Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2009 / There is dearth of information about the extent of alcohol abuse by teenagers, focusing mainly on the volume and the frequency of alcohol intake by teenagers especially in a rural setting. Most notable contributions are descriptive in nature and rely on cross-sectional analysis, with little specific focus on rural teenage alcohol abuse. To bridge the gap, this study quantifies the extent of alcohol abuse by teenagers in rural areas by means of a case study in Lebitso Senior Secondary School situated in Mopani District of Limpopo Province. STUDY DESIGN A mixed approach was used with the quantitative method taking the upper hand because of the nature of the variables for the hypotheses formulated which required statistical procedures. Simple random sampling was used as the study was characterized by the representation of the learners of one senior secondary school to represent the homogeneous nature of teenagers in a similar setting, in Limpopo Province. RESULTS The study population consisted of 251 male and female teenage learners of Lebitso Senior Secondary School. In the exploration of alcohol abuse by teenagers, the availability of liquor outlets in respect of the teenagers’households, and the socio-economic status of their families were revealed to have a bearing on their abuse of alcohol. 93% of teenagers had liquor outlets near their places of residence. The study has also shown that 87% of male learners and 13% of female learners had access to finances, which influenced their behaviour towards the abuse of alcohol. CONCLUSION Among the recommendations were that Education, Health, Safety and Security Sectors were to join hands in order to come up with preventative measures to deal with this problem.

Thesis (Ph. D. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that affects and destroys the future of teenage girls, especially teenage learners. Its impact is not only felt by the teenage girls, but also by their families, schools, and the country in general. This study sought to develop an educational social group work model on teenage pregnancy for learners in schools in the North West province. To this effect, this study was anchored on five objectives, namely: to establish the extent of teenage pregnancy amongst learners in schools in the North West province; to assess factors that predispose learners to indulge in sexual activities despite the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; to describe the roles of parents in the prevention of teenage pregnancy amongst learners; to identify prevention measures used by the schools to prevent teenage pregnancy; and to develop, implement, and evaluate an educational social group work model on teenage pregnancy for learners. The study adopted a mixed methods approach by combining the qualitative and quantitative paradigms. The population of the study consisted of learners, while school principals, deputy principals, Life Orientation teachers, and parents/guardians were the key informants. The findings of this study confirm that teenage pregnancy is a serious problem that continues to affect schools. All grades from the secondary schools that participated in this study reported cases of learner pregnancies. The grades with high reported cases include Grades 10, 11, and 12, while Grades 8 and 9 appeared to be the least affected. Furthermore, the findings indicate that male learners are most likely to father children with female learners. The development of an educational social group work model on teenage pregnancy for learners was achieved via a literature review and the empirical findings from learners and the key informants. Group work as a method of the social work profession was chosen in this study because it is intensive in nature, and the follow-up sessions provided a platform for the evaluation of social worker interventions and the performance of individual members and the entire group. The developed model was implemented and evaluated. Different topics were discussed during a marathon of eight

The aim of the study was to explore and describe participants` understandings of sexual abuse involving teenage learners with intellectual disability in order to suggest the best approach for caring and supporting intellectually challenged teenage learners with a history of sexual abuse in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. This was a qualitative study using Bronfenbrenner`s ecological approach. This approach enables me to describe understandings about the phenomenon studied and how factors interact with each other and individuals in forming such understandings. Data was obtained by means of in-depth interviews which were conducted one on one with teachers of the special schools and SGB member, Social Worker, Psychologist and Crisis Centre Coordinator, local church person, parent of intellectual disabled child as well as traditional healer. The study revealed that sexual abuse of teenage learners with intellectual disability is riddled with myths and misconceptions that rendered them vulnerable to various forms of sexuality in the community. Recommendations based on the findings were made: promoting a better understanding of intellectual disability, sexuality education, and promoting the right attitude. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)

The aim of the study was to explore and describe participants` understandings of sexual abuse involving teenage learners with intellectual disability in order to suggest the best approach for caring and supporting intellectually challenged teenage learners with a history of sexual abuse in a rural area of KwaZulu-Natal. This was a qualitative study using Bronfenbrenner`s ecological approach. This approach enables me to describe understandings about the phenomenon studied and how factors interact with each other and individuals in forming such understandings. Data was obtained by means of in-depth interviews which were conducted one on one with teachers of the special schools and SGB member, Social Worker, Psychologist and Crisis Centre Coordinator, local church person, parent of intellectual disabled child as well as traditional healer. The study revealed that sexual abuse of teenage learners with intellectual disability is riddled with myths and misconceptions that rendered them vulnerable to various forms of sexuality in the community. Recommendations based on the findings were made: promoting a better understanding of intellectual disability, sexuality education, and promoting the right attitude. / Inclusive Education / M. Ed. (Inclusive Education)