The past 20 years have seen a growing interest amongst researchers into indirect forms of aggression and bullying. The evidence suggests that covert forms of aggression are largely used by adolescent girls as a means of inflicting harm on another and that the effects of such interactions can be detrimental to the individual's psychological and emotional well-being. This study aims to explore the social experiences of four adolescent girls, with particular reference to indirect aggression practices that they may have encountered. Data was collected in the form of unstructured interviews, which were conducted with each participant separately. Prominent themes were then identified and explored by the researcher. This was done from a systemic epistemological stance within the post-modern paradigm. A qualitative methodological design was followed allowing for the personal experiences and meaning attributions of each participant to come to the fore. The study's results were presented in the form of descriptive text with particular reference to the systemic processes that came to the fore. Overall, the study explicated the unique experiences of four adolescent girls with indirect aggression and how these experiences are interwoven with systemic processes that take place in social groups. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

The past 20 years have seen a growing interest amongst researchers into indirect forms of aggression and bullying. The evidence suggests that covert forms of aggression are largely used by adolescent girls as a means of inflicting harm on another and that the effects of such interactions can be detrimental to the individual's psychological and emotional well-being. This study aims to explore the social experiences of four adolescent girls, with particular reference to indirect aggression practices that they may have encountered. Data was collected in the form of unstructured interviews, which were conducted with each participant separately. Prominent themes were then identified and explored by the researcher. This was done from a systemic epistemological stance within the post-modern paradigm. A qualitative methodological design was followed allowing for the personal experiences and meaning attributions of each participant to come to the fore. The study's results were presented in the form of descriptive text with particular reference to the systemic processes that came to the fore. Overall, the study explicated the unique experiences of four adolescent girls with indirect aggression and how these experiences are interwoven with systemic processes that take place in social groups. / Psychology / M. A. (Clinical Psychology)

This study focuses on the cybernetic complementarity of stability and change in family therapy. Stability and change involve both the client and therapist, and is a selfreferential process where the observer is part of that which is observed. One couple was involved in ten therapy sessions. During the action research cycles of planning, acting and reflecting, the principles of systems theory, cybernetics and second cybernetics were implemented. A team consisting of one lecturer and two students were actively involved throughout all the phases of the research process. During therapy, the therapist focused on stability to facilitate change in the structure of the couple's organizational system. The research served as a good example of how punctuation of two complementarity processes (stability and change) can enable and empower clients to autonomously reflect on their own behaviour, and to make decisions regarding patterns they would like or feel ready to change. / Social Science (Mental Health) / Thesis (M. Soc. Science)--University of South Africa, 2001. / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))

This study focuses on the cybernetic complementarity of stability and change in family therapy. Stability and change involve both the client and therapist, and is a selfreferential process where the observer is part of that which is observed. One couple was involved in ten therapy sessions. During the action research cycles of planning, acting and reflecting, the principles of systems theory, cybernetics and second cybernetics were implemented. A team consisting of one lecturer and two students were actively involved throughout all the phases of the research process. During therapy, the therapist focused on stability to facilitate change in the structure of the couple's organizational system. The research served as a good example of how punctuation of two complementarity processes (stability and change) can enable and empower clients to autonomously reflect on their own behaviour, and to make decisions regarding patterns they would like or feel ready to change. / Social Science (Mental Health) / Thesis (M. Soc. Science)--University of South Africa, 2001. / M.A. (Social Science (Mental Health))