A DESCRIPTION HIGHLIGHTING THE PSYCHOSOCIAL PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED BY LEARNERS IN THREE SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE WESTERN CAPE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15270/46-3-163Abstract
This paper provides a description of the psychosocial problems experienced by learners in threesecondary schools in the Western Cape. This research aimed at eliciting the personalexperiences of learners and then describing these data in comparison with current theoreticalknowledge. The results of this research have been used as the scientific underpinning for thedevelopment of a multidisciplinary support service to learners in Western Cape secondaryschools: the primary aim of the Community Keepers (CK) organisation.Downloads
References
ALSTON, M. & BOWLES, W. 2003. Research for social workers: an introduction to
methods (2nd ed). London: Routledge.
BABBIE, E. 2001. The practice of social research. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing
Company.
BAUMEISTER, R.F., ENGELS, R. C. M. E. & FINKENAUER, C. 2006. Parenting behaviour
and adolescent behavioural and emotional problems: The role of self-control. International
Journal of Behavioral Development, 29(1):58-69.
BRONFENBRENNER, U. 1979. The ecology of human development. Cambridge: Harvard
University Press.
BRONFENBRENNER, U. & EVENS, G.W. 2000. Developmental science in the 21st century:
emerging theoretical models, research designs, and empirical findings. Social Development,
:115-125.
CLARK, D.B., BUKSTEIN, O. & CORNELIUS, J. 2002. Alcohol use disorders in adolescents
epidemiology, diagnosis, psychosocial interventions, and pharmacological treatment. Pediatric
Drugs, 4(8):493-502.
COSTA, F., JESSOR, R., DONOVAN, J.E. & FORTENBERRY, J.D. 1995. Early initiation of
sexual intercourse: the influence of psychosocial unconventionality. Journal of Research on
Adolescence, 5:93-121.
COSTA, F., JESSOR. R., FORTENBERRY, J.D & DONOVAN, J.E. 1996. Psychosocial
conventionality, health orientation, and contraceptive use in adolescence. Journal of
Adolescent Health, 18:404-416.
CRESWELL, J.W. 1998. Qualitative inquiry and research design: choosing among five
traditions. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. 2006. Final draft. National Policy on
Families. [On line] Available: http://www.welfare.gov.za [Accessed: 17/11/2006].
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. 2002. The 1st South African National Youth Risk
Behaviour Survey. [On line] Available: http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2003/ youth/index.
html. [Accessed: 13/02/2009].
DE VOS, A.S., STRYDOM, H., FOUCHÉ, C.B. & DELPORT, C.S.L. (eds) 2005. Research
at grass roots: for the social sciences and human services professions (3rd ed). Pretoria: Van
Schaik Publishers.
DISHION, T.J., CAPALDI, D.M., SPRAKLEN, K.M. & LI, F. 1995. Peer ecology of male
adolescent drug use. Development and Psychopathology, 7:803-824.
ECCLES, J.S. 1999. The development of children ages 6 to 14. The Future of Children,
(2):30-44.
FARRINGTON, D. 2002. Understanding and preventing youth crime. In: HUGHES, G.,
McLAUGHLIN, E. & MUNCIE, J. (eds) Youth justice: critical readings. London: Sage
Publications.
FLISHER, A.J., MULLER, M. & LOMBARD, C. 2004. Test retest reliability of self-reported
adolescent risk behaviour. Journal of Adolescence, 27:207-212.
FLISHER, A.J., PARRY, C.D.H., EVANS, J., LOMBARD, C. & MULLER, A. 2003.
Substance use by adolescents in Cape Town: prevalence and correlates. Journal of Adolescent
Health, 32:58-65.
FRANK, C. 2005. Young guns: children in organised crime. S.A. Crime Quarterly, 14:12-14.
GELDENHUYS, P.R. 2007. A multidimensional perspective on the family experiences and
perceptions of male youth offenders. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University. (MA thesis)
GERMAIN, C.B. & GITTERMAN, A. 1986. The life model approach to social work practice
revisited. In: TURNER, F.J. (ed) Social work treatment: interlocking theoretical
approaches. New York: The Free Press.
GOODENOW, C., NETHERLAND, J. & SZALACHA, L. 2002. AIDS-related risk among
adolescent males who have sex with males, females, or both: evidence from a statewide survey.
American Journal of Public Health, 92:203-210.
GOLDENBERG, I. & GOLDENBERG, H. 1998. Counseling today`s families (3rd ed). Pacific
Grove: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
GOTTFREDSON, M.R. & HIRSCHI, T. 1990. A general theory of crime. Stanford: Stanford
University Press.
GREEFF, A.P. & WATSON, N.M. 2004. An analysis of schema theory and learning theory as
explanations for variance in adolescent adjustment to divorce. The American Journal of
Family Therapy, 32:437-448.
GUERRA, A.J. 2002. Family matters. St. Paul: Paragon House.
HAMRIN, V. & KIRWIN, K.M. 2005. Decreasing the risk of complicated bereavement and
future psychiatric disorders in children. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric
Nursing, 18(1):62-78.
HOLMEN, T.L., ROYSAMB, E., STORKSEN, I. & TAMBS, K. 2006. Adolescent adjustment
and well-being: effects of parental divorce and distress. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology,
:75-84.
JESSOR, R. 1991. Risk behavior in adolescence: a psychosocial framework for understanding
and action. Journal of Adolescent Health, 12:597-605.
LESCH, E. & BREMRIDGE, C. 2006. Safe sex and constructions of young male sexuality in
one semi-rural Western Cape community. South African Review of Sociology, 37(2):128-142.
LIEBENBERG-SIEBERT, L. & SMIT, G. 2001. The training of teachers in using a life space
crisis intervention strategy (LSCI). Perspectives in Education, 19(3):121-132.
MARSHALL, C. & ROSSMAN, G.B. 1999. Designing qualitative research (3rd ed). London:
Sage Publications.
MADGE, N. & HARVEY, J.G. 1999. Suicide among the young: the size of the problem.
Journal of Adolescence, 22:145-155.
MAREE, A. 2003. Criminogenic risk factors for youth offenders. In: BEZUIDENHOUT, C. &
JOUBERT, S. (eds) Child and youth misbehaviour in South Africa. Pretoria: Van Schaik
Publishers.
McMAHON, T.J. & LUTHAR, S.S. 2006. Patterns and correlates of substance use among
affluent, suburban high school students. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent
Psychology, 35(1):72-89.
MITCHELL, M. & JOLLEY, J. 2001. Research design explained. London: Harcourt College
Publishers.
MONETTE, D.R., SULLIVAN, T.J. & DE JONG, C.R. 1998. Applied social research: tool
for the human services. London: Harcourt College Publishers.
MOUTON, J. 2001. How to succeed in your master’s and doctoral studies: a South African
guide and resource book. Pretoria: Van Schaik Publishers.
MURRAY, M. & CHAMBERLAIN, K. 2000. Qualitative methods and women’s health
research. In: USHER, J.M. (ed) Women’s health: contemporary international perspectives.
London: BPS Books.
NATION, M. & HEFLINGER, C. 2006. Risk factors for serious alcohol and drug use: the role
of psychosocial variables in predicting the frequency of substance use among adolescents. The
American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 32:415-433.
NEUMAN, W.L. 2000. Social research methods: qualitative and quantitative approaches
(4th ed). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
PADGETT, D.K. 1998. Qualitative methods in social work research. Thousand Oaks: Sage
Publications.
PARRY, C.D.H., MYERS, B., MOROJELE, N.K., FLISHER, A.J., BHANA, A., DONSON,
H. & PLUDDEMANN, A. 2004. Trends in adolescent alcohol and other drug use: findings
from three sentinel sites in South Africa (1997-2001). Journal of Adolescence, 27:429-440.
PATTON, M.Q. 2002. Qualitative research and evaluative methods. London: Sage
Publications.
PETRAITIS, J., FLAY, B.R. & MILLER, T.Q. 1995. Reviewing theories of adolescent
substance abuse: Organizing pieces of the puzzle. Psychological Bulletin, 117:67-86.
POPENOE, D. 1996. Life without father. New York: Free Press.
PRIOR, M., RUSCHENA, E., SANSON, A. & SMART, D. 2005. A longitudinal study of
adolescent adjustment following family transitions. Journal of Child Psychology and
Psychiatry, 46(4):353-363.
REBER, A.S. 1995. Penguin Dictionary of Psychology (2nd ed). England: Penguin.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RESEARCH UNIT. 2004. HIV and sexual behavior among
young South Africans: a national survey of 15-24 year olds. [On line] Available:
http://rhru.witshealth.co.za/PublicationsDownloads/HIV%20Management%20page/National_Y
outh_Survey_Fact_Sheet.pdf. [Accessed: 10/07/2009].
RUBIN, A. & BABBIE, E. 2001. Research methods for social work. Belmont: Wadsworth
Thompson Learning.
SCHORR, L. B. 1997. Common purpose: strengthening families and neighborhoods to
rebuild America. New York: Anchor Books.
SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUTE FOR RACE RELATIONS. 2008. South African schools
most dangerous in the world. [On line] Available: http://www.sairr.org.za/pressoffice/
archive/south-african-schools-most-dangerous-in-the-world-2013-only-23-of-pupilssafsafe.
html. [Accessed: 25/03/2009].
STATTIN, H. & MAGNUSSON, D. 1990. Paths through life: vol. 2. Pubertal maturation
in female development. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
VAUX, A. 1988. Social support: theory, research and intervention. New York: Praeger.
VISSER, M. 2003. Risk behaviour of primary school learners in a disadvantaged community –
a situational analysis. South African Journal of Education, 23(1):58-64.
VISSER, M. & MOLEKO, A. 1999. High-risk behaviour of primary school learners. Urban
Health and Development Bulletin, 2:69-77.
VISSER, M. & ROUTLEDGE, L.-A. 2007. Substance abuse and psychological well-being of
South African adolescents. South African Journal of Psychology, 37(3):595-615.
WEICHOLD, K., SILBEREISEN, R.K. & SCHMITT-RODERMUND, E. 2003. Short-term
and long-term consequences of early vs. late physical maturation in adolescents. In:
HAYWARD, C. (ed) Gender differences at puberty. Cambridge England: Cambridge
University Press.
ZASTROW, C. 2004. Introduction to social work and social welfare: empowering people
(8th ed). Belmont: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This journal is an open access journal, and the authors and journal should be properly acknowledged when works are cited.
Authors may use the publishers version for teaching purposes, in books, and with conferences.
The following license applies:
Attribution CC BY-4.0
This license lets others distribute, remix, tweak, and build upon your work, even commercially, as long as they credit you for the original creation.
Articles as a whole may not be re-published with another journal.
