Most theoretical and methodological research addressing victimization, social support, and loneliness has focused on early childhood and adulthood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between victimizing behavior and lack of social support that may lead to loneliness in adolescents. / A cross sectional survey with 152 students ages 12-16 years from grades 8-10 was conducted in a Montreal public secondary school in September 2004. Three empirically validated tools were used: the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1980), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988), and the Bullying - Fighting and Victimization Scale (Espelage and Holt, 2001). Results of regression analysis indicated that absence of family and friends' support and victimization are highly significant predictors of adolescent loneliness (p ≤ .001). / There remains a need to increase support available for victimized and lonely adolescents at school, at home, and in the community.

The present study investigates the attitude of adolescents to authority. Thirty-eight adolescents from Boys' Town, Tongaat, participated in this study. The intention of the study was to investigate the attitude of the boys to authority and to determine whether there was a difference in attitude to authority according to grade, race, parental academic background or type of family structure that the boys had. Generally the adolescents at Boys' Town, Tongaat, viewed the mother as authoritarian and the father as authoritative/flexible. Boys in grade 6-9 viewed both mother and father as authoritative/flexible while boys in grade 10-12 viewed both mother and father as permissive. The Indian and black adolescents viewed mother and father as authoritative/flexible while the white and coloured adolescents viewed mother and father as permissive. When parents had grade 12 or less qualification both mother and father were viewed as permissive. When parents had a post-matric qualification, both mother and father were viewed as authoritative/ flexible. Adolescents from single-family households found mother to be authoritative/flexible and father to be authoritarian. Adolescents from nuclear-family households found mother to be equally permissive and authoritative/flexible and father to be permissive. Adolescents from extended-family households found mother to be permissive and father to be authoritative/flexible. Adolescents from foster families found both mother and father to be authoritative/flexible. The positive changes that were brought about in the adolescents and in their relationship with their environment during their stay at Boys' Town, Tongaat, leads to the recommendation that the behaviour modification programme and the parenting skills workshop adopted by Boys' Town, be examined and assessed with the possible consideration for implementation at South African Schools and homes. / Thesis (M.Ed.) -University of Durban-Westville, 2003.

The present study is a mixed-method evaluation of the delivery of sexuality education in the context of a youth development program called Cool Girls, Inc. Part one was a quasi-experimental, pre and post-test design for which 216 program participants and 92 demographically matched comparisons were surveyed on variables associated with healthy sexual decision-making. It was hypothesized that participation in the program would be associated with increases in these variables, increases in helping resources for questions about sex, and that helping resources would mediate the relationship between participation and study outcomes. Participation predicted one of the sexual efficacy items: at the trend level. Length of time in Cool Girls, Inc. significantly predicted one attitudes toward sexuality item. Helping resources at time two predicted post-test hope at the trend level. The mediation hypothesis was not tested due to the lack of findings for path b in the mediation model. Part two of the study was a qualitative process evaluation consisting of interviews with each of the program’s site coordinators. Group activities and discussion were the most common forms of delivering the sexuality education. The most common topics were relationships, the body, and sex. Site coordinators tended to express external support, but experienced some internal barriers and barriers to involving parents. It was revealed that Cool Girls, Inc. increases social capital by providing site coordinators as mentors and increasing intergenerational closure. How each part of the study informs one another, as well as limitations and future directions are discussed.

The present research compared a newly developed interview measure of adolescent life stress, the Life Events and Difficulties Schedule (Brown & Harris, 1978), to a self-report checklist The Adolescent Perceived Events Scale (Compas, Davis, Forsythe, & Wagner, 1997). Participants consisted of a community-based sample, of 58 adolescents in grades 9--11. The life strew interview and checklist were compared on a number of factors, namely accuracy and comprehensiveness of obtained stressor data and accuracy of stressor dating. Moreover, the relative performance of the two measures in predicting current depressive symptomatology was assessed. Results revealed differences in the stress profiles obtained by the two measures. Respondents reported stressors in a redundant manner on the checklist and reported a number of stressors on the checklist that did not qualify as stressors according to interview criteria. The checklist was found to lack in comprehensiveness, as many stressors elicited during the interview had no counterpart on the checklist. Respondents were unable to precisely date stressors on the self-report checklist. Results indicated that stressor data obtained by the interview was more associated and more, predictive of current levels of depressive symptomatology than stressor data obtained by the checklist. The implications of these results in reference to life stress assessment and research in the area of adolescent life stress and depression is discussed.

Two measures, The Adolescent Invulnerability Scale (TAIS) and The Adolescent Personal Uniqueness Scale (TAPUS) were developed to quantify levels of felt invulnerability and personal uniqueness, respectively. The relationship among these two personal fables (invulnerability, personal uniqueness), and mental health variables was assessed in a large sample of adolescents (n = 248, including seventh and eighth grade students). Participants responded to the newly crafted measures of adolescent invulnerability and personal uniqueness, the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale, three indices of suicidal ideation, an inventory of delinquent risk behaviors, and two subscales from the Self-Image Questionnaire for Young Adolescents. It was predicted that invulnerability would be positively associated with risk behaviors and more prevalent among boys. In addition, personal uniqueness would be positively associated with depression and suicidal ideation, and more prevalent in girls. With respect to personal fable ideation, boys demonstrated higher levels of felt invulnerability and more risk behaviors than girls. In addition, girls reported more feelings of depression than boys, however neither group differed on the amount of reported felt personal uniqueness. The results show that the personal fables of invulnerability and personal uniqueness are differentially linked to indices of mental health within an adolescent population. / Department of Educational Psychology

The purpose of this research was to examine the proportion of clients diagnosed with a depressive disorder who also exhibit one or more comorbid disorders. In addition, this study examined multiple aspects of age and gender associated with comorbid disorders in an attempt to better inform treatment and diagnosis of depressive disorders and associated disorders and to answer two questions: 1) What is the proportion of clients diagnosed with a depressive disorder who also exhibit one or more comorbid disorders; and 2) Are there significant differences in number of comorbid disorders among developmental stages and gender. The current study helps to shed light on the understanding of comorbid disorders related to childhood and adolescent depression. Previously, no other study had investigated the changes in comorbidity that take place across childhood development.The present study used an archival data set obtained from the Dean-Woodcock Neurological Battery. Participants included patients that had been referred for psychological and neuropsychological evaluation and treatment at a large outpatient Midwestern neurology practice. For the purpose of the present study, participants were selected from the data set for analysis if he or she were diagnosed with a depressive disorder and were than nineteen-years of age. The sample included 136 males and 74 females (n=210). The ages of the participants ranged from 4 year-old to 18 years-old. Results of an ordinal regression revealed that males were significantly more likely to have a greater number of comorbid diagnoses than females. Additionally, participants appeared to exhibit a greater number of comorbid disorders as the age of the participant increased. / Department of Educational Psychology

This investigation has been undertaken to determine the extent to which personality guidance receives the necessary attention in secondary schools in the Transvaal. For this investigation the survey was conducted amongst Heads of Department for Educational Guidance in all Afrikaans-medium and double-medium secondary schools in the Transvaal. The theoretical background for the investigation was obtained by studying authoritative literature on the developmental possibilities of the secondary school pupil and the implications thereof for personality guidance. The physical, social, cognitive and emotional developmental possibilities of the adolescent were described as well as possible inherent problems. The task of the school, home and peer group with regard to the pupil's sound personality development was considered. The emphasis, however, was placed on the task of the school and in particular the role of the subject teacher. In the empirical investigation the questionnaire method was used. The SAS-computer programme was applied to determine the average of the responses for each question. From the results of the investigation it appears that 30,5% of the Heads of Department for Educational Guidance believe that personality guidance is thoroughly carried out while 45% are of the opinion that it receives only moderate attention. A further 20,4% describe the guidance provided as unsatisfactory and 4,1% of the Heads of Department indicated that at their schools nothing is being done regarding personality guidance. Even though 75,5% of the respondents reacted positively, it would appear that in practise personality guidance receives only casual attention. It is not specifically pursued and therefore It does not have a lasting effect on the pupils. Ideally the guidance programme should provide for comprehensive and thorough formative personality guidance to pupils. The results of the investigation suggest that there is definite room for Improvement. For the personality programme to be really effective, it is necessary that pupils should be maximally exposed to the contents of the programme while comprehensive involvement of a committed staff is essential. Regular follow-up is necessary to monitor progress and, if necessary, to effect adjustments. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1989

The aim of the study was to determine whether adolescent psychological well being can be significantly influenced by attributional style, general health, satisfaction with life and self esteem. A cross-sectional research design was implemented for this study. An availability sample of 130 learners from 2 high schools; namely Batloung and Kgobokwe in the Ramatlabama area in rural North West Province (RSA) were chosen to collect data. The learners were selected using the stratified random sampling technique. All participants described themselves as equally traditional and westernised with a high value placed on individual goals and community goals. The respondents were 12-22 years old. Participants responded to a questionnaire consisting of six sections. The first section comprised of biographical data. Psychological well-being was measured in terms of distinctions between hedonism and eudaimonism. The Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS) was used to measure hedonism and the PWB scale by Ryff (1995) was used to measure eudaimonism. General health was measured by the 28 item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28). The cognitive Attributional Style Questionnaire (CaQ) measured attributional style. The I 0 item Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale (SES) was used to measure self esteem. The quantitative data for the research, which was gathered through questionnaires, was subjected to statistical analysis. This was done through the utilisation of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS ver. 12). Descriptive statistics and Cronbach alpha reliability indices were computed for each scale. Regression analysis was used to establish the relative contribution made by the independent variables; Attributional style (AS),Self Esteem (SE), General Health (GH) and Satisfaction With Life (SWL); on the dependent variable (psychological well being). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used to test the significance of R2 , which is the same as testing the significance of the regression model as a whole. The results of the study generally show that satisfaction with life, attributional styles, self -esteem and health meaningfully predict psychological well- being (R2 = .41). the practical significance of the finding based on the Steyn's formulation was 0.69. psychological well-being correlated positively with satisfaction with life, general health, and the external attributions made by learners. There were no significant differences regarding 1he nature of attributions made by both male and female learners. It is therefore recommended that adolescents get support from parents, engage in challenging activities, positive life events, and interact more with significant others for their well being. Further research into the mechanisms of how life satisfaction plays its role in positive youth development is needed to promote the psychological well-being of all youth. / M.Soc.Sc. (Clinical Psychology) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2005

Adolescent depression must be evaluated in the context of precipitants, stressors and academic, social and family functioning. Depression in adolescents can interfere with normal developmental tasks that involve academic, social and family functioning. Family support is partially important in the normal development of young people. The present study investigated the impact of family support among depressed adolescents. There has been increasing emphasis on interpersonal factors in adolescents' depression that contribute to recurrence of depression. There is no single unifying social model of depression but rather various theoretical developments that emphasize interpersonal cognitions and behaviours. Depressed individuals often function poorly in relationships with family members. However, negative attitudes by family members may precipitate relapses. A survey was conducted to explore the impact of family support on depressed adolescents. A. sample of 50 depressed adolescents was randomly selected from Weskoppies Adolescent Unit in Pretoria. There were equal numbers of males and females with ages ranging from 12 to 20 years. The mean age was 15.7 years. The research instruments consisted of the Differential Loneliness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory and Family Functioning in Adolescents' Questionnaire. The main finding of the study was that the depressed adolescents showed social isolation from family members. Experts say social isolation for depressed patients is distressingly common. However, previous researchers have found that social isolation may allow a depressed person to worsen dramatically without intervention. The study did not support the hypothesis that adolescent with poor family relationship show higher levels of depression than those with good family relationship. This may suggest that family environment has a big impact on adolescent development. It has been reported that depressed children who live in families with high level of chronic conflicts are more likely to have relapses. There were no significant differences between male and female adolescents' level of depression. Factors such as social experiences and psychosocial stressors play an important role in adolescent' depression. Therefore, both male and female adolescents' level of depression depend on psychosocial and cognitive explanations. The findings in the study had several implications: As family relationship had no significant relation with adolescent depression, the findings revealed that family environment was a critical factor in adolescent development. These finding also suggest important guidelines for preventing(adolescent depression. The study also demonstrated the importance of how male and female adolescents deal with stress, as that might lead to depression. The study can also be used as a guide for therapeutic interventions with a depressed adolescent. / (M.Soc.Sc.) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2003

This investigation has been undertaken to determine the extent to which personality guidance receives the necessary attention in secondary schools in the Transvaal. For this investigation the survey was conducted amongst Heads of Department for Educational Guidance in all Afrikaans-medium and double-medium secondary schools in the Transvaal. The theoretical background for the investigation was obtained by studying authoritative literature on the developmental possibilities of the secondary school pupil and the implications thereof for personality guidance. The physical, social, cognitive and emotional developmental possibilities of the adolescent were described as well as possible inherent problems. The task of the school, home and peer group with regard to the pupil's sound personality development was considered. The emphasis, however, was placed on the task of the school and in particular the role of the subject teacher. In the empirical investigation the questionnaire method was used. The SAS-computer programme was applied to determine the average of the responses for each question. From the results of the investigation it appears that 30,5% of the Heads of Department for Educational Guidance believe that personality guidance is thoroughly carried out while 45% are of the opinion that it receives only moderate attention. A further 20,4% describe the guidance provided as unsatisfactory and 4,1% of the Heads of Department indicated that at their schools nothing is being done regarding personality guidance. Even though 75,5% of the respondents reacted positively, it would appear that in practise personality guidance receives only casual attention. It is not specifically pursued and therefore It does not have a lasting effect on the pupils. Ideally the guidance programme should provide for comprehensive and thorough formative personality guidance to pupils. The results of the investigation suggest that there is definite room for Improvement. For the personality programme to be really effective, it is necessary that pupils should be maximally exposed to the contents of the programme while comprehensive involvement of a committed staff is essential. Regular follow-up is necessary to monitor progress and, if necessary, to effect adjustments. / Proefskrif (DEd)--PU vir CHO, 1989