Ph.D. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / This study was an investigation into the problem of the anxiety pre-adolescents experience in a pre-diagnostic context. It was based on the supposition that such anxiety has a negative effect on the performance of pre-adolescents in a diagnostic evaluation. The question was posed whether children are prepared for such a diagnostic experience in South Africa, since preparation could help to familiarize them with the relatively unknown experience of diagnostic evaluation, in order that they would be enabled to derive the maximum benefit from it, not only with regard to the possible solution of their problems, but also with regard to their development. The study included literature surveys of the development of the pre-adolescent', as well as of anxiety and factors that influence anxiety. Subsequently Bandura's theory of self-efficacy was considered in some detail, since it was regarded as relevant for a better understanding of the various factors that have ~bearing on an evaluation situation, especially multi-disciplinary evaluation. In order to identify factors that influence children's anxiety in an evaluation context, fifteen therapists and two secretaries were interviewed at five major clinics in Johannesburg where children with problems are evaluated. On the basis of the information so gleaned it was concluded that the evaluation context in South Africa is loaded in a negative direction, and recommendations were made which could improve the situation. One such recommendation is that evaluation should be conceived within the developmental context of the children to be evaluated so that evaluation could be a meaningful experience, contributing to the testee's growth. In the addendum there are the recommendations made during the interviews by the secretaries and therapists. These are recommendations for. a more meaningful role for the secretary at such a clinic, and specific suggestions as to how children' who are to be evalued and their parents could be helped in order that evaluation might become a more meaningful experience.

M.A. (Social Work) / The important role that social workers, in relation to the assessment of emotional abuse play, necessitated an investigation of the essence of all forms of child abuse, namely emotional abuse. The aim of this study was to set certain guidelines for the assessment of emotional child abuse which could be used by the social workers in service of the "Sinodale Kommissie vir die Diens van Barmhartigheid van Noord-Transvaal". During this investigation a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach was followed, thus, this study could be described as exploring/ descriptive. A literature review, where the indicators of emotional abuse was defined, was firstly undertaken. Secondly, a questionnaire was drawn up and completed by twenty five selected social workers. The aim of this questionnaire was to ascertain what the perception of, the family care worker in relation to the assessment of emotional abuse, was. Furthermore, one focus group materialised and four interviews with concerned parties were conducted. These parties included a social consultant from a state department, a social worker in private practise whom is concerned with the training of people involved in assessment of child abuse and two Commissionaries of Child Welfare. The purpose of these interviews was to determine their perception of factors involved in emotional abuse as well as their interpretation of the definition of emotional abuse in the Act on Child Care. A short, structured interview schedule was used to obtain certain general information that could be of value when interpreting the data. It was concluded that the perceptions of social workers and other concerned parties corresponded with concepts gained from the literature. Recommendations concerning the assessment of emotional child abuse, was also disclosed. Guidelines for the assessment of certain factors of emotional abuse were also expressed.

Despite the acknowledgement of the developmental nature of careers, little attention has been focused on identifying shaping influences during childhood. This noticeable deficiency in the literature marked the start of the current longitudinal study which was designed to provide information on the career development of nine to twelve-year old South African children. In South Africa research focusing on preadolescent career development is limited with existing research indicating the need to further explore how children’s career choice process initially develops. The study aimed to explore and describe the changes that occur, if any, over a four-year period in terms of occupational interest typology, occupational status levels, occupational gender stereotypes and occupational gender traditionality. Both developmental and career developmental theories were used to provide a context for exploring this process of preadolescent career development. It was decided that quantitative research methods would provide the necessary structure needed to conduct the research. Although semistructured interviews and biographical questionnaires were used to record the verbal data, the data obtained was transposed into nominal data for analysis. Participants responded to questions within a semi-structured interview that focused on four broad areas of questioning. These questions explored participants’ occupational aspirations, how many occupations they knew about, how much they knew about the identified occupation, and the extent to which they held gender-role stereotypes about certain occupations. After the data was iv Key words: career development, children, longitudinal research, occupational aspirations captured it was coded according to Holland's (1985) classification system of occupational interest types. The occupational aspirations expressed by the participants were also coded in terms of their status levels. The coded data was then further analysed using descriptive statistics in the form of frequency counts and percentages. Results from the study support both child and career development theory which view childhood as a time of rapid growth with critical development in various competency areas (including occupational aspirations and perceptions). Although the current study found that most children aspired to Social occupations, the popularity of this typology decreased with increasing age as more children aspired to Investigative, Artistic, and to a lesser extent, Realistic typologies at age twelve. Furthermore, it appears that children, like adults, are aware of status differentials among occupations and that this awareness subsequently influences occupational aspirations. Lastly, the findings broadly provide support for both national and international research in that it was established that an increase in age reflects a decrease in gender-stereotypical perceptions of occupations. The present study gained valuable insight into how the process of career development occurs in preadolescent children. It is clear that there exists a need for the implementation of credible and sustainable career education programs in schools across South Africa in order to encourage and facilitate career exploration during the developmental stage of childhood.

Type I diabetes has the ability to promote change in the family. In truth, although the child with diabetes is the diagnosed patient, the whole family has diabetes. While the challenges that families have to face are many, families seem to have the ability to “bounce back” (i.e., they have resilience). Research on the construct of resilience, and more specifically, family resilience has surged in recent times. However, South African research on family resilience is limited. This study aimed to explore and describe the factors that facilitate adjustment and adaptation in families that include a child living with Type I diabetes. The Resiliency Model of Stress, Adjustment and Adaptation, developed by McCubbin and McCubbin (2001) served as a framework to conceptualise the families’ adjustment and adaptation process. Non-probability purposive and snowball sampling techniques were employed. Sixteen families participated in this study, providing a total of 31 participants. Participants consisted of the caregivers of a family living with a child between the ages of four and 12 with Type I diabetes. The study was triangular in nature, with an exploratory, descriptive approach. A biographical questionnaire with an open-ended question was used in conjunction with seven other questionnaires to gather data. These questionnaires were: The Family Hardiness Index (FHI), the Family Time and Routine Index (FTRI), the Social Support Index (SSI), the Family Problem-Solving Communication (FPSC) Index, the Family Crises-Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales (F-COPES), the Relative and Friend Support Index, and the Family Attachment and Changeability Index 8 (FACI8). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the biographical information. Quantitative data were analysed by means of correlation and regression analysis, and a content analysis was conducted to analyse the qualitative data. The results of the quantitative analysis indicated three significant positive correlations with the FACI8. These variables were family hardiness (measured by the FHI), family problem-solving communication (measured by the FPSC), and family time and routines (measured by the FTRI). The results of the qualitative analysis revealed that social support, the caregivers’ acceptance of the condition, and spirituality and religion were the most important strength factors that contributed to the families’ adjustment and adaptation. Although the study had a small sample and many limitations, the study could be used as a stepping-stone for future research on resilience in families living with chronic medical conditions and will contribute to family resilience research in the South African context.

This study, focused on child mental development, has aimed to contribute and provide valuable information to a larger research project that is currently under way to create a set of norms for a South African population on the GMDS-ER. The primary aim of the study was to explore and describe the developmental profile of children from a low socio-economic status, aged between 3 and 8 years 4 months old, on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales- Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). The purpose of the study was to generate information on low socio-economic status and child mental development. A quantitative, exploratory-descriptive research design was employed. The participants were selected through a non-probability, purposive sampling procedure. Information was collated using clinical observations, biographical data, as well as the results of an assessment on the Griffiths Mental Development Scales Extended-Revised. The data were analysed using descriptive statistical tables[PJS1].

Background: In recent years the incidence of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has increased. Objectives: The primary aim of the study was to determine the treatment of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD in South Africa and more specifically the Eastern Cape. Methods: The study consisted of two parts, a retrospective drug utilisation study and a questionnaire survey. The drug utilisation study was conducted on chronic medication records of a private sector medical scheme administrator and contained records from 1994 to 2006. A total of 42 250 records representing 8 274 patients and 4 001 families, were analysed. The questionnaire survey was conducted in the Eastern Cape. The questionnaires were distributed by responsible pharmacists to parents of children receiving medication for the treatment of ADHD from his/her pharmacy. Fifty one completed questionnaires were analysed. Results: The average age of patients in the drug utilisation study were 14.28 (SD = 5.50) years. Males represented 77.37 percent of patients. Ritalin® 10 mg was the most frequently prescribed methylphenidate-containing product, followed by Ritalin® LA 20 mg. The two most frequently prescribed active ingredients apart from methylphenidate were fluticasone and budesonide. The two most common comorbid conditions were allergic rhinitis and asthma. The average age of patients in the questionnaire survey was 10.26 (SD = 2.51) years. Males represented 73.58 percent of patients. A third of patients had relatives previously diagnosed with ADHD. Ritalin® 10 mg was the most frequently prescribed methylphenidate-containing product. Conclusion: ADHD is a complex life-long disorder. It does not only affect the child diagnosed with the disorder, but also has effects on the family, schooling system and peer relationship. Therefore, more studies regarding the incidence and treatment of ADHD need to be conducted in South Africa.

M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M. Ed. (Educational Psychology) / There is a growing concern for the number of children who drop out of school before completing their matriculation examination successfully. The increase in technological development and the creation of new and more demanding job opportunities requires a highly skilled workforce. Since underachievement retards the development of manpower, it implies that each pupil should be guided to reach his highest possible niveau. The factors affecting scholastic achievement are multidimensional, but one that has been minimally researched, is adjustment and the way in which inter- and intrapersonal relationships affect the scholastic achievement of pupils. This study was undertaken to determine the relationship between adjustment and different levels of academic achievement. The method of research is twofold. A literature study constitutes the first part in which definitions of adjustment and achievement are related to the development and learning of the adolescent in personal, home, social and formal relationships. This is followed by an empirical study on relational components of adjustment which are applied to achievers, overachievers and underachievers who are identified by means of a regression analysis.

Bibliography: pages 490-552. / Two fundamental questions which frequently confront a children's librarian are 'what do you suggest my child should read?' and 'Why does my child not read, and what can be done to rectify the situation?' It is fairly easy to deal with the first question by referring either to one's own knowledge of children's literature or to the many authoritative books on the subject. The second question poses a problem, because, although much concern has been expressed regarding reading reluctance, current perceptions generally relate to limited aspects only. Such perceptions tend to be based on incidental observations and untested premises rather than on rigorously executed research. Hence it was decided to undertake this research project in an attempt to fill a gap in a sound understanding of reading reluctance among children in a given library environment.