MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / The Department of Education has stated that parents and guardians may not be absolved from their responsibilities regarding their pregnant child, and they should take the lead in working with the school to support and monitor their child’s health and progress. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the role of parents regarding teenage pregnancy and school attendance in the rural village of Thomo in Mopani District Limpopo Province. The study is qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. The population comprised of the selected parents and caregivers residing at Thomo village of Mopani District. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 parents and 5 caregivers. Sampling size was determined by data saturation. Data was collected through in-depth individual interviews, guided by unstructured questions, data analysis was through open coding. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, conformability and transferability and ethical issues were adhered to. One main theme with four sub - themes emerged from the raw data; namely, parents /caregivers skills and personal factors that affect behaviour change; parents / caregivers intention to change the teenagers’ behaviour; environmental and cultural factors as facilitators/ barriers to pregnancy prevention and parent-school partnerships. Recommendations were made that included the following: awareness campaigns regarding prevention of teenage pregnancy; establishment of the compulsory education subject; review of existing teenage pregnancy policies; engaging parents on youth programs; using churches to strengthen youth education on the dangers of sex before marriage; as well as capacitating parents on effective communication with their children. / NRF

Abstracts in English and Xhosa / This research focused on how youth leaders and their senior pastors perceive youth ministry in the black township of Khayelitsha, A practical theological reflection of youth ministry in Khayelitsha. Youth ministry is an important ministry for a local church, as it is a platform to deal with youth challenges. Youth ministry has a value to add to the young people of its society, in their spiritual and development formation. The first aim of youth ministry, among other things, is to assist with spiritual formation in the lives of the young people. The underlying assumption of the study was that youth ministry in Khayelitsha was about game and entertainment with no spiritual input in the lives of young people. Research findings of this study reveal that in the black township of Khayelitsha there are a lot of activities that are happening under the banner of youth ministry, but there is a lack of a practical theological understanding of youth ministry. It was discovered also in this research that young people after they have been elected to lead a youth ministry, were not trained and developed for their task. The recommendation therefore which can help youth ministry in the black township of Khayelitsha to be practical and theologically oriented is that youth leaders need to be trained so that they may be able to develop or discover for their constituency a sound theology of youth ministry and the purpose of the youth. Youth leaders and their young people need to think about the importance of encapsulating and capturing a vision for youth ministry in their contexts, respectively. Youth leaders need to be trained on leadership issues and other youth ministry related matters, such as socio-economic and youth culture. Youth ministry is so broad, but it is important firstly for the Khayelitsha youth to get the basics right before focusing on other dynamics and dimension matters of youth ministry. It is important that youth need to know that youth ministry is about God first, not social projects. Youth ministry is just a normal youth work if it does not take the relationship young people to have with God and develop them into maturity. Youth ministry should be regarded as a national asset as it has a lot to contribute to the Khayelitsha community through the socially-focused projects that the young people engaged in for their communities. Churches should be intentional about youth ministry when they prepare young people for youth ministry by supporting these young people financially who would like to study this ministry. / Inkonzo yabantu abatsha ibaluleke kakhulu kwinkonzo nganye esekuhlaleni eKhayelitsha. Inkonzo yabantu abatsha inegalelo enalo kubantu abatsha ekuhlaleni, kubomi babo bokukholwa nakuphuhliso lwabo gabalala. Eyokuqala injongo yenkonzo yabantu abatsha enkonzweni kukunceda ukuba bakhule abantu abatsha eMoyeni. Eyona ibiyintsusa yolucwaningo kukurhanela nokukrokrela ukuba inkonzo yabatsha eKhayelitsha igxile ekudlaliseni abantu abatsha kunokukhulisa ubomi babo bakuMoya. Iziphumo ngoko zolucwaningo ziveze ukuba zininzi intshukumo nezinto ezinziwayo ezinkonzweni phantsi kwegama lenkonzo yabantu abatsha, kodwa kukhona ukuswela ulwazi lokuba umsebenzi wabatsha yipraktikali thiyoloji. Kukwafumanesekile ukuba bakuba benyulwe abantu abatsha ezinkonzweni zabo ukuba bakhokele inkonzo yabatsha, inkokheli ezo zabatsha aziyi ziqeqeshwe zixhotyiselwa umsebenzi lo wabo. Ingcebiso ngoko ngokubhekisele kwiziphumo zolu cwaningo zicebisa ukuze umsebenzi wabatsha ukuze ube yipraktikal thiyoloji yeyokuba kumelwe baqeqeshwe abantu abatsha bakuba benyulwe ukuze bazi ukuba ungantoni kanye kanye umsebenzi wabatsha enkonzweni. Inkokheli zabatsha kunye nabatsha bazo kufuneka bacinge nzulu ukuba bangawenza njani umsebenzi wabatsha uze ufanele bona nalendawo bahlala kuyo. Inkokheli zabatsha zimele ziqeqeshelwe kwezokukhokela abantu abatsha, ingxaki abantu abatsha abajongene nazo umzekelo isimo sentlalo abakuso abantu abatsha, kwaye kufuneka zazi nenkcubeko yabantu abatsha. Umsebenzi wabantu abatsha ubanzi, ugabalele ngoko kubalulekile ukuba inkokheli zabatsha zazi izinto zokuqala nezisiseko somsebenzi/inkonzo yabantu abatsha kuqala phambi kokuba bazi ezinye izinto ezingawo umsebenzi wabantu abatsha. Inkonzo yabantu abatsha ingafana nomsebenzi nje ongabantu abatsha ukuba awuyithatheli ingqalelo ubudlelwano abantu abatsha abanabo noThixo, kwaye bukhuliswe kubo.Inkonzo yabantu abatsha mayithathwe njengenkonzo enegalelo elikhulu esizweni ngenxa yezinto abantu abatsha abathi bazibandakanye kuzo ukuzama ukuphucula indawo abahlala kuzo eKhayelitsha. Inkonzo nazo maziyinike ingqwalasela nengqalelo inkonzo okanye umsebenzi wabatsha ngokuwuxhasa ngezemali kwaye zihlawulele abantu abatsha abafuna ukuyo wokufundela umsebenzi wabantu abatsha. / Practical Theology / D. Th. (Practical Theology)

This study identified pregnancy-related challenges encountered by student nurses at SAMHS Nursing College, with an aim of identify factors contributing to student nurses' pregnancies as well as finding ways to deal and minimize the rate of the pregnancies amongst the student nurses. Thirty (30) structured interviews were conducted with student nurses who were pregnant and those who delivered their babies during the period 2002 to 2007. It has been revealed that ignorance is the major contributing factor for student nurses' pregnancies, 63% of the pregnancies were not planned, 52% of the respondents related their pregnancies to risk taking as they engaged in unprotected sex without the use of contraceptives, and thus it was concluded that student nurses are engaging themselves in risk behaviours and also engaging in unsafe sexual practices. The study also found that student nurses face physical, social, emotional as well as academic problems during pregnancy and after the delivery of their babies. Student nurses should be encouraged to use condoms and other methods of contraception, coupled with educating them on life skills, provision of recreational facilities; provision of counseling and support services may be the tool to minimise the unplanned pregnancies. / Health Studies / (M.A.(Public Health ))

This study identified pregnancy-related challenges encountered by student nurses at SAMHS Nursing College, with an aim of identify factors contributing to student nurses' pregnancies as well as finding ways to deal and minimize the rate of the pregnancies amongst the student nurses. Thirty (30) structured interviews were conducted with student nurses who were pregnant and those who delivered their babies during the period 2002 to 2007. It has been revealed that ignorance is the major contributing factor for student nurses' pregnancies, 63% of the pregnancies were not planned, 52% of the respondents related their pregnancies to risk taking as they engaged in unprotected sex without the use of contraceptives, and thus it was concluded that student nurses are engaging themselves in risk behaviours and also engaging in unsafe sexual practices. The study also found that student nurses face physical, social, emotional as well as academic problems during pregnancy and after the delivery of their babies. Student nurses should be encouraged to use condoms and other methods of contraception, coupled with educating them on life skills, provision of recreational facilities; provision of counseling and support services may be the tool to minimise the unplanned pregnancies. / Health Studies / (M.A.(Public Health ))

The aim of this study was to develop, implement and evaluate a psycho-educational programme to enhance the efficacy of parents of adolescents. Thus, the research project can be identified as formative, evaluative research. To this end, an investigation was undertaken to determine how the efficacy of parents of adolescents could be enhanced through an understanding of: * the life phase of adolescence; * the life phase of parents of adolescents; * the role of parents of adolescents; * factors influencing the parenting of adolescents (e.g., generational effects and the influence of family structure on parenting); * the challenges facing adolescents and their parents which may hamper parenting efficacy; * factors which assist parents of adolescents to overcome challenges and improve their parenting efficacy; * parenting skills which foster parenting efficacy; and * the nature of a psycho-educational programme which could enhance the efficacy of parents of adolescents. A literature study provided the theoretical background to the development of the above mentioned programme. In the next phase of the study, a psycho-educational programme was developed based on the literature review, a study of similar programmes and a pilot study conducted with parents. The programme aimed at helping parents to become aware of their parenting practices, to encourage them to increase knowledge and understanding of themselves and of their adolescent children and to develop personal strategies and skills to cope with parenting challenges. The programme was implemented with a group of 21 parents of adolescents (five fathers and sixteen mothers) living in George, South Africa during sessions held once per week over a period of six weeks. Participants were divided into three groups: six single parents; eight parents of nuclear families; and seven parents from blended-extended families. Data was collected qualitatively during each meeting. In addition, focus groups were conducted at the end of the six weeks. The findings indicated that the programme enhanced the efficacy of the participating parents in supporting the development of their adolescent children. / Educational Studies / D.Ed (Psychology of Education)

This study investigated coercive and high risk sexual practices in South African adolescent dating relationships. Quantitative and qualitative information was collected from secondary school learners in a community near Johannesburg. Of 928 learners surveyed, 23.5% of females and 53.7% of males ever had sex. Of these, 57.8% of females and 44.2% of males reported sexual victimisation, and 46.8% of females and 50% of males reported perpetrating sexual coercion in a relationship. Significantly more males engaged in risky sex than females. Among females, sexual coercion was significantly linked to risky sexual behaviour. Among males, alcohol and perpetration of sexual coercion were significantly associated with risky sexual behaviour. Focus group data reveal how dominant constructions of gender normalise male coercion and contribute to risky sexual practices. Recommendations for sexual health initiatives include introducing alternative discourses of female sexual desire and male sexual responsibility as a means for building healthier adolescent dating relationships. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Dealing with HIV and AIDS and parental illness and death are realities many teenagers have to face, yet little is known about their psychosocial well-being. This study gauged the psychosocial well-being of teenaged orphans in a rural area in KwaZulu-Natal. Using a narrative approached, data were collected by means of interviews. The study examined the nature of social support available to teenaged orphans and their subjective experiences of well-being. Findings suggest that these teenagers were confronted with drastic changes before and after the deaths of their parents. The ramifications of these and the different ways of coping with orphanhood were explored. Foster parents and other care-givers were found to provide differentially in the needs of the teenagers and this impacted on their well-being and coping. This study extends the literature on children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS by considering the specific experiences of teenagers. / Social Work / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

Teenage pregnancies are currently a social problem in South Africa and in the rest of the world. Social workers are involved with teenage girls by providing guidance during their pregnancies and face many challenges by accepting this role. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify and describe the needs of social workers when guiding pregnant teenage girls. A conceptual framework with the Gestalt approach as the theoretical framework for the study was stated after which an empirical study took place. In-depth interviews took place with nine social workers. Results were then verified in a focus group discussion. From the empirical data themes and sub themes were identified and verified with relevant literature. These themes and sub themes were then interpreted through the Gestalt approach. Conclusions and recommendations were made to social workers and interdisciplinary teams, which form part of the network that are involved with pregnant teenage girls. / Thesis (M.Diac. (Spelterapie)

The purpose of this study was to explore possible problems associated with pregnancy amongst student nurses in the Northern Province, and to determine whether their studies were adversely affected by their pregnancies. This study was designed as a quantitative, exploratory descriptive survey to look into the pregnancies of a specific group of students exploring their experiences in the classrooms and in the clinical areas. During 1998 data was collected by distributing questionnaires to ninety three pregnant . student nurses. Sixty-seven (71,0%) of student nurses fell pregnant because they lacked knowledge about contraceptives. Four-six (49,5%) of the respondents delayed seeking antenatal care, although they needed advice and support. Whilst fifty-eight (62,4%) of the respondents suffered from minor ailments such as tiredness, pre-eclampsia, early bleeding prior to three months pregnancy, and dizziness. Fifty-eight (62,4%) of the respondents encountered problems with their academic progress, as revealed by decreasing marks scored before, during, and after delivery. Student nurses would willingly avail themselves of guidance, advice and support during their pregnancies if they could access such services. / Advanced Nursing Science / M.A.(Nursing Science)

The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions, attitudes, opinions and fears of the adolescent high school learners towards HIV counseling and testing at school.Quantitative, descriptive, exploratory research was conducted to determine if high school learners would like to be tested for HIV at school. Data collection was done using structured questionnaires. The respondents in the study were daytime high school learners (n=120) who were in grade 8 to 12, between ages of 12 to 18 years of age. The study highlighted that adolescents engage in sexual activities at an early age. The results revealed that there is lack of knowledge, unavailability of HCT services for adolescents and the resources to keep a girl child school. This behavior may result in adolescents contracting sexually transmitted infections and HIV, falling pregnant at an early age, which may force adolescent high school learners to drop out of school. However, the study shows that government has more to educate adolescent high school learners about HIV/AIDS to modify their perceptions and attitudes towards HIV counseling and testing. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)