The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. This thesis consists of five sections: SECTION A: Contains the problem statement, objectives and research methodology, the limitations of the study and definitions of key words. The problem statement was formulated as follows: There is no existing scientifically developed and implemented social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children available in South Africa. This problem statement resulted in the development of four research objectives. The intervention research model was utilised and implemented within a mixed methodology paradigm. Focus group discussions and the single system design generated quantitative and qualitative data. SECTION B: Consists of four articles combined together, form the research report on the achievement of the objectives. The four articles are: Article 1: The implication of sexual abuse for foster care. The aim of this article is to establish the implications of sexual abuse for foster care by means of a literature study. The impact of child sexual abuse depends on various factors like the age of the child, the amount of force used, the relationship between the child and the perpetrator, and the period over which the abuse took place. The impact of sexual abuse on the child also varies depending on the individual child. In order for the foster parent to assist the foster child to heal from the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is necessary for the foster parent to have knowledge of and insight into such impact on the foster child. Article 2: The empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article is to establish the empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children. A focus group discussion was used as a method to collect relevant qualitative data. Five (N=5) foster parents with foster children that have been sexually abused, identified from the caseload of a Child Welfare Society in White River and formed part of the discussion group. From the discussion group two categories, namely feelings, experiences and challenges of foster parents of sexually abused foster children and the needs of foster parents of sexually abused foster children were identified. Ten themes and sub-themes were derived and identified. Article 3: The development and implementation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article is to develop and implement a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. A nine session programme was developed according to the needs identified in the previous article, and implemented over three days to seven (N=7) foster parents, selected according to a non-probability sampling method. It was presented through psychosocial group work as method. Article 4: The evaluation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article was to evaluate the social work empowerment programme and the effect of the programme on the psychosocial functioning of the foster parents of sexually abused children. A single system design was followed to collect data. Three standardised instruments were utilised during pre- and post-test. A self- developed questionnaire was used to gather qualitative data. SECTION C: Summative findings, conclusions and recommendations and contribution of the study. SECTION D: Addendums. SECTION E: Compound list of references. / Thesis (PhD (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. This thesis consists of five sections: SECTION A: Contains the problem statement, objectives and research methodology, the limitations of the study and definitions of key words. The problem statement was formulated as follows: There is no existing scientifically developed and implemented social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children available in South Africa. This problem statement resulted in the development of four research objectives. The intervention research model was utilised and implemented within a mixed methodology paradigm. Focus group discussions and the single system design generated quantitative and qualitative data. SECTION B: Consists of four articles combined together, form the research report on the achievement of the objectives. The four articles are: Article 1: The implication of sexual abuse for foster care. The aim of this article is to establish the implications of sexual abuse for foster care by means of a literature study. The impact of child sexual abuse depends on various factors like the age of the child, the amount of force used, the relationship between the child and the perpetrator, and the period over which the abuse took place. The impact of sexual abuse on the child also varies depending on the individual child. In order for the foster parent to assist the foster child to heal from the trauma of child sexual abuse, it is necessary for the foster parent to have knowledge of and insight into such impact on the foster child. Article 2: The empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article is to establish the empowerment needs of foster parents of sexually abused children. A focus group discussion was used as a method to collect relevant qualitative data. Five (N=5) foster parents with foster children that have been sexually abused, identified from the caseload of a Child Welfare Society in White River and formed part of the discussion group. From the discussion group two categories, namely feelings, experiences and challenges of foster parents of sexually abused foster children and the needs of foster parents of sexually abused foster children were identified. Ten themes and sub-themes were derived and identified. Article 3: The development and implementation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article is to develop and implement a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. A nine session programme was developed according to the needs identified in the previous article, and implemented over three days to seven (N=7) foster parents, selected according to a non-probability sampling method. It was presented through psychosocial group work as method. Article 4: The evaluation of a social work empowerment programme for foster parents of sexually abused children. The aim of this article was to evaluate the social work empowerment programme and the effect of the programme on the psychosocial functioning of the foster parents of sexually abused children. A single system design was followed to collect data. Three standardised instruments were utilised during pre- and post-test. A self- developed questionnaire was used to gather qualitative data. SECTION C: Summative findings, conclusions and recommendations and contribution of the study. SECTION D: Addendums. SECTION E: Compound list of references. / Thesis (PhD (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Die oorhoofse doelstelling van die navorsing is om behoeftebepalings onder personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes sowel as afgetrede vrywilligers te doen ten einde ’n effektiewe bemagtigingsprogram vir beide groepe te kan saamstel. Daar is vasgestel wat die effektiefste kenmerke van ’n personeellid van ’n dienssentrum is. Die studie beoog verder om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir beide personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers te ontwikkel, aan te bied en te evalueer ten einde afgetrede vrywilligers meer sinvol en effektief tot voordeel van beide die organisasie en ouer persoon self te benut. Die proefskrif bestaan uit vyf afdelings: AFDELING A: Hierdie afdeling bevat onder meer die probleemstelling, navorsingsvrae, navorsingsdoelstelling en doelwitte, die sentraal teoretiese stelling, teoretiese benadering, maatskaplike groepwerk, tydperk van ondersoek, navorsingsmetodologie, beperkings van die studie, omskrywing van begrippe en die keuse en struktuur van die navorsingsverslag. Ten einde die doelstelling te kon bereik, is die volgende doelwitte nagestreef: Doelwit 1 Om ’n behoeftebepaling onder personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te doen ten einde vas te stel of hulle van afgetrede vrywilligers se dienste gebruik maak en watter stremmings hulle ervaar ten opsigte van die benutting van vrywilligers. Doelwit 2 Om ’n behoeftebepaling onder afgetrede vrywilligers betrokke by dienssentrums vir bejaardes te doen ten einde vas te stel wat hulle verwagtinge van die dienssentrum en sy personeel is. Doelwit 3 Om vas te stel hoe die profiel van personeellede lyk wat met die afgetrede vrywilligers werk. bladsyiv Doelwit 4 Om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te ontwikkel en toe te pas ten einde personeel meer kennis oor afgetrede vrywilligers te gee en met vaardighede toe te rus sodat hulle meer effektief met vrywilligers kan werk. Doelwit 5 Om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir afgetrede vrywilligers van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te ontwikkel en aan te bied ten einde hulle in te skakel by die dienssentrum waar hulle met volle oorgawe effektief kan funksioneer. Doelwit 6 Om die bemagtigingsprogramme na afloop van die aanbieding daarvan te evalueer ten einde vas te stel of die ontwikkelde bemagtigingsprogramme vir personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers positiewe groei en vordering by die groepe meegebring het ten einde die programme bekend te kan stel aan al die dienssentrums. AFDELING B: Afdeling B bevat die ses artikels waarin verslag gelewer is oor die uitkomste van die navorsing. Artikel 1 het betrekking op die manier waarop die personeel van dienssentrums die afgetrede vrywilligers benut. Artikel 2 handel oor afgetrede vrywilligers se verwagtinge van die dienssentrum en sy personeel. Artikel 3 bevat die profiel van personeel wat met afgetrede vrywilligers werk. Artikel 4 dek die inhoud van ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir personeel wat met afgetrede vrywilligers werk. Artikel 5 behels die inhoud van ’n bemagti–gingsprogram vir afgetrede vrywilligers. Artikel 6 behandel die evaluering van die bemagti–gingsprogramme vir personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers betrokke by ’n dienssentrum vir bejaardes. AFDELING C: Hierdie afdeling is die samevatting van die vernaamste bevindings en gevolgtrekkings ten opsigte van die ondersoek in die geheel. Daarbenewens is aanbevelings gedoen en die bydra van die ondersoek uitgelig. AFDELING D: Die bylaes tot die navorsingsverslag, byvoorbeeld die verskillende meet–instrumente en vraelyste word hier vervat. A FDELING E: Hierdie afdeling sluit die proefskrif af met ’n samevattende bibliografie. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Die oorhoofse doelstelling van die navorsing is om behoeftebepalings onder personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes sowel as afgetrede vrywilligers te doen ten einde ’n effektiewe bemagtigingsprogram vir beide groepe te kan saamstel. Daar is vasgestel wat die effektiefste kenmerke van ’n personeellid van ’n dienssentrum is. Die studie beoog verder om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir beide personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers te ontwikkel, aan te bied en te evalueer ten einde afgetrede vrywilligers meer sinvol en effektief tot voordeel van beide die organisasie en ouer persoon self te benut. Die proefskrif bestaan uit vyf afdelings: AFDELING A: Hierdie afdeling bevat onder meer die probleemstelling, navorsingsvrae, navorsingsdoelstelling en doelwitte, die sentraal teoretiese stelling, teoretiese benadering, maatskaplike groepwerk, tydperk van ondersoek, navorsingsmetodologie, beperkings van die studie, omskrywing van begrippe en die keuse en struktuur van die navorsingsverslag. Ten einde die doelstelling te kon bereik, is die volgende doelwitte nagestreef: Doelwit 1 Om ’n behoeftebepaling onder personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te doen ten einde vas te stel of hulle van afgetrede vrywilligers se dienste gebruik maak en watter stremmings hulle ervaar ten opsigte van die benutting van vrywilligers. Doelwit 2 Om ’n behoeftebepaling onder afgetrede vrywilligers betrokke by dienssentrums vir bejaardes te doen ten einde vas te stel wat hulle verwagtinge van die dienssentrum en sy personeel is. Doelwit 3 Om vas te stel hoe die profiel van personeellede lyk wat met die afgetrede vrywilligers werk. bladsyiv Doelwit 4 Om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir personeel van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te ontwikkel en toe te pas ten einde personeel meer kennis oor afgetrede vrywilligers te gee en met vaardighede toe te rus sodat hulle meer effektief met vrywilligers kan werk. Doelwit 5 Om ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir afgetrede vrywilligers van dienssentrums vir bejaardes te ontwikkel en aan te bied ten einde hulle in te skakel by die dienssentrum waar hulle met volle oorgawe effektief kan funksioneer. Doelwit 6 Om die bemagtigingsprogramme na afloop van die aanbieding daarvan te evalueer ten einde vas te stel of die ontwikkelde bemagtigingsprogramme vir personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers positiewe groei en vordering by die groepe meegebring het ten einde die programme bekend te kan stel aan al die dienssentrums. AFDELING B: Afdeling B bevat die ses artikels waarin verslag gelewer is oor die uitkomste van die navorsing. Artikel 1 het betrekking op die manier waarop die personeel van dienssentrums die afgetrede vrywilligers benut. Artikel 2 handel oor afgetrede vrywilligers se verwagtinge van die dienssentrum en sy personeel. Artikel 3 bevat die profiel van personeel wat met afgetrede vrywilligers werk. Artikel 4 dek die inhoud van ’n bemagtigingsprogram vir personeel wat met afgetrede vrywilligers werk. Artikel 5 behels die inhoud van ’n bemagti–gingsprogram vir afgetrede vrywilligers. Artikel 6 behandel die evaluering van die bemagti–gingsprogramme vir personeel en afgetrede vrywilligers betrokke by ’n dienssentrum vir bejaardes. AFDELING C: Hierdie afdeling is die samevatting van die vernaamste bevindings en gevolgtrekkings ten opsigte van die ondersoek in die geheel. Daarbenewens is aanbevelings gedoen en die bydra van die ondersoek uitgelig. AFDELING D: Die bylaes tot die navorsingsverslag, byvoorbeeld die verskillende meet–instrumente en vraelyste word hier vervat. A FDELING E: Hierdie afdeling sluit die proefskrif af met ’n samevattende bibliografie. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Social Work))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.