published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Sciences

Text in Afrikaans / The adolescents touched by their parent's divorce often display certain behavioral problems, such as withdrawal, aggression, and deterioration in academic performance, total apathy and misconduct. These adolescents experience mixed feelings in their period of distress. When one gets behind the reasons for certain behavior, the adolescents usually confess that the parents' divorce affected them. Parents often do not think about the emotional implications their divorce has on their children. Authors differ about the age at which children are influenced the most by their parents getting divorced. This study confirms suspicions that although adolescents want to break ties with their parents, they still feel threatened when their parents split up. During serious conflict in the family, the divorce is sometimes perceived as positive. The study makes everybody involved with the adolescent aware of the emotional disruption and the influence a divorce could have on their daily functioning. / Die studie oor die belewinge van die adolessente in die enkelouergesing as gevolg van egskeiding, spruit voort uit waarnemings tydens die interaksie met adolessente wat deur die ouers se egskeiding geraak is. Sodanige adolessente toon dikwels sekere gedragspatrone, soos onttrekking, aggressie, verswakking van akademiese prestasie, algehele lusteloosheid en wangedrag. Wannneer hulle genader word, ontken hulle dikwels dat iets skort. Hulle wil nie anders beskou word as ander adolessente wat nie in dieselfde situasie verkeer nie. Die ondersoek toon dat adolessente gemengde gevoelens in hulle tyd van nood ondervind het. Wanneer wel agter die rede vir die teruggetrokkenheid of aggressie of verswakkende akademiese prestasie gekom word, erken adolessente gewoonlik dat die ouers se egskeiding hulle onderkry. Ouers dink dikwles nie aan die emosionele uirwerking wat hulle egskeiding op die kinders het nie. Skrywers verskil oor die ouderdom waarop kinders die meeste deur die ouers se egskeiding beinvloed word. Die respondente in hierdie studie bevestig vermoedens dat, alhoewel adolessente hulself wil losmaak van die ouers, hulle wel bedreig voel wanneer die ouers uitmekaargaan. Tydens ernstige konflik in die gesin word die egskeiding tog soms as positief ervaar. Dit beteken egter nie dat dit vir hulle maklik is nie. Wanneer daar voor die egskeiding min konflik is en die verblyfreelings daarna vir die aolessent aanvaarbaar is, is die aanpassingsproses gewoonlik makliker. Die studie maak alle betrokkenes by die adolessent bewus van die emosionele ontwrigting waaraan hy blootgestel word en die uitwerking wat dit op sy alledaagse funksionering kan he. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

M. Diac. (Spelterapie) / Text in Afrikaans with summaries in Afrikaans and English / Anorexia nervosa is ‘n komplekse eetversteuring wat hoofsaaklik voorkom onder adolessente meisies regoor die wêreld. Anorexia nervosa word geklassifiseer as ‘n versteuring wat ten spyte van literatuur steeds nie ten volle verstaan of begryp kan word nie, weens die kompleksiteit daarvan. Hierdie kompleksitieit het ‘n tekort aan insig en begrip van ander tot gevolg wat weerstand by die adolessent wek. Die terapeutiese proses met hierdie individue word sodoende negatief beïnvloed en lei tot beperkte groei en verandering. In die betrokke studie is die ervaringswêreld van die adolessent wat lei aan anorexia nervosa nagevors met die doel om lig te bring op hierdie komplekse, tog hedendaagse verskynsel. Na die uitvoering van ongestruktureerde onderhoudvoering met adolessente meisies wat lei aan anorexia nervosa, is verskeie temas, konsepte en kategorieë geïdentifiseer en bespreek aan die hand van Gestalt terapeutiese konsepte. / Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder that mainly affects adolescent girls all over the world. Anorexia nervosa is classified as a disorder that, despite existing literature, cannot be fully understood or comprehended, due to the complexity of the disorder. The complexity of Anorexia nervosa makes it difficult for people to understand these individuals, which causes resistance to occur within the adolescents. The resistance then complicates the therapeutic process, which can lead to inefficient growth and change in therapy. In this study, the experience of adolescent girls that suffer from anorexia nervosa is researched with the aim of shedding some light on this complex, though common, issue. After interviewing adolescents that suffer from anorexia nervosa, certain themes, concepts and categories were identified and explained by the hand of Gestalt therapeutic concepts. / Social Work

The researcher is concerned about the lack of attention given to withdrawn early adolescents (WEAs) at school. During early adolescence, the foundations for lasting character, personality traits and social interaction are laid. Learners exhibiting withdrawal behaviour are described as being quiet, reserved, removed or distant. Attempts by educators to get them involved in lessons often end in failure and this causes educators to become frustrated and confused about how to deal with these learners. The aim of this study is therefore to establish the factors that contribute to withdrawal behaviour in early adolescents. The researcher devised an identification instrument that makes the identification of WEAs much easier for educators. He also established the deep seated fears and anxieties of WEAs and ascertained how they would like to be treated by their educators. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / 218 leaves printed on single pages, preliminary pages i-xvii and numbered pages 1-200. Includes bibliography and list of tables. / Digitized at 600 dpi grayscale to pdf format (OCR), using a Bizhub 250 Konica Minolta Scanner. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Little is known about women's sexuality and even less about female adolescent sexuality. Sex researchers have neglected women, young women and specifically young women of colour and of lower socio-economic status. These gaps in sex research have to be addressed for at least two important reasons. In the first place an understanding of female adolescent sexuality will enhance our understanding of female development in general. More specifically, the prevalence of reproductive health problems like sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and unplanned pregnancies among female adolescents warrant urgent attention. This study attempted to address the need for data on female sexuality by focusing on coloured female adolescents in the Stellenbosch district. This target group has been chosen because of the extent of adolescent reproductive health problems, specifically the prevalence of teenage pregnancy, in the low-income coloured community. The objective of the study was to gain an understanding of adolescent female sexuality in a specific community. This goal was reached by collecting quantitative and qualitative data about sexuality from a group of high school learners from a historically coloured community in the Stellenbosch district. Structured questionnaires were used to elicit the quantitative data. The quantitative data were analysed to determine the following (i) the range of sexual behaviours, and (ii) the prevalence of high-risk behaviours that the respondents engaged in. The quantitative results indicate that the research respondents did not represent a sexually high-risk community. Sexual intercourse was limited to a relatively small number of respondents. The sexual behaviour of these respondents, in general, did not differ meaningfully from the sexual behaviour reported in other adolescent communities. Open-ended interviews were used to generate the qualitative data. Twenty-five sexually active girls were interviewed. The grounded theory method was used to analyse the qualitative data and to explore the respondents' constructions of sexuality. Lack of sexual agency and need for connection were identified as the core categories in the interview data. The interview data indicated that the respondents had limited sexual agency and the researcher argued that mothers and boyfriends, as agents of the community, were prominent contributors to sexual disempowerment. The use of the term "coloured" is controversial. It is viewed by some as derogatory, whilst others argue the importance of a 'coloured' identity. Here and throughout the term "coloured" will be used descriptively. The researcher concluded that a new discourse of sexual agency for young women must be developed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar bestaan min data oor vroulike seksualiteit en selfs nog minder oor vroulike adolessente seksualiteit. In die verlede het seksnavorsers vroue, jong vroue en spesifiek gekleurde en lae sosio-ekonomiese vroue verwaarloos. Hierdie tekortkominge in seksnavorsing behoort om ten minste twee belangrike redes aangespreek te word. Eerstens sal 'n begrip van vroulike adolessente seksualiteit ons begrip van vroulike ontwikkeling in die algemeen bevorder. 'n Meer spesifieke rede is dat die die vookoms van reproduktiewe gesondheidsprobleme soos seksueel-oordraagbare siektes en onbeplande swangerskappe onder vroulike adolessente, dringende aandag vereis. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die behoefte aan data oor seksuele gedrag in verskillende Suid-Afrikaanse gemeenskappe aan te spreek deur te fokus op "kleurling" vroulike adolessente in die Stellenbosch-distrik. Hierdie groep is geselekteer vanwee die omvang van adolessente reproduktiewe gesondheidsprobleme, veral die voorkoms van tienerswangerskappe, in die "kleurling" gemeenskap. Die doel van die studie was om 'n begrip te kry van adolessente vroulike seksualiteit in 'n spesifieke gemeenskap. Kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe data is versamel oor die seksualiteit van 'n groep hoerskoolleerders wat woonagtig was in 'n histories "kleurling" gemeenskap in die Stellenbosch-distrik. 'n Gestruktureerde vraelys is gebruik om die kwantitatiewe data in te win. Die kwantitatiewe data is geanaliseer om (i) die reeks van seksuele gedrag wat by die respondente voorkom en (ii) die voorkoms van hoe risiko seksuele gedrag onder die respondente te bepaal. Die kwantitatiewe resultate het aangedui dat die navorsingsrespondente nie 'n hoe risiko groep verteenwoordig nie. Seksuele gemeenskap was beperk tot 'n relatiewe klein hoeveelheid respondente. In die algemeen, het die seksuele gedrag van die respondente nie betekenisvol verskil van die seksuele gedrag wat gerapporteer is vir ander adolessente populasies nie. Oop-einde onderhoude is gebruik om die kwalitatiewe data te genereer. Onderhoude is gevoer met vyf en twintig seksueel aktiewe meisies. Die "grounded theory" metode is gebruik om die kwalitatiewe data te analiseer en die respondente se konstruksies van seksualiteit te eksploreer. Gebrek aan seksuele agentskap en behoefte aan konneksie is geidentifiseer as die kernkategoriee in die onderhoudsdata. Die onderhoudsdata het aangedui dat die respondente oor beperkte seksuele agentskap beskik. Die navorser het aangevoer dat moeders en mansvriende, as agente van die gemeenskap, 'n prominente bydrae tot gebrek aan seksuele bemagtiging maak. Die navorser het tot die konklusie gekom dat 'n nuwe diskoers van seksuele agentskap vir jong vroue ontwikkel behoort te word.

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Statistics indicate that not only HIV-infection and AIDS but all sexual and reproductive health problems are increasing globally. In order to address these issues the socio-cultural context in which sexual behaviour is expressed must be understood. Given that sexual health risks are compounded by socio-political and socio-economic issues, researchers must direct their focus to high-risk, low socio-economic communities. Adolescents have been identified as a prime target for sexual awareness and preventative programmes and research has stressed the importance of gaining an understanding of adolescent sexuality, in order to address the sexual health risks that threaten adolescents. In addition, there is a paucity of research on especially the role of the male adolescent in the study of sexual and reproductive health. In the current study, constructions of male adolescent sexuality in traditionally coloured and rural communities were explored. The nature of the research was exploratory and the aims were to determine the range and frequency of sexual behaviour that male adolescents in a specific community engage in and secondly, explore male adolescents' constructions of their sexuality and sexual behaviour in intimate heterosexual sexual relationships. Multiple methods of data collection were utilised. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 179 male adolescents between the age of 15 and 21, at two schools in the rural areas surrounding Stellenbosch. The data from the questionnaire was quantitatively analysed. Seven in-depth interviews were conducted with male adolescents between the age of 16 and 18. The data from the interviews was analysed qualitatively. An analysis of the data indicated that male adolescents' ability to take control over safe sex practices are undermined by attempts to defend and conceal their sexual behaviour and sexuality. Male adolescents from traditionally coloured and rural areas distance and externalise their sexual behaviour and sexuality. Sexual behaviour is explained and understood as being directed by external factors and by fear of negative evaluation by peers and parents. Such a construction of sexuality continues to prevent male adolescents from understanding and constructing their sexuality as self-owned and self-directed. In turn this construction continues to result in behaviour that runs counter to safe sex guidelines. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Statistieke toon dat alle seksueel-oordraagbare siektes en reproduktiewe gesondheidsprobleme, insluitend HIV-infeksie en VIGS, op globale vlak toeneem. Ten einde hierdie probleme aan te spreek is dit noodsaaklik om die sosio-kulturele konteks van seksualiteit en seksuele gedrag in ag te neem. Gegewe dat sosio-politiese en sosioekonomiese omstandighede 'n impak het op seksuele gesondheidsrisikos, word navorsers genoodsaak om hul fokus te rig op hoë-risiko, lae sosio-ekonomiese gemeenskappe. Adolessente word geïdentifiseer as primêre teikengroep vir bewustheids- en voorkomingsprogramme aangaande seksualiteit. Navorsing toon die belangrikheid aan van insig in adolessente seksualiteit, ten einde seksuele gesondheidsrisiko's in dié teikengroep aan te spreek. Verder is daar ook 'n leemte in navorsing betreffende die rol van die manlike adolessent in seksuele en reproduktiewe gesondheid. Hierdie studie het die konstruksies van manlike adolessente seksualiteit in tradisioneel "kleurling", landelike gemeenskappe ondersoek. Die navorsing is eksploratief van aard, met primêre doelwit 'n bepaling van die omvang en frekwensie van seksuele gedrag waarin manlike adolessente in 'n spesifieke gemeenskap deelneem. 'n Sekondêre doelwit is om manlike adolessente se konstruksies van hul seksualiteit en seksuele gedrag in intieme heteroseksuele verhoudings te ondersoek. Data-insameling het 'n kombinasie van metodes behels. Vraelyste is deur 179 manlike adolessente tussen die ouderdom van 15 en 21, komende uit twee skole in die Stellenboschdistrik, ingevul. Die data is kwantitatief geanaliseer. Verder is sewe in-diepte onderhoude met manlike adolessente tussen die ouderdom van 16 en 18 gevoer. Data uit hierdie onderhoude is kwalitatief geanaliseer. Die analise van die data het aangedui dat manlike adolessente se vermoë om beheer te neem oor veilige seksuele praktyk, ondermyn word deur pogings om hul seksualiteit en seksuele gedrag te verskans. Manlike adolessente vanuit tradisioneel "kleurling", landelike gemeenskappe distansiëer hulself van en eksternaliseer hul seksuele gedrag en seksualiteit. Seksuele gedrag word betekenis gegee en verstaan as gedrag wat deur eksterne faktore en die vrees vir negatiewe evaluering deur ouers en die portuurgroep, beheer word. Hierdie konstruksie van seksualiteit verhoed dat manlike adolessente hul seksualiteit in 'n konteks van selfbeheer en selfbesit kan betekenis gee. Sulke konstruksies dra daartoe by om veilige seksuele gedragsriglyne te ondermyn.

Thesis (MA (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The important role of interpersonal relationships in the adolescent developmental period has been extensively demonstrated in the literature (e.g. Brown, 1991; Gottlieb, 1991; Larson, Wilson, Brown, Furstenburg, & Verma, 2002). In the present study, adolescents’ relationships with their mothers, fathers, romantic partners, and best friends were investigated. The sample consisted of mainly White and Coloured late-adolescents from four schools in and around a large country town, representing different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. Their relationships were investigated by assessing in what relationships adolescents reported the most and least of certain relationship qualities like support and intimacy. This was assessed with the use of two self-report questionnaires. The questionnaires used was the Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI), a 33-item Likerttype scale with which intimacy, companionship, affection, nurturance, satisfaction, relative power, punishment and conflict (C1) was assessed, and the Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI), a 25-item Likert-type scale with which support and conflict (C2) was assessed (Touliatos, Perlmutter, & Holden, 2001). It was found that adolescents reported the different relationship qualities differently in all their relationships. The following are the main findings for the different relationship qualities: - Support: Support was found to be equally as high for mothers, best friends and romantic partners, with fathers ranked lowest for support. - Intimacy: Intimacy with romantic partners was reported as being the highest, followed by best friends and then mothers and intimacy from fathers being the lowest. - Companionship: The highest level of companionship was reported for best friends and romantic partners, who did not differ significantly from each other. This was followed by companionship from mothers and companionship from fathers was the lowest. - Affection: The highest level of affection was reported for mothers, followed by romantic partners and then fathers, with the lowest levels of affection coming from best friends. - Nurturance: Romantic partners were rated highest for nurturance, followed by best friends and mothers, who did not differ significantly from each other. The lowest level of nurturance was reported for fathers. - Satisfaction: Adolescents were most satisfied with their romantic relationships, best friends and mother-relationships, as they did not differ significantly from each others. Adolescents were least satisfied with their father-relationships. - Relative Power: Adolescents felt most powerful in their mother-relationships, followed by their relationships with their fathers. The third most power was reported in romantic relationships and adolescents felt the least powerful in their relationships with their best friends. - Punishment: Adolescents were punished most by their mothers, then their fathers and then their romantic partners and they were punished least by their best friends. - Conflict: Conflict reported was equally as high for mothers, fathers and romantic partners, with the lowest levels of conflict reported with their best friends. Apart from the above findings, analyses were also done between the different relationship qualities, relationships, and certain demographic factors. The results are supported by the developmental-contextual framework, as it emphasizes how the different aspects of adolescents’ relationships and lives are interrelated. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrike rol wat interpersoonlike verhoudings in die ontwikkelingstadium van adolessensie speel, is al breedvoerig gedemonstreer in die literatuur (bv. Brown, 1991; Gottlieb, 1991; Larson, Wilson, Brown, Furstenburg, & Verma, 2002). In die huidige studie is adolessente se verhoudings met hul ma’s, pa’s, romantiese vennote, en beste vriende ondersoek. Die steekproef het bestaan uit hoofsaaklik Kleurling en Wit laat-adolessente van vier skole in en om ‘n groot plattelandse dorp, verteenwoordigend van verskillende kulture en sosio-ekonomiese agtergronde. Hul verhoudings is ondersoek deur te meet in watter verhoudings die meeste en minste van sekere verhoudingskwaliteite soos ondersteuning en intimiteit, gerapporteer is. Dit is ge-asseseer met die gebruik van twee self-rapporteer vraelyste. Die vraelyste wat gebruik is, was die “Network of Relationships Inventory (NRI)”, ‘n 33-item Likert-tipe skaal waarmee intimiteit, kameraadskap, toegeneentheid, versorging, tevredenheid, relatiewe mag, straf en konflik (C1) ge-asseseer is, en die “Quality of Relationships Inventory (QRI)”, ‘n 25-item Likert-tipe skaal waarmee ondersteuning en konflik (C2) ge-asseseer is (Touliatos, Perlmutter, & Holden, 2001). Dit is bevind dat adolessente die verskillende verhoudingskwaliteite verskillend gerapporteer het vir die verskillende verhoudings. Die volgende is die hoofbevindings vir die verskillende verhoudingskwaliteite: - Ondersteuning: Adolessente het die meeste en gelyke ondersteuning gerapporteer van hul ma’s, beste vriende en romantiese vennote, met die laagste ondersteuning komende van pa’s. - Intimiteit: Intimiteit met romantiese vennote is gerapporteer as die hoogste, gevolg deur beste vriende en dan romantiese vennote, en die minste intimiteit met pa’s. - Kameraadskap: Die hoogste vlak van kameraadskap is gerapporteer vir beste vriende en romantiese vennote wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Kameraadskap met ma’s was derde en kameraadskap met pa’s was laaste. - Toegeneentheid: Die hoogste vlak van toegeneentheid is gerapporteer vir ma’s, gevolg deur romantiese vennote en dan pa’s, met die minste toegeneentheid gerapporteer vir beste vriende. - Versorging: Romantiese vennote is die hoogste ge-ag vir versorging, gevolg deur ma’s en beste vriende, wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Die minste versorging is gerapporteer van pa’s. - Tevredenheid: Adolessente was mees tevrede met hul verhoudings met hul ma’s, beste vriende en romantiese vennote, wat nie beduidend van mekaar verskil het nie. Hulle was die minste tevrede met hul verhoudings met hul pa’s. - Relatiewe mag: Adolessente het die meeste mag gerapporteer in hul verhoudings met hul ma’s, gevolg deur hul pa’s en dan hul romantiese vennote, met die minste mag in hul verhoudings met hul beste vriende. - Straf: Adolessente is die meeste gestraf deur hul ma’s en dan hul pa’s, gevolg deur hul romantiese vennote en laastens hul beste vriende. - Konflik: Konflik was ewe hoog vir ma’s, pa’s en romantiese vennote, met die minste konflik gerapporteer vir beste vriende. Buiten bogenoemde resultate, is daar ook analises gedoen tussen die verskillende verhoudingskwaliteite, verhoudings en sekere demografiese faktore. Die resultate word ondersteun deur die ontwikkelings-kontekstuele raamwerk, aangesien dit beklemtoon hoe die verskillende aspekte van adolessente se verhoudings en lewens verbind is.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

published_or_final_version / abstract / Community Medicine / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This study investigated three constructs hypothesized to contribute to deaf and hard of hearing students' success in mainstream settings: self-concept, social acceptance, and perceived social acceptance. Twenty-five hearing, five deaf, and five hard of hearing junior high school students participated in this study. Students completed three measures: Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale, Form A (Adapted), Peer Rating Scale, and Student Activity Questionnaire (Adapted). The results indicated that hard of hearing and deaf students' self-concepts and their perceptions of their social acceptance were not significantly different from their hearing peers' self-evaluations. Hard of hearing and deaf students' self-concepts were found to be inversely related to the peer acceptance rating they received from their hard of hearing and deaf peers. The best predictor of academic success for hard of hearing and deaf students was the peer acceptance rating they received from hearing students. Consequently, hard of hearing and deaf students' success in a mainstream program may be influenced by their social acceptance among hearing peers. Recommendations for increasing social acceptance in the mainstream setting were presented.