Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Young offenders’ criminal behaviour is a global problem that affects the society. In addressing this problem, parents are expected to provide effective parental role in order to minimise the problematic behaviour of their children. The overall aim of the study was to explore perceptions of young offenders regarding parental influence on their criminal behaviour. The objectives of the study were to determine the perceived impact of parental practice on young offenders’ criminal behaviour; to assess how parental care influences the positive behaviour of young offenders; to appraise how coercive child-rearing influences young offenders to be involved in criminal activities; and to establish gaps between parents and young offenders in terms of parental practice. The researcher used explorative research designs. The data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews from sixteen (16) young offenders who were detained at Mavambe Child and Youth Care Centre situated in Malamulele, Limpopo province, South Africa. The sample consisted of young offenders who were available and ready to participate in the study, and sixteen young offenders who were staying with their parents. The researcher used thematic data analysis and followed its steps. Ethical considerations were considered. Based on the findings, parenting has a direct influence on young people’s behaviour. However, it was also discovered that there are other internal and external contributory factors which make this problem complex and interrelated. Some of these factors are environmental or community and economic related problems. The researcher recommend that the Department of Social Development should render positive parenting skills programmes. These programmes should consider issues related to the parent-child relationship, disciplinary strategies, supervision and monitoring. Key words: perceptions, young offenders, parent, parental influence and criminal behaviour

The influx of women of childbearing age into the labor force, family dynamics of dual working parents as a result of economic factors, and weakening of extended family supports have increased demand for early childhood care and education programs in Nigeria. Consequently, a problem emerged in increased enrollment in ECCE programs that are deficient in terms of structural and process factors of child-caregiver ratio, group size, staff qualifications, health and safety practices, curriculum implementation, and parental engagement. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that influenced parents' in their decision process for ECCE placement for their children aged 6 months to 1 year in Asaba education zone of Delta State, Nigeria. Epistemological constructivism was employed as the conceptual framework for this inquiry. A qualitative design together with one-on-one interviews of 9 parents of children enrolled in selected public, mission, and private ECCE programs were employed to answer four research questions on parents' decision making for ECCE selection. The resulting data were analyzed using both a priori and open coding to generate themes and patterns. The study revealed that parents relied on personal priorities over quality indicators. This study may contribute to social change by providing policymakers and other stakeholders with information on factors parents consider in their selection of ECCE programs, including factors that incline parents to choose quality-deficient programs. This information may lead to program improvements that increase enrollment of children into quality programs, reduce gaps in achievement and opportunity between the low and middle-income groups, and enhance social equity and success for children enrolled ECCE programs.

The present study explores how children of Hispanic immigrants (CHIs) perceive life in the U.S., and how they view cultural diversity. Questionnaires were given to 92 non-U.S. born CHIs and one of their non-U.S. born Hispanic immigrant parents (HIPs) who have lived in the U.S. between 1 and 17 years (M yrs = 8.43); their views of the U.S. were assessed along with their acceptance of diversity, acculturative stress, and levels of acculturation. In this study, I found that CHIs generally hold positive views of the lives in the U.S. and also hold favorable views toward cultural diversity. Furthermore, this study hypothesized that HIPs significantly influence their CHIs attitudes toward both the U.S. and toward cultural diversity. Overall, my findings validated the theoretically based expectation that demonstrates the power of parental attitudes on their children’s attitudes. A significant correlation was found between HIPs’ attitudes toward the U.S. and their children’s attitudes, as well as, CHIs’ attitudes toward the U.S. correlating significantly with their perceptions of their parents’ attitudes toward the U.S. Multiple and stepwise regressions further confirmed the importance of parental attitudes toward their children’s attitudes toward the U.S. and their openness to cultural diversity. Findings from this study provide implications for future research.

No description available.

A família e o trabalho sempre foram considerados eixos estruturantes para a construção da vida, embora seja consenso que estes domínios venham sofrendo transformações em seus paradigmas, o que tem repercutido nas trajetórias de carreira dos indivíduos. Por se considerar que os pais mantêm significativa importância nos processos de construção da carreira de seus filhos, duas investigações foram desenvolvidas. No Estudo 1, realizou-se uma intervenção com pais de adolescentes em fase de escolha profissional - o Grupo de Orientação de Pais - quando se investigou como os pais se posicionavam frente aos processos das primeiras escolhas de carreira de seus filhos. Os resultados do Estudo 1 culminaram com a proposta de realizar uma investigação de acompanhamento desses pais. Assim, o Estudo 2, apresentado nesta tese de doutorado, objetivou analisar como uma amostra desses participantes vivenciavam a construção das trajetórias de carreira dos filhos, após quatro anos do Grupo de Orientação de Pais. Para isto, realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada com os participantes que aceitaram colaborar novamente. Na fase do tratamento dos dados, temas narrativos foram delineados por meio da síntese de categorias temáticas construídas a partir das narrativas dos pais participantes, segundo a proposta de análise qualitativa de Minayo. Para a análise dos dados, dialogou-se com concepções de Winnicott e, da área da Orientação Profissional e de Carreira, com contribuições de Bohoslavsky e Savickas, a fim de se compreender como os pais atuavam junto a seus filhos na construção de suas trajetórias de carreira, favorecendo o desenvolvimento emocional. Após quatro anos do grupo de pais, os resultados apontaram que as experiências emocionais dos pais em suas trajetórias (inclusive com a família de origem) influenciavam suas atuações junto aos seus filhos. Considerando que as relações de influência ocorrem reciprocamente, as experiências dos filhos, na medida em que se desenvolviam emocionalmente e ampliavam seus contextos sociais, também repercutiam sobre as trajetórias dos pais, produzindo novos significados nesta relação. Entretanto, evidenciaram-se diferenças na construção das trajetórias de carreira entre os filhos dos participantes, assim como nas possibilidades de apoio material e emocional dos pais, sobretudo, em função de suas realidades psicossociais, econômicas e trajetórias educacionais-profissionais. Observaram-se ainda diferenças no modo como vivenciavam a progressiva independência emocional dos filhos que conduz à vida adulta. Em termos longitudinais, passados quatro anos, a experiência do Grupo de Orientação de Pais mostrou-se presente para os participantes, identificando-se sinais de que repercutiu positivamente em suas vidas no período circunscrito, segundo as peculiaridades de suas vivências. Isso se evidenciou ao fazerem referências a questionamentos ou mudanças que promoveram em suas próprias trajetórias de carreira e/ou às revisões em suas atuações junto aos filhos, no que se refere à construção das trajetórias destes e ao favorecimento do desenvolvimento. Considera-se que os achados contribuem com subsídios para o aprimoramento de programas de intervenção com pais, como também para a estruturação de novas pesquisas e intervenções que considerem a importância da construção da carreira ao longo da vida. / Although family and work have been considered essential to build ones life, it is agreed that these contexts have changed as in respect to their paradigms, which, as a result, has impacted the individuals career trajectory. As parents are believed to be significantly important in the career construction processes their children eventually go through, two investigations were carried out. In Study 1, an intervention was conducted with parents of adolescents who were choosing their careers Parent Counseling Group where it was possible to study how parents would behave while facing the processes that refer to their childrens first choices regarding their careers. The findings from Study 1 culminated in a proposal to offer follow-up counseling investigation to these parents. Therefore, Study 2, presented on this PhD thesis, had the objective of analyzing how a sample of the participants experienced the construction of their childrens career trajectories, four years after they had taken part in the Parent Counseling Group. In order to achieve that, a semi-structured interview was carried out with the participants who accepted to take part in this second study. When treating data, narrative themes were designed by means of synthesizing theme categories which were built from the parents narratives, according to Minayos proposal of qualitative analysis. In order to analyze data, Winnicotts conceptions were kept in mind and, when concerning Professional and Career Counseling, Bohoslavskys and Savickass contributions were taken into account, aimed at understanding parents role in the construction of their childrens career trajectories, favoring emotional development. Four years after the Parent Counseling Group, the results showed that the parents emotional experiences (including experiences they had had in the families they were born to) influenced the way they performed in relation to their children. Considering that the influential relationships were reciprocal, the adolescents experiences as they developed emotionally and broadened their social contexts would also impact their parents trajectories, bringing new meanings into this relationship. Nevertheless, some differences could be evidenced in regard to the construction of career trajectories amongst the participants children and also in regard to the possibilities of material and emotional support provided by parents, being the latter especially related to different psychosocial and economic realities and professional-educational trajectories. Other differences could be observed when it came to the way parents experienced their childrens progressive emotional independence, which leads adolescents into adulthood. In longitudinal terms, four years later, the experience with the Parent Counseling Group proved to be present for the participants, showing clear signs that it had positively impacted their lives during the mentioned period of time according to the peculiarities of each individuals existence. Such observation could be evidenced when they referred to questionings or changes they had made to their own career trajectories and/or when they looked back on their performances as parents concerning their childrens trajectory construction and the favoring of their development. These findings bring subsidies that shall improve intervention programs for parents and structure new research and interventions that consider the importance of career construction throughout ones life.

A família e o trabalho sempre foram considerados eixos estruturantes para a construção da vida, embora seja consenso que estes domínios venham sofrendo transformações em seus paradigmas, o que tem repercutido nas trajetórias de carreira dos indivíduos. Por se considerar que os pais mantêm significativa importância nos processos de construção da carreira de seus filhos, duas investigações foram desenvolvidas. No Estudo 1, realizou-se uma intervenção com pais de adolescentes em fase de escolha profissional - o Grupo de Orientação de Pais - quando se investigou como os pais se posicionavam frente aos processos das primeiras escolhas de carreira de seus filhos. Os resultados do Estudo 1 culminaram com a proposta de realizar uma investigação de acompanhamento desses pais. Assim, o Estudo 2, apresentado nesta tese de doutorado, objetivou analisar como uma amostra desses participantes vivenciavam a construção das trajetórias de carreira dos filhos, após quatro anos do Grupo de Orientação de Pais. Para isto, realizou-se uma entrevista semiestruturada com os participantes que aceitaram colaborar novamente. Na fase do tratamento dos dados, temas narrativos foram delineados por meio da síntese de categorias temáticas construídas a partir das narrativas dos pais participantes, segundo a proposta de análise qualitativa de Minayo. Para a análise dos dados, dialogou-se com concepções de Winnicott e, da área da Orientação Profissional e de Carreira, com contribuições de Bohoslavsky e Savickas, a fim de se compreender como os pais atuavam junto a seus filhos na construção de suas trajetórias de carreira, favorecendo o desenvolvimento emocional. Após quatro anos do grupo de pais, os resultados apontaram que as experiências emocionais dos pais em suas trajetórias (inclusive com a família de origem) influenciavam suas atuações junto aos seus filhos. Considerando que as relações de influência ocorrem reciprocamente, as experiências dos filhos, na medida em que se desenvolviam emocionalmente e ampliavam seus contextos sociais, também repercutiam sobre as trajetórias dos pais, produzindo novos significados nesta relação. Entretanto, evidenciaram-se diferenças na construção das trajetórias de carreira entre os filhos dos participantes, assim como nas possibilidades de apoio material e emocional dos pais, sobretudo, em função de suas realidades psicossociais, econômicas e trajetórias educacionais-profissionais. Observaram-se ainda diferenças no modo como vivenciavam a progressiva independência emocional dos filhos que conduz à vida adulta. Em termos longitudinais, passados quatro anos, a experiência do Grupo de Orientação de Pais mostrou-se presente para os participantes, identificando-se sinais de que repercutiu positivamente em suas vidas no período circunscrito, segundo as peculiaridades de suas vivências. Isso se evidenciou ao fazerem referências a questionamentos ou mudanças que promoveram em suas próprias trajetórias de carreira e/ou às revisões em suas atuações junto aos filhos, no que se refere à construção das trajetórias destes e ao favorecimento do desenvolvimento. Considera-se que os achados contribuem com subsídios para o aprimoramento de programas de intervenção com pais, como também para a estruturação de novas pesquisas e intervenções que considerem a importância da construção da carreira ao longo da vida. / Although family and work have been considered essential to build ones life, it is agreed that these contexts have changed as in respect to their paradigms, which, as a result, has impacted the individuals career trajectory. As parents are believed to be significantly important in the career construction processes their children eventually go through, two investigations were carried out. In Study 1, an intervention was conducted with parents of adolescents who were choosing their careers Parent Counseling Group where it was possible to study how parents would behave while facing the processes that refer to their childrens first choices regarding their careers. The findings from Study 1 culminated in a proposal to offer follow-up counseling investigation to these parents. Therefore, Study 2, presented on this PhD thesis, had the objective of analyzing how a sample of the participants experienced the construction of their childrens career trajectories, four years after they had taken part in the Parent Counseling Group. In order to achieve that, a semi-structured interview was carried out with the participants who accepted to take part in this second study. When treating data, narrative themes were designed by means of synthesizing theme categories which were built from the parents narratives, according to Minayos proposal of qualitative analysis. In order to analyze data, Winnicotts conceptions were kept in mind and, when concerning Professional and Career Counseling, Bohoslavskys and Savickass contributions were taken into account, aimed at understanding parents role in the construction of their childrens career trajectories, favoring emotional development. Four years after the Parent Counseling Group, the results showed that the parents emotional experiences (including experiences they had had in the families they were born to) influenced the way they performed in relation to their children. Considering that the influential relationships were reciprocal, the adolescents experiences as they developed emotionally and broadened their social contexts would also impact their parents trajectories, bringing new meanings into this relationship. Nevertheless, some differences could be evidenced in regard to the construction of career trajectories amongst the participants children and also in regard to the possibilities of material and emotional support provided by parents, being the latter especially related to different psychosocial and economic realities and professional-educational trajectories. Other differences could be observed when it came to the way parents experienced their childrens progressive emotional independence, which leads adolescents into adulthood. In longitudinal terms, four years later, the experience with the Parent Counseling Group proved to be present for the participants, showing clear signs that it had positively impacted their lives during the mentioned period of time according to the peculiarities of each individuals existence. Such observation could be evidenced when they referred to questionings or changes they had made to their own career trajectories and/or when they looked back on their performances as parents concerning their childrens trajectory construction and the favoring of their development. These findings bring subsidies that shall improve intervention programs for parents and structure new research and interventions that consider the importance of career construction throughout ones life.

This dissertation investigated the roles of early childhood fundamental motor skills (FMS) competence on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health outcomes among underserved preschoolers in Head Start, and examined parental influence on their children's FMS competence. An explanatory sequential mixed methodology was used to examine the predictive strength of FMS competence on physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health outcomes among 216 underserved preschoolers from six Head Start centers (Mage = 4.32, SD = 0.63; girls 56.5%). This methodology allowed for a follow-up qualitative aspect to explore the influence of parents' perceptions and behaviors on their child's FMS competence and health outcomes in a subsample of eight parent–child dyads who demonstrate high or low FMS competence in the quantitative data. The results of this dissertation suggest that preschoolers' FMS competence, especially locomotor skills, were associated with and predicted various health outcomes in sedentary behavior (β = -0.21), light physical activity (β = 0.23), executive function (β = -0.21), and perceived motor competence (β = 0.34). No significant influences of FMS competence on moderate-to-vigorous, body fatness, HRQoL were found (p > 0.05). We also found that positive parental influences (role modeling, support, and facilitation) were observed more often among preschoolers in the high FMS competence group. In addition, preschoolers with single, divorced, or young parents (age range 18–24) tended to show low FMS competence. The analysis of children's drawing pictures also indicated differences in images related to the moments when they played games or sports with parents based on their FMS competence levels. Practical implications and future research direction are discussed.

No description available.

The aim of the current study was to determine the occurrence and effects of corporal punishment in the South African environment. Special attention was paid to themes that were derived from the literature. These themes were immediate compliance, aggression and the parental influence of corporal punishment. This was a quantitative study which utilised a survey developed by the researcher using previous literature on the topic of corporal punishment. The sample was taken from four different schools in the Johannesburg area. The sample consisted of one hundred and twenty one children within middle childhood (N=121). It was found that corporal punishment is occurring in South African homes. It was also found that children do not feel indifferent about the use of corporal punishment. When it came to the use of corporal punishment and socio-economic status, it was found that there is a significant correlation between the two. / Social Work / M.Diac (Play therapy)

Mother-to-infant vertical transmission of HIV usually occurs during pregnancy, labor, delivery or breastfeeding. It is the third leading cause of transmission of HIV after sexual intercourse and blood transfusions. In 2008, 12 million women aged 15 years and above were anticipated to be living with HIV in countries within Sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, the association between parental HIV knowledge, attitudes and risk reduction practices, and HIV vertical transmission in Kenya were explored. The health belief model was used to help understand and interpret the findings. For this quantitative study, data were collected via surveys from 212 participants in 3 HIV clinics in Kenya. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Around 45% of respondents lacked knowledge on key aspects of Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) of HIV particularly on expressing and heat treating milk from HIV positive mothers to make it safe for their babies. About 65% of Participants had awareness towards Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV. Logistic regression showed no association between socioeconomic factors and parental knowledge on MTCT of HIV. Logistic modeling found that there was association between attitude and MTCT, revealing that attitude increased the likelihood to influence MTCT. Being married was associated with reduced risk of MTCT of HIV. The overall results indicated gaps in knowledge and information packaging. The potential positive social change implication of this study is that factors related to HIV vertical transmission identified in this study might be utilized to develop and implement HIV prevention strategies to reduce HIV vertical transmission and decrease associated morbidity and mortality among this vulnerable population.