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The natural family and residential care : a study of the psychosocial impact on statutory child removals on the natural parents

Bibliography: pages 136-141. / This study examines the experiences of 12 parents at a Children's Home, whose children were removed from their custody in terms of the Child Care Act. Act 74/83, and placed into residential care. The statutory removal of children from the custody of their parents is defined as a traumatic event with an active shaming component. It is hypothesised that such trauma results in high levels of stress and that the respondents will meet the criteria for a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress syndrome or a Traumatic Stress reaction. An associated hypothesis is that such a trauma leads to a severe blow to the Self of the Parent, resulting in either fragmentation, enfeeblement, or self-depletion. Characteristic affects will be strong feelings of shame and humiliation related to the placement. This blow to the sense of Self will be associated with a rage response to that self-injury which does not necessarily result in the total breakdown of the cohesion of the Self. A second hypothesis is that the psychosocial need pattern of the parents will reflect a high level of concern with self-esteem and social belonging, safety and security and self-actualisation. The experiences of these parents and their responses to the research hypotheses can best be understood and made sense of within a conceptual framework that facilitates an understanding of the Self, and how it responds to the impact of a trauma that is characterised by an active shaming component.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/22546
Date January 1994
CreatorsSamakosky, Sidney
ContributorsTshabalala, Mandla
PublisherUniversity of Cape Town, Faculty of Humanities, Department of Social Development
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeMaster Thesis, Masters, MSocSc
Formatapplication/pdf

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