Within this study, a psycho-educational strategy was designed to promote online safety practices for adolescents living in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The study made use of a mixed method methodology, including both quantitative and qualitative research. This enabled access to 183 adolescents, as well as gaining more focused and specific insights from adolescent focus groups with a total of eight focus groups. This psycho-educational strategy was designed in the form of an interactive website. The website included information on safety practices pertaining to six areas of online safety. The information was provided in various formats, including videos, clips, slide shows and questionnaires. The six areas which were focused on included cyber bullying, pornography, social networking, online gaming, sharing of personal information and plagiarising and stealing of content. Adolescents were exposed to the website in order to test its usability and its effectiveness as a tool for education regarding online safety. From the literature and findings of the research, it is evident that there is a dire need for age-appropriate and relevant mechanisms to address online safety among adolescents. The present research revealed; through the remarks obtained from focus groups, that adolescents could benefit from the psycho-educational strategy as it created an awareness of the possible harms of the internet; awareness that was previously limited. Specific areas of concern included cyber bullying and the reality that they face regarding this hurtful activity. Adolescents further indicated that they lacked knowledge in areas concerning pornography, plagiarising and sharing of personal information. By creating an awareness regarding possible harms, adolescents are enabled to safeguard themselves from potential harm, and if education is used in future, it can play a preventative role in terms of the negative consequences of online activities. The research indicated that a psycho-educational perspective holds value when addressing online safety. Lastly, the internet as a form of psycho-education was successful as the adolescents accepted and related to this means of education. The psycho-educational strategy is an innovative tool that can be used by schools, parents and educators when engaging with adolescents about online safety. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Within this study, a psycho-educational strategy was designed to promote online safety practices for adolescents living in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The study made use of a mixed method methodology, including both quantitative and qualitative research. This enabled access to 183 adolescents, as well as gaining more focused and specific insights from adolescent focus groups with a total of eight focus groups. This psycho-educational strategy was designed in the form of an interactive website. The website included information on safety practices pertaining to six areas of online safety. The information was provided in various formats, including videos, clips, slide shows and questionnaires. The six areas which were focused on included cyber bullying, pornography, social networking, online gaming, sharing of personal information and plagiarising and stealing of content. Adolescents were exposed to the website in order to test its usability and its effectiveness as a tool for education regarding online safety. From the literature and findings of the research, it is evident that there is a dire need for age-appropriate and relevant mechanisms to address online safety among adolescents. The present research revealed; through the remarks obtained from focus groups, that adolescents could benefit from the psycho-educational strategy as it created an awareness of the possible harms of the internet; awareness that was previously limited. Specific areas of concern included cyber bullying and the reality that they face regarding this hurtful activity. Adolescents further indicated that they lacked knowledge in areas concerning pornography, plagiarising and sharing of personal information. By creating an awareness regarding possible harms, adolescents are enabled to safeguard themselves from potential harm, and if education is used in future, it can play a preventative role in terms of the negative consequences of online activities. The research indicated that a psycho-educational perspective holds value when addressing online safety. Lastly, the internet as a form of psycho-education was successful as the adolescents accepted and related to this means of education. The psycho-educational strategy is an innovative tool that can be used by schools, parents and educators when engaging with adolescents about online safety. / PhD (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Die doel van hierdie studie was om die aard en negatiewe gevolge van die verlies- en treurproses te ondersoek, en riglyne daar te stel vir die terapeutiese hantering van die verlies- en treurproses. Aan die hand van ‘n literatuurstudie is die aard, gevolge en terapie-benaderings met betrekking tot die verlies- en treurproses bestudeer. Die Opvoedkundig-sielkundige Relasieteorie is verken, en is as raamwerk in ’n empiriese studie gebruik. Die hantering van die verlies- en treurproses is kwalitatief ondersoek. Deur terapeutiese intervensie in drie deelnemers se verlies- en treurproses, is insig verkry met die oog op die samestelling van ’n terapieprogram, sowel as vir riglyne vir die terapeut en die kliënt. Ek het wegbeweeg van navorsing wat primêr beskrywend van aard is en op diagnostiese oorwegings fokus, na raamwerke waar intervensie-strategieë en spesifieke tegnieke gebruik kan word wanneer die terapeut en die kliënt betrokke is in deurlopende psigoterapie. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat dit belangrik is om nie slegs op die verlies te fokus nie, maar ook op onopgeloste kwessies wat vantevore in die kliënt se lewe plaasgevind het. Insig en kennis van hulleself, hul verhoudings, verdedigingsmeganismes, emosies, denke en gedrag, en die invloed wat dit op hulle verlies- en treurproses het, was nodig sodat die kliënte hul ongewenste aangeleerde gedrag kon wysig, om sodoende hulleself beter te verstaan in die hantering van hulle verlies en die treurproses. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature and negative consequenses of, and to set guidelines for the therapeutic handling of the loss and grief process. A literature study was undertaken to determine the nature, consequences, and therapeutic techniques, with regard to the loss and grief process, based on Psychological Relations theory. By means of therapeutic intervention in the three participants’ loss and grief processes, I gained insight to compose a therapeutic programme, as well as therapeutic guidelines and intervention strategies and specific techniques that can be used when the therapist and the client are involved in continuous psychotherapy. The results of the study indicated that it is important to focus on unresolved issues that happened earlier in the client’s life. Insight in the person as a whole, is required to be able to understand themselves better in the handling of their loss and the grieving process. / Educational Studies / M. Ed. (Voorligting)