Crime in South Africa is currently a high priority topic discussed by politicians, professionals and the general public since violence has become part of everyday life. Trauma has become a fact of life. When trauma hits, it is usually sudden and unexpected. Traumatic events could include acts of human cruelty, a car or plane crash, an untimely death or natural disasters like a tornado or a flood. A traumatic incident abruptly rips a person out of their comfort zone and thrusts that person into the depths of loss and despair. Unfortunately many people live their lives under the shadows of trauma. Trauma does not have to be a life sentence, it can be healed, through intensive counselling (as the researcher experienced at the trauma centre where she is affiliated). There are individuals who are thankful that they have survived their traumatic experience. These individuals would often like to help and support others who have gone through similar experiences. These individuals are often linked to a centre or organisation that renders a service to a victim with the aim of empowering and equipping him/her if he/she was exposed to a similar situation. It was the willingness of these individuals to help and the researcher’s involvement at a trauma centre that motivated her to undertake this research study. The researcher became aware, in her everyday contact with these willing individuals who wanted to help others who were traumatised through crime, how important it was that these people should be recruited, screened and trained. These “volunteers” should be under the supervision of a manager of a victim empowerment programme. Therefore, the focus of this research study was on the volunteer who renders a service to the traumatised victim of crime. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of service rendering within the victim empowerment programmes on the victim of crime, with the emphasis on the role of the volunteer. To achieve this goal the researcher established the following objectives: • To explore the literature with regard to stress, crisis and trauma, with specific reference to the definitions of stress, crisis and trauma, as well as their related signs and symptoms, as specifically related to victims of crime • To discuss victim empowerment services in South Africa, with specific reference to Gauteng • To explore the available literature with regard to the recruiting, screening, training and supervision of volunteers in general, but with specific reference to volunteers who render a service to victims of crime • To evaluate qualitatively the recruiting, screening, training and supervision of volunteers who rendered a service to victims of crime • To evaluate quantitatively the effect of intervention by volunteers on the victims of crime, in terms of: the level of satisfaction with the victim of crime was experiencing with regard to the services rendered by the volunteer the level of satisfaction the victim of crime was experiencing with regard to the services rendered by the professional (although this aspect was included as an objective of this study, the focus of this study was on the volunteer who renders a service to the traumatised victim of crime) the symptoms the victim of crime was experiencing when the volunteers rendered trauma debriefing services • Based on the results, to formalise guidelines for the managers of the victim empowerment programmes, who manage volunteers, to improve their service rendering to victims of crime. The methodology of programme evaluation, as a combined quantitative and qualitative research approach, was implemented to achieve the goal and objectives set for this research study. The quantitative data was collected by questionnaires that were completed by victims who utilised the services rendered by various victim empowerment centres. This data was then analysed by utilising the SPSS computer programme. Frequencies between the variables was described and interpreted. The qualitative data was collected through interview schedules. Interviews were conducted with 10 management members and 10 volunteers from 10 selected centres in Gauteng, which utilised volunteers to render services to victims of crime. The qualitative data was analysed by identifying various responses and placing these responses into categories and themes. All the responses were transcribed. The main results derived from the quantitative data indicated that the victims were satisfied with the level of service rendering from the volunteers. The main results from the qualitative data indicated that volunteers who rendered services to victims of crime were recruited, screened, trained and supervised according to the requirements of the specific victim empowerment programme where this service was rendered. Victims of crime that received trauma debriefing appeared to experience less symptoms, with specific reference to physiological symptoms (reliving the trauma), than those who did not receive trauma debriefing. From the three literature chapters of this study the following main conclusions were made, namely: • Trauma (Chapter 2) It was imperative to discuss stress, crisis and trauma as they lie on a continuum of severity. The volunteer had to be aware of this and the effects thereof. Since each individual experienced the effects differently, knowledge of the effects would determine the volunteers’ level of service delivery to the victims of crime. • Victim Empowerment (Chapter 3) The victim empowerment literature for this study was relevant, since victim empowerment programmes are seen as the “umbrella” of the services rendered to victims of crime. • Volunteers (Chapter 4) The researcher wanted to highlight that the research results proved that volunteers played an imperative role in service delivery to victims of crime. The lack of relevant literature and research that has been completed with specific reference to the recruitment, screening, training and supervision of volunteers who rendered a service to victims of crime limited the study, especially with regard to the compilation of the guidelines for the managers of the victim empowerment programmes. These guidelines include advice on the recruitment, screening, training and supervision of volunteers who render a victim empowerment service to victims of crime. This advice is focussed on the mangers of the victim empowerment programmes that were responsible for the volunteers who rendered a service to victims of crime. With the completion of the guidelines, the researcher added value to the social work profession, since this profession increasingly utilises volunteers in their service rendering to victims of crime. / Prof. J.B.S. Nel Dr. E. Oliphant

This research is intended to examine the internal organisational structure of the existing [voluntary welfare] organisations to ascertain what relationship may prove effective between themselves and the [Border Local Welfare] Board. This aim introduced the need to ascertain whether a) the organisations in any town were connected with organisations in other towns or to a central administrative office either in the area of investigation or outside it; or b) the organisations of any town were simply ad hoc units unrelated to any other organisation or similar organisations elsewhere. If the latter were the case then the difficulty of co-ordination and representation on the Board could probably be no better arranged than an ad hoc system as at present. If, however, the former was the predominant pattern, then it would suggest other and more convenient means to the end in view. Fourthly, it was hoped to gain some knowledge of the fund raising methods of welfare organisations, the nature of the people controlling them, the attitudes of managing committees to social work, and what they thought a case work agency should do; and, lastly, some indication of the history of social work as practised by the voluntary agencies in the area of investigation. These latter topics were not intended to form the principal subject matter of the work. They have not been treated fully in the text, but the information gathered has been included in appropriate places throughout.

There is a growing body of literature on the risk for secondary trauma amongst professional trauma workers. Nonetheless, there is scant published literature on the impact of trauma work on volunteers; particularly when such volunteers are indigenous to the highly traumatized communities which they serve. The study examined a group of parents (N=16) who volunteered in a school-based trauma support project in an impoverished, gang-ridden South African urban community in which they themselves reside. Aims were to 1) Explore the psychological impact of indigenous trauma volunteerism; 2) Explore volunteers’ perceptions of costs and benefits of volunteerism. Data collection was chiefly qualitative, using focus group and individual interviews. The Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Fatigue Subscales (Stamm, 2002) were administered in order to determine risk for burnout, risk for compassion fatigue and potential for compassion satisfaction. The Stressful Life Experiences Screening Short Form (Stamm, 1997) was administered in order to gather descriptive information regarding personal trauma histories. Project documentation was reviewed. Analysis and interpretation of qualitative data involved a combination of both etic (theory-based) and emic (data and context-based) techniques. The volunteers’ experiences were co-constructed in interaction with three settings: 1) Experiences of training and supervision were affirming and empowering; 2) Experiences of the school context were mediated by the degree of access and integration into the school environment; 3) Experiences of the community context were mediated by the dynamics of identification, role fluidity and inter-setting negotiation. The primary cost of involvement was distress relating to limitations on capacity to help fellow community members with whom they strongly identified, and whom they felt intrapsychically, interpersonally and socially pressured to assist. These limitations included limited client resources, limited personal resources, limited occupational resources and limited systemic resources. Other sources of distress included context-related boundary management difficulties, institutional (school-related) stressors, difficulties in persuading children to disclose abuse and material costs of volunteering. Coping was facilitated by empowering training, supervision, peer support, and self-care practices. Benefits included acquisition of psychological, interpersonal and occupational skills, improved personal relationships, social support, validation, personal healing and role satisfaction.

The purpose of this project is to conduct a detailed evaluation of the Vancouver Planned Parenthood clinic volunteer program. The primary focus of this study is volunteer recruitment and retention. The simplicity of individual perspectives commonly employed in volunteer theories and research is rejected in this research project. A multi-leveled sociological analysis stemming from an organizational behaviour framework is used as an alternative approach to broaden the scope of this case study. The five levels of analysis used to examine the volunteer program in this study are: 1) individual level of analysis, 2) group behaviour, 3) interpersonal and organizational processes, 4) organizational structure and job design, and 5) organizational environment. Multiple factors are discussed under each level of analysis. A triangulation of methods, comprised of interviews with volunteers, observational analysis, and document analysis, is used to provide a rich analysis of the volunteer program. Interpretations of the findings demonstrate that many factors beyond the individual level influence volunteer recruitment and retention. Results show that this particular volunteer program is operating below its maximum effectiveness, and that high volunteer turnover results in this atmosphere. Practical and theoretical implications of this case study are explored and recommendations are offered. / Arts, Faculty of / Sociology, Department of / Graduate

Research has shown that the more active parents are in their child's education the more likely their child is to achieve academic success. Based on these findings this research project focused on how parent volunteers influenced their child's literacy growth. It is hypothesized that as the parent spends time in the classroom they are given more opportunities to interact with other members of the classroom community. It is believed that this interaction will influence the way in which the parent works with their child and have a positive influence on their child's literacy growth.

No description available.

This qualitative multi-site case study examines the experiences of four volunteers serving as educators and their use of science kits in three separate non-formal refugee spaces located in Greece. They received professional development and materials to support their teaching of science. An adapted Teacher-Centered Systematic Reform (TCSR) framework was used to analyze the relationship between personal factors, teacher thinking, practice, and contextual factors. Data sources for this study were pre- and post-activity questionnaires, pre- and post-activity journaling, observations, and structured interviews. Each of the data sources was analyzed to develop an understanding of the volunteer educators’ personal factors, teacher thinking, teacher practice, and contextual factors to identify emerging themes. Emerging themes provided evidence to better interpret the experiences and perceptions of volunteer educators who used science-kits in non-formal refugee educational settings. These themes were then compared between and across each case to find similarities and differences between volunteer educators. This research contributes to both the field of science education and the preparation of volunteers in emergency education to teach science.

Adult volunteer instructor training is an important transaction in the dissemination of community health courses to citizens in schools, worksites, religious organizations, and recreational centers. Yet prior to this study little was known about this process by which an individual was transformed from a willing volunteer into a volunteer instructor. / Ed. D.

It was hypothesized that the personality variable Tolerance for Ambiguity and empathic listening skills would significantly differentiate conscientious from nonconscientious crisis intervention volunteers. A group of 20 conscientious and a group of 20 nonconscientious volunteers from a local crisis intervention center were given a test of Tolerance for Ambiguity and a test of empathic listening skills that measured Interest, Understanding, and Response-ability. Results of t-tests between the groups and correlations between the variables indicated that Tolerance for Ambiguity was not a significant differentiator between the two groups. However, it was found that conscientious volunteers had significantly higher levels of Interest and Understanding. They did not differ in Response-ability. This study suggests that interest in clients and an understanding of their problems may be salient factors motivating crisis intervention volunteers. It was concluded that Interest and Understanding are relevant variables in crisis intervention volunteers. It is suggested that they be utilized in the screening of potential volunteers and in the planning of crisis intervention training.

Nonprofit, volunteer organizations assist government agencies in managing the recreational resources of public lands in many parts of the Eastern United States. With a depressed economy, the role these organizations take can be particularly important in the continuing provision of quality outdoor recreation experiences. This study examines the contributions of five nonprofit groups in the East, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Green Mountain Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and the Appalachian Trail Conference, and their cooperative relationships with, respectively, the White Mountain National Forest, Green Mountain National Forest, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Shenandoah National Park, and the Appalachian Trail Project Office (National Park Service). Interviews with key members of the agencies and the nonprofit groups provided most of the information on club activities and the advantages, problems, and constraints of cooperative relationships from the point of view of each party. Legislation and policy affecting nonprofit involvement on public lands is discussed as well as the prospects of future involvement of these groups. / Master of Science