This qualitative study aimed to explore the male adolescent’s sense of belonging in his family, in order to arrive at a Gestalt understanding of this concept. In order to achieve the aim, a conceptual framework was outlined focusing on concepts central to this topic, including belonging, adolescence and Gestalt theory. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven adolescents in order to obtain rich data. The data collected during these interviews was subsequently analysed and several themes and categories were identified and explored by the use of a literature control. Conclusions, recommendations and a Gestalt understanding of belonging were then presented. / Play Therapy / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard van betekenisgewing in die identiteitsvestiging van adolessente met probleme, veral ten opsigte van die realiteit en by die aanleer van sekere lewensvaardighede, te ondersoek. Die ondersoek bestaan uit 'n literatuurstudie sowel as 'n eie empiriese ondersoek. Die betekenisgewingsfenomeen is vanuit 'n empiries-pedagogiese perspektief ondersoek, veral met die implikasies daarvan vir identiteitsvestiging. Die adolessent met probleme is geneig om op 'n onrealistiese wyse betekenisse aan sy verskillende relasies toe te ken. In kort bestaan die probleem daarin dat die adolessent met probleme nie oor die vermoe beskik om die eie 'self' objektief waar te neem nie. Die adolessent se gebrekkige insig en begrip van die realiteit lei dikwels tot irrasionele of onlogiese betekenisgewing. Irrasionele denkwyses veroorsaak by sommige adolessente gevoelens soos angs, vrees, emosionele opwelling, selfverwyt, minderwaardigheid en rigiditeit. Hierdie emosionele probleme manifesteer in 'n identiteitskrisis en word sigbaar in die adolessent se gedrag. Adolessente wat irrasionele betekenisse toeken en nie tot realistiese identiteitsvestiging kom nie, leef dikwels hulle probleme uit deur te steel, seksueel losbandige lewens te lei, dwelmmiddels te gebruik en selfs van die huis weg te loop. In die literatuurstudie is verder ook aandag gegee aan die volgende: • Terapievorme wat van toepassing is in die hulpverlening aan adolessente wat irrasionele betekenisse toeken, • Hulpverlening in groepsverband en • Kommunikasie in groephulpverleningsgebeure. Die empiriese ondersoek is 'n idiografiese ondersoek wat aan die hand van 'n model, volgens Dryden, wat gestruktureer en aangepas is, uitgevoer is. Die model is gebaseer op rasionele-emotiewe-terapie (RET) soos voorgestaan deur Ellis. Vyf adolessente is in die ondersoek betrek. Aan een adolessent is op individuele basis hulp verleen terwyl die ander vier adolessente groepshulpverlening ontvang het. Dit blyk uit die idiografiese ondersoek dat die model en werkswyse wat toegepas is, wel 'n bydrae kan lewer tot die wysiging van onrealistiese betekenisgewing by adolessente met probleme. Deur die hulpverlening verwerf die adolessent 'n lewensvaardigheid waardeur oorgegaan word tot realistiese betekenisgewing en -identiteitsvestiging. Uit die bevindinge van die ondersoek word enkele aanbevelings met betrekking tot verdere navorsing en praktykvoering gemaak. / The aim of the study was to investigate the nature of meaning attribution by which adolescents with problems establish their identity. The following aspects were focussed on: the reality and acquiring certain life-skills. The investigation comprises a literature study as well as an empirical investigation. An empirical-pedagogic perspective was used to examine the phenomenon of significance attribution and the implications thereof in establishing identity. The adolescent with problems tends to attribute unrealistic meaning to his various relationships. Briefly the problems exist because of the lack of ability to perceive the 'self' objectively. This inadequate perception of the adolescent with problems, causes him to attribute irrational or illogical meaning. The tendency of some adolescents, to attribute irrational meaning, causes feelings of anxiety, fear, emotional ebullition, self-blame, inferiority and rigidity. These emotional problems are manifested in an identity crisis and show in the actions of the adolescent. The adolescents, who attribute unrealistic meaning and who do not arrive at realistic self-definition, often act out their problems by stealing, living promiscuous lives, abusing drugs and absconding from home. In the study of literature the following aspects were also focussed on: • Types of therapy applicable in rendering assistance to the adolescent who attributes unrealistic meaning. • Group therapy. • Communication in group therapy events. The empirical research comprises an idiographic investigation, structured on an adapted form of Dryden's model. The model is based on rational-emotive therapy, (RET) as advocated by Ellis. five adolescents were used in this investigation. Individual therapy was given to one adolescent while the other four adolescents received group therapy. From the idiographic investigation it has become evident that the model and the procedure followed, can make a contribution to the adolescent with problems, in changing his tendency to attribute unrealistic meaning to his relationships. He can make successful use of the model as an acquired life-skill to attribute significant meaning in his efforts to arrive at a realistic self-definition. He is thus able to actualise his defined self. Based on the findings of this investigation certain recommendations, concerning further research, as well as counselling in practice, were proposed. / Psychology of Education / D. Ed. (Empiriese Opvoedkunde)

The study examined the relationships between various parental discipline styles and perceived powerlessness in antisocial adolescents. The literature on adolescent antisocial behavior frequently describes states of disaffection, alienation, and powerlessness as characteristic of the delinquent youth. The parent-child relationship is also frequently implicated as the significant precursor of antisocial behavior in adolescents. The purpose of this study was to determine if perception of control orientations function as cognitive mediators between perceived styles of parental discipline and subsequent behavior in adolescents. It was concluded, on the basis of the data obtained from this study, that antisocial adolescents do not perceive themselves to be more powerless than non-antisocial adolescents. It was recommended that caution should be exercised in applying such a label to those exhibiting antisocial patterns of behavior. It was also concluded that punishment applied in an unpredictable fashion may have detrimental effects on the development of female adolescents.

Temos verificado, desde algum tempo, um crescente número de estudos voltados para a adolescência. Há quem classifique a modernidade como um tempo adolescente, cujo modelo de referência é a adolescência. Observamos que muitos dos comportamentos apresentados por alguns adultos são imitações dos encontrados nos adolescentes. Com a falência da função paterna, o processo adolescente tem se alongado através dos tempos, bem como, temos visto novas formas de manifestações sintomáticas características dessa idade. Com a descoberta do complexo de Édipo, a adolescência perde a importância que tivera no início da construção da psicanálise. Vemos ela reaparecer nos Três Ensaios (1905) como última etapa da sexualidade e é eleita, por Freud, como lugar de uma das mais difíceis e dolorosas tarefas que se deve empreender, ou seja, o desligamento das figuras parentais. Nosso objetivo nesse trabalho é eleger a adolescência como tempo de re- significação edípica, resgatando-a da obra freudiana, transformando-a num conceito operante, a partir das contribuições trazidas por Lacan à psicanálise, para oferecer-lhes um estatuto metapsicológico. Essa construção teórica possibilitará dar um lugar de destaque à adolescência na psicanálise, visto que não podemos negar sua existência nos fenômenos contemporâneos / It has been verified in literature a growing number of studies concerning adolescence. One may classify modernity as an adolescent time whose model is adolescence. It has been observed that a great number of the behaviors presented by some adults are actually imitations of those found in adolescents. With the failure of the parental function, the adolescence process has been lengthened throughout the times and also new forms of symptomatic manifestations characteristic of this period have been observed. With the discovery of the oedipus complex, adolescence loses the importance it has had at the begining of the psychoanalysis construction. It reappears at Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality (1905) as the last stage of sexuality and it is assigned by Freud to be the place where one of the hardest and most painful tasks are to be endured: the detachment from the parental figures. In the present work adolescence is chosen as an oedipal re-signification time, recovering from freudian works and transforming it in an operant concept considering Lacans contributions to psychoanalysis, with the purpose of offering a metapsychological statute. This theoretical construction will make possible to give emphasis to adolescence in psychoanalysis given that we cannot deny its existence is contemporary phenomena

This paper aimed to investigate how violence and the practice of infractional acts participate on the identification processes that result in the identity of adolescents in conflict with the law. A multiple case study was carried out to achieve the proposed aims. Data was collected through guided individual interviews with five male adolescents imprisoned for social and educational rehabilitation. Data analysis revealed a strong association between drug abuse and delinquency, the presence of violence in the life course of adolescents and fragilities in family relationships. Such results suggest the existence of difficulties in the process of identity construction of those adolescents that begin in early developmental times, according to the bibliography consulted. In conclusion, we suggest the need to develop new studies to clarify such issues. Finally, we present a discussion aiming to relate our results with some proposals of intervention, such as the concept of juvenile protagonism and the model of the Restorative Justice. / Este trabalho buscou investigar como a violência e a prática de atos infracionais participam dos processos de identificação que acabam por constituir a identidade do adolescente em conflito com a lei. Para atingir os objetivos propostos, realizamos um estudo de casos múltiplos. A coleta de dados foi realizada a partir de entrevistas individuais guiadas com cinco adolescentes do sexo masculino internados para cumprimento de medida sócioeducativa. A análise dos dados revelou a existência de uma forte associação entre drogadição e delinqüência, a presença de violência nas trajetórias de vida dos adolescentes e fragilidades nas relações familiares. Em conjunto, estes resultados sugerem a existência de dificuldades no processo de construção de identidade destes adolescentes que se originam em momentos precoces do desenvolvimento, conforme a bibliografia consultada. Em conclusão, sugerimos a necessidade de desenvolvimento de novos estudos para esclarecer estas questões. Ao final, apresentamos uma discussão com o intuito de relacionar nossos resultados com algumas propostas de intervenção como o conceito de protagonismo juvenil e o modelo da Justiça Restaurativa.

Orientador: José Sterza Justo / Banca: José Artur Molina / Banca: Cristina Amélia Luzio. / Banca: Lauro Cesar Ibanhes / Banca: Antônio Carlos Barbosa da Silva / Resumo: O mundo hipercinético da atualidade toca profundamente a subjetividade, fazendo emergir na superfície da conduta formas de ser e agir típicas, resultantes de elaborações cognitivas, emocionais e afetivas, que processam a experiência de tal aceleração da vida e ampliação do espaço. Dentre as subjetivações da velocidade, no mundo contemporâneo, destacamos o tédio como uma das principais, ainda que ele esteja sendo confundido com a depressão, por manter com ela uma sintomatologia semelhante, embora seja bem distinto quanto à sua gênese e dinâmica psicológica. Neste trabalho, além das considerações acerca do tédio, na adolescência, há também reflexões a respeito da noção de trauma. O conceito de trauma, que foi tão útil e iluminador em tempos outros, já não possui o mesmo valor heurístico, porque os processos de subjetivação, na atualidade, não carregam, como outrora, as marcas de embates, contradições, conflitos ou choques brutais. O mundo atual não se funda mais na lógica do conflito e do confronto, como ocorreu com a modernidade do século XVIII até o final do século XX, e, apesar de ser um mundo supermovimentado e acelerado, por isso mesmo, potencialmente capaz de produzir colisões, desenvolve mecanismos de ordenação e controle das mobilidades extremamente sofisticados, evitando "acidentes de trânsito", especialmente no plano do trânsito psicológico (emocional, afetivo, dos vínculos e relacionamentos). O mundo que admitia ou até cultuava o sacrifício e o sofrimento cedeu lugar para um mundo que cultua o prazer, a felicidade e a frivolidade da vida. Há uma tendência ao esmaecimento do trauma, para seu deslocamento como experiência fundante do sujeito e do mundo... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The hyperkinetic world of today deeply touches the subjectivity, bringing out to the surface of the behavior typical forms of acting and being, resulting from cognitive, emotional and affective elaborations, which process the experience of such life and accelerating expansion of the space. Among the subjectivations of speed, in the contemporary world, we point out the boredom as one of the major. Although boredom is being confused with depression, for keeping with it similar symptoms, they are quite different as to their genesis and psychological dynamics. In this work, in addition to considerations about the boredom in adolescence, there are also considerations about the notion of trauma. The concept of trauma, so helpful and enlightening in other times, no longer has the same heuristic value, because the processes of subjectification, at present time, do not carry, as then, marks of struggle, contradictions, conflicts and brutal shock. The world today is no longer on the logic of conflict and confrontation, as it happened with the modernity of the eighteenth century until the late twentieth century. Moreover, despite being a super busy and fast-paced world, therefore, potentially able to produce collisions, develops mechanisms for ordering and control of highly sophisticated mobility, preventing "traffic accidents", especially in terms of psychological traffic (emotional, affective bonds and relationships). The world that worshiped or even admitted sacrifice and suffering has given way to a world that worships... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

M.Ed. / After the legalization of abortions (Number 92 of 1996), the question that arose was: How does the adolescent girl experience the abortion she underwent? This question is also seen against the background of the adolescent's developmental phase and development tasks. To ascertain the adolescent girls' experience I made use of a research design that is qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual of nature. This research took place in two phases: In Phase one, in depth phenomenological interviews were conducted. In Phase two, I made use of logical inference to generate guidelines for educational psycologists and healthworkers who were to counsel the girls who had undergone abortions. The experiences of the adolescent girls can be divided into three dimensions, namely the physical, psychological and spiritual dimension. The guidelines that were set, are as follow: Giving of information before, during and after the abortion; Counseling for lifeskills, namely decision making, management of conflict situasions and the verbalisation of emotions; Counseling adolescent girls to develop a more positive self-image and the handling of feelings of guilt.

The transition to secondary school can represent a significant life event for many adolescents and can adversely affect their psychological adjustment and wellbeing. Little is known about how adjustment to this transition can be facilitated for young people. The review paper critically evaluated the evidence-base for school transition programmes that target pupil's mental wellbeing. A keyword search of abstract databases was conducted and 20 studies were evaluated. The majority of studies could not conclude that their intervention improved mental wellbeing to a statistically significant level, and numerous methodological limitations weaken the existing evidence-base. However, the most promising areas of research pertain to intervening with the parents and teachers of adolescents experiencing school transition. Further research should investigate this further. The empirical paper employed a qualitative methodology to examine how adolescents make sense of and create meaning from their experience of going to boarding school, and to explore what can be done to facilitate this adjustment. Ten female and male adolescents were interviewed in their second year of attending boarding school. The interviews, analysed using lnterpretative Phenomenological Analysis, yielded three superordinate themes: 1) 'Home is where the heart is', which captures adolescents experiences of homesickness, the stronger relationships formed with their family, and the development of new attachment figures with their house matron and peers, 2) 'Living in a bubble', which reflects a feeling of being constrained at boarding school and an awareness of it being a hierarchical environment, and 3) 'Gaining familiarity with the place and just being me' as adolescents appeared to positively adjust over time. Results are discussed in terms of attachment, coping and adjustment theories and models of psychosocial development. Clinical and organisational implications for professionals working in boarding schools, as well as suggestions for future research arc discussed.

This study examined eighth grade students' perceived degree of mattering in their private school environments. Mattering, as defined by Rosenberg and McCullough (1981), is a person's sense that he is the object of interest and importance to others, he is wanted or serves as an ego-extension for others, and others depend on him. The study included 167 students from three urban private schools in the lower mainland. Students completed The Ways of Mattering Questionnaire (Individual and Group Forms), and a one page questionnaire, providing information about students' academic self-concept (Bachman's scale), student involvement in extracurricular school activities, and selected demographic variables. Step-wise multiple regression revealed that gender and grade point average were statistically significant predictive variables on the Group Mattering Scale in student to teacher relationships, and only grade point average was a significant predictive variable on the Individual Mattering Scale (student to peer relationships). Recommendations are provided for further study into students' feelings of mattering in the school environment. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

D.Litt. et Phil. / The general aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a group intervention programme for adolescents of divorce. The holistic perspective that formed the basis for the group intervention ensured attention to all relevant interacting modalities. The study included a separate, but parallel group programme for custodial parents, aimed at providing relevant information and teaching coping skills. The effect of the programme on emotional adjustment, depression, locus of control and children's beliefs about parental divorce was investigated empirically. Themes that dominated discussions during the adolescent group sessions were identified by qualitative measures. The overall value of the programme as experienced by participants was assessed. The results revealed that the group of adolescents who received intervention without parental involvement in the parent programme, improved significantly from pre to post intervention on the variables locus of control and emotional adjustment. A notable decrease in symptoms of depression was observed. The subjects whose parents participated in the parental intervention benefited less by.the program~e and did not improve significantly on any of the measures. Major themes that emerged from the qualitative study were all associated with post divorce life. Themes identified include: losing out on childhood and family life; continuous parental conflict; feelings of responsibility about the welfare of parents; ambivalent feelings towards the father; difficulties in accepting new partners of their parents and uncertainty regarding future relationships. It is the conclusion of the researcher that an holistic group intervention programme as conducted in this study can contribute towards positive change in adolescents after parental divorce. It is recommended that adolescents should attend group intervention without parental involvement.