselling)

HIV and AIDS related deaths have left numerous children heading households as the number of adults dying from this pandemic increased significantly. The goal of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the experiences, challenges and coping resources of AIDS-orphans heading households in an urban area in Free State using a qualitative study. The research revealed that the level of suffering faced by these children began with their parents’ illness. This was further worsened by the death of the parents. These children are in most instances not absorbed by their extended families as the traditional safety nets are stretched to their limits. Children heading households were forced to take up adult responsibilities prematurely and as such encounter challenges on daily basis. The study concluded that the child headed families are a reality in South Africa and need lots of support from the government and local communities. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Work)