Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the needs of sibling-bereaved adolescents in high schools in the Western Cape, South Africa. A grounded theory approach was used to examine unexpected sibling bereavement with specific focus on participant perceptions and experiences regarding support provided by their high school. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with siblings who were in high school when their brother or sister died suddenly. An argument is developed for why high schools need insight into effective ways of supporting sibling-bereaved adolescents as they attempt to fit in and function at school. As this study was conducted in a multi-language environment, attention is given to the differing abilities of adolescents to articulate their bereavement experience. The effectiveness of focus groups with this population and the importance of providing psycho-education support during the interviewing process are emphasised. The scarcity of studies on adolescent bereavement in South Africa can be attributed to a combination of the emotional painfulness of the subject for adolescents and gatekeeping by school personnel and parents. Understandably, concerns about disclosure and fresh trauma/grief triggering may be given precedence over research. Themes grounded in the data uncovered a psychosocial journey involving disruption, transition and changed self. Bereaved siblings felt singled out as different from their peers when they return to school. Hence discreet acknowledgement and disclosure of the death is important to them. A key finding is that accomplishment plays a significant role in boosting the flagging morale of bereaved adolescents. Accomplishment aids their inviduation and stimulates them to regain interest in their own life goals. While individual teachers and other school personnel were considered helpful, there was an absence of a structured plan of support for bereaved adolescents in the schools examined. Attachment theory foregrounded an explanation of why the loss of a sibling during adolescence can have a lasting influence on the future of those left behind. Most adolescents in the study evidenced a desire for an on-going connection with their sibling who died while they simultaneously took on new roles to try and fill the void created by their death. Findings from this study are intended to provide richer insight into the complexity of adolescent sibling bereavement and may also serve to inform educational and health care interventions for bereaved learners in South Africa. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie verken die behoeftes van adolessente in hoërskole in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, ná die verlies van ’n broer of suster. ’n Gegronde-teorie-benadering is gebruik om ondersoek in te stel na adolessente wat onverwags ’n broer of suster verloor het, met bepaalde klem op deelnemers se opvattings oor, en ervarings van, die steun wat hulle van hul onderskeie hoërskole ontvang het. Onderhoude en fokusgroepe is dus gehou met adolessente wat op hoërskool was toe hul broer of suster skielik gesterf het. Die studie beredeneer waarom hoërskole insig moet hê in die doeltreffende ondersteuning van adolessente wat ’n broer of suster aan die dood moes afstaan, namate hulle weer op skool probeer inpas en funksioneer. Aangesien hierdie studie in ’n meertalige omgewing uitgevoer is, word adolessente se wisselende vermoëns om hul ervaring van verlies te verwoord, in ag geneem. Die doeltreffendheid van fokusgroepe met hierdie populasie, sowel as die belang van psigo-opvoedkundige steun gedurende die onderhoudproses, word beklemtoon. Die seldsaamheid van Suid-Afrikaanse studies oor adolessente wat broers of susters verloor, kan toegeskryf word aan ’n kombinasie van die emosionele pyn wat die onderwerp by adolessente oproep, en skoolpersoneel en ouers wat adolessente teen sodanige navorsing beskerm. Uiteraard is dit te verstane dat kommer oor openbaarmaking en die vars trauma/hartseer wat dit kan ontlok, dikwels voorrang kry bo navorsing. Die temas wat in die data vasgelê was, bring ’n psigososiale reis van ontwrigting, oorgang en verandering van die self aan die lig. Adolessente wat broers of susters aan die dood moes afstaan, het met hul terugkeer skool toe uitgesonder en anders as hul portuur gevoel. Dus is oordeelkundige erkenning en openbaarmaking van die sterfgeval vir hulle belangrik. Een van die belangrikste bevindinge is dat prestasie ’n beduidende rol speel om die verswakte moreel van sodanige adolessente ’n hupstoot te gee. Prestasie help met hulle individuasie, en stimuleer hulle om opnuut in hul eie lewensdoelwitte belang te stel. Hoewel individuele onderwysers en ander skoolpersoneel as tegemoetkomend beskou is, was daar geen gestruktureerde ondersteuningsplan vir die adolessente in die betrokke skole nie. Die gehegtheidsteorie doen ’n verklaring aan die hand van waarom die verlies van ’n broer of suster gedurende adolessensie ’n blywende invloed kan hê op die toekoms van die kinders wat agterbly. Die meeste adolessente in die studie het ’n begeerte getoon na ’n voortgesette band met hul oorlede broer of suster, terwyl hu lle terselfdertyd nuwe rolle aanvaar het om die leemte van die oorledene te probeer vul. Bevindinge uit hierdie studie is bedoel om dieper insig te bied in die kompleksiteit van adolessente wat broers of susters verloor, en kan ook opvoedkundige en gesondheidsorgintervensies vir sodanige leerders in Suid-Afrika rig.

This work was undertaken with a view to developing a textbook for United States secondary schools on the subject of death and dying through a religious lens. The purpose of this work is to provide high school teens with the means of coping with loss and a foundation for crafting their own meaning of life and death. Taking a close look at death attitudes among young people in the United States, as well as high school faculty and staff for the purpose of determining whether or not death education can be provided for public high school students, the work starts from the premise that said death education, using a religious model, should be provided for teenagers because the religious model provides the necessary elements of idea, ritual, and community, so necessary for building a world-view. Research was conducted in the form of survey and historical review to determine the efficacy of the proposed course of study. Upon analysis of the available information on death education history and course offering, as well as analysis of the survey results, the conclusion was reached that the provision of death education in the nation‟s public high schools would go a long way to reducing death anxiety amongst United States teenagers, and also give the adolescents a model for creating their own sense of meaning for all of life that includes death. / Religious Studies and Arabic / D. Litt. et Phil. (Religious Studies)

This study was undertaken as a qualitative needs assessment of emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. Five participants in their adolescent life phase (14 to 18 years) with a terminally ill parent, participated in the study. Individual unstructured interviews were conducted with each participant, in order to assess their need for emotional support. With the consent of the parents and adolescents, the interviews were video-recorded and transcribed. Eight recurring themes were selected from the case studies and verified with the existing literature. The result of the study is the assessment of the need for emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)(Social Work)

This study was undertaken as a qualitative needs assessment of emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. Five participants in their adolescent life phase (14 to 18 years) with a terminally ill parent, participated in the study. Individual unstructured interviews were conducted with each participant, in order to assess their need for emotional support. With the consent of the parents and adolescents, the interviews were video-recorded and transcribed. Eight recurring themes were selected from the case studies and verified with the existing literature. The result of the study is the assessment of the need for emotional support to the adolescent with a terminally ill parent. / Social Work / M. Diac (Play Therapy)(Social Work)

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of orphanhood on the life world of an adolescent orphaned by AIDS, thereby improving the knowledge base and insight of all those who are involved in helping the orphans. This qualitative study endeavoured to answer the following research question: “What is the impact of orphanhood on the life world of an adolescent orphaned by AIDS, in Ratanda area?”. A literature study was done to give a theoretical overview about AIDS orphans specifically adolescents. A semi-structured interview was conducted from five different schools. Findings from the interviews was discussed and integrated with reference to the literature. A qualitative approach was used as this helped the researcher in understanding the functioning of the AIDS orphan in his natural environment. The researcher aimed at documenting these impacts of orphanhood on the life world and to improve the helping professions’ understanding of the phenomenon. This may lead to more successful intervention strategies for these adolescents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)

The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of orphanhood on the life world of an adolescent orphaned by AIDS, thereby improving the knowledge base and insight of all those who are involved in helping the orphans. This qualitative study endeavoured to answer the following research question: “What is the impact of orphanhood on the life world of an adolescent orphaned by AIDS, in Ratanda area?”. A literature study was done to give a theoretical overview about AIDS orphans specifically adolescents. A semi-structured interview was conducted from five different schools. Findings from the interviews was discussed and integrated with reference to the literature. A qualitative approach was used as this helped the researcher in understanding the functioning of the AIDS orphan in his natural environment. The researcher aimed at documenting these impacts of orphanhood on the life world and to improve the helping professions’ understanding of the phenomenon. This may lead to more successful intervention strategies for these adolescents. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Guidance and Counselling)