1,720,975 research outputs found
Exploring learner resilience to school violence in a township secondary school in Durban KwaZulu-Natal.
Full text linkDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The purpose of this study was to explore learner resilience to school violence in a township secondary school in Chatsworth near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. Specifically, the study sought to describe the nature of school violence, identify and describe the internal characteristics of resilient school learners, determine the external factors that contribute to resilience of school learners, determine what skills resilient school learners in a township school use to cope with school violence, and develop a framework that fosters resilience among learners.
A simultaneous mixed methods approach of both qualitative and quantitative study designs was adopted. The sample comprised of 52 Learners, 6 Educators, the principal, the Head of Department for Life Orientation (LOHOD) and 7 Learner Parents. The quantitative data collection component used the Resilience Scale for Middle-adolescents in a Township School (R-MATS) questionnaire, administered to the 52 learners, and the qualitative data collection component used face-to-face interviews and focus group discussions with 12 Learners, 6 Educators, the principal, the LOHOD and 7 Learner Parents.
The main factors seen as constituting risk for township school learners were that a lot of violence was seen around the community, there were many stressors, and participants spoke of bad life experiences. Among external factors, school environment was found to be the most lacking for those learners who reported that they fought a lot at school. Results indicated a neglect of problem learners by teachers, or an inability to deal with their problems. Some of the coping skills mentioned were positive commitment towards learning, taking part in extramural activities such as sports and music, and having a positive attitude towards life.
The study recommends a framework that combines both the invitational education framework and the resilience wheel framework into one framework named ‘Invitational Resiliency Framework’.Author submitted Masters dissertation at UKZN under the name : Bonita Adele Marimuthu
Exploring why some youth are engaged in criminal activities to achieve their goals in life: a study of incarcerated male offenders in the Youth Correctional Facility, Westville.
Full text linkMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.South Africans are plagued by criminal activities which are perpetrated mostly by youth each day. A number of youths tend to deviate from socially accepted behaviours which could be due to lack of legitimate opportunities for them to develop in life. Some of the youth would pursue criminal activities for monetary or material gain, while others would conduct crime for mere prestige.
Some of them are shaped by social and political circumstances which tend to inhibit them from exploring their capacities. The mere fact of being raised in socially disadvantaged communities could be the prime cause of youth crime as they are raised in the very communities which are the breeding soil for potential offenders as they try to make ends meet. Youth who cannot bear to live under poverty opt for shortcut means to achieve success in their lives as they develop envy and greed when observing other youth of a similar age being given legitimate opportunities to showcase their talents. However such criminal means of achieving success in life are detrimental to the victims of crime and the community in general.
Those who are caught and found guilty of crime spend their valuable times incarcerated and could choose to continue with criminal careers or desist from crime if they learned their lesson when they were confined in correctional facilities. However, some studies have identified failures of preventive measures to counteract youth crime. Farrington and colleagues (2016), when they did a systematic review, found that a measure of community-based interventions involving individual, family and school-based interventions produced a mere five percent reduction in the manifestation of youth criminal behaviour.
Not even the institutions like prisons are winning the battle to reduce crime to satisfactory level, especially in South Africa. McCarthy, Schiraldi, and Shark (2016: 2) state that regardless whether the benefits and costs of youth prisons are measured on magnitude of public money spent, they are putting the very people they are suppose to help and put them in a detrimental position irrespective of the fact that prisons and other crime prevention measures have been there for generations.
The institutional failure to address the problem of crime however does not inhibit other attempts like this study to establish other motives for some people to engage in criminal activities. This is why the aim of this study was to explore why some youth decided to engage in criminal activities, to identify factors in their environments that influence criminal behaviour, and to recommend preventative measures against future youth criminal behaviour
An analysis of psycho-criminological factors of adult child sex-offenders in the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Child sexual abuse is not a new issue, it has been happening for a long time, but it is only recently that it has received more attention and been defined by society and scholars. Child sexual abuse research is primarily limited to high-income societies, with few studies conducted in low- and developing-income countries. Despite the fact that there have been few studies on child sexual abuse in South Africa, the social context has allowed child sexual abuse to continue and children to be victims of sexual offences. To address child sexual abuse, it is necessary to first understand the social context that allowed children to become victims of adult child sex offenders. The study focused on the psyche-criminology of adults who sexually abuse children and was exploratory, descriptive, and explanatory in nature. Psychologists, social workers, and convicted child sex offenders from two South African prisons took part in the study. The study combines data from 20 incarcerated sex offenders with data from 11 professional participants who work with child sex offenders on a daily basis. By examining the functioning mind-set of child sex offenders, this study provided indepth information on sexual offending. The study was guided by a qualitative research approach. The collected data was thematically analysed. The study discovered six key elements influencing adult sexual behaviour toward children who are sexually abused: education, a history of abuse, low self-esteem, opportunity, preference, and environment. In order to address child sexual abuse, the study recommends the formation of a unit comprised of specialists who will analyse the challenges of responding to adult child sex offenders. According to the study, child sex offenders in prison should be assigned psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers to assess them
An analysis of psychosocial factors of psychoactive illicit substance use in a select sample in Chatsworth.
Full text linkMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.“Drug addiction has reached epidemic levels across the globe with approximately 247 million drug users worldwide” (World Drug Report, 2016).
Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) uncovered that approximately 15.3 million people have been diagnosed with drug use disorders caused by the use and abuse of psychoactive illicit substances. Psychoactive illicit substances directly affect pathways in the brain, thus causing changes in the moods, behaviour, consciousness and overall thought processes of individuals. The use of these illicit substances places substantial economic, mental and health-related burdens on societies all over the world (WHO, 2004:7-10). The South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use report (Dada, Burnhams, Erasmus, Parry, Bhana, Timol, & Fourie, 2017:1-2) found that illicit psychoactive substance use is an ageless social phenomenon. Substance abuse problems have been found to affect the youth and people right into their eighties (South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Report, 2017). It was against this backdrop that the current research was constructed. With the aim of investigating psychological and social factors (psychosocial) related to illicit psychoactive substance use in Chatsworth near Durban, South Africa. Data were elicited from 62 respondents who were enrolled in addiction support and therapy programs at ADF. The research took cognizance of the location (i.e., the study area) when examining the psychosocial factors related to psychoactive substance use. Three main theories were used to inform the theoretical framework of this research and in the analysis of the results; Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, the social bond theory and the social disorganisation theory. Erikson stages of psychosocial development were used understand the psychological factors, social bond theory was use to understand the social factors and lastly the social disorganisation theory was used when trying to understand the role of the location in psychoactive illicit substance use. The combinations of theories were also used to understand different dimensions of psychoactive illicit substance use. Finding from the research showed that half of the respondents (50%) believed that members of the police were involved with local drug dealers. Key psychosocial findings included; the use of illicit substances in escapism, as a stress-related coping mechanism. In addition findings showed that there was a high percentage of awareness of local dealers. Respondents claimed knowledge of other users in the community as well as awareness of
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common psychoactive substances in the community. Respondents indicated that they were influenced to use illicit substances by either family members’ or friends’ use of illicit substances. This research offers recommendations that speak to the possible use of the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as a coping strategy that could reduce negative emotional responses associated with stress. A further recommendation is for Community organisations such as youth support groups, school counsellors, the community policing forums and community social workers to work collaboratively to provide awareness workshops and support programs
Investigating security threat of e-banking services on pensioners: a case study of Hammarsdale, Mpumalanga Township, KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa.
No full textDoctoral Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.This thesis has made inquiry into the security threats confronting pensioners who rely on e-banking services, with a focus on Hammarsdale, a township situated within the Mpumalanga region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A comprehensive understanding of the myriad risks inherent in e-banking is indispensable, especially in the contemporary digital epoch, where electronic financial transactions have burgeoned exponentially, especially among segments of the population characterised by their susceptibility, such as pensioners. Employing a qualitative research methodology, this study used in-depth interviews to engage directly with pensioners and security officers, exploring their perspectives, lived experiences, and adaptive behaviours concerning e-banking security. Through qualitative analyses, the research examined the challenges and anxieties encountered by pensioners in Hammarsdale concerning the security of their e-banking transactions, from phishing scams and malware attacks to social engineering tactics and account hijacking. The study undertook a critical examination of the efficacy and adequacy of security protocols and measures implemented by financial institutions and regulatory bodies in fortifying e-banking transactions within the unique socio-economic setting of Hammarsdale. By examining socio-economic factors, technological landscapes, and regulatory frameworks shaping e-banking security in Hammarsdale, this research aspired to offer practical and actionable recommendations for policymakers, financial institutions, and community stakeholders, with the overarching objective of bolstering trust, resilience, and inclusivity of e-banking services for pensioners across South Africa. Through its interdisciplinary approach, this study sought to contribute meaningfully to the broader discourse on financial empowerment, digital literacy, and cybersecurity, ultimately advocating for the equitable access and enhanced security of e-banking services for all pensioners, thereby fostering their financial well-being and societal participation in the digital era
An exploratory study of women’s perceptions of safety as Automated Teller Machine (ATM) users: a select sample in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
Full text linkMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.Women as active and equal citizens of South Africa enjoy equal access to South African banking facilities. Banks mobilise, allocate and invest much of the savings of a society and therefore, their ability to provide a safe banking environment has substantive repercussions on its expansion and sustainability. A banking facility that necessitates safety is the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) environment. Safety of ATM users (customers) is a human right and that makes it a necessity, user confidence and continued user participation.
Against this landscape, the current study sought to explore women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users in the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore a select sample of women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users. The objectives of the study were to understand women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users in the eThekwini municipality by making use of a quantitative research design. A survey instrument, the questionnaire was constructed and used as the data gathering tool for the study. 100 survey questionnaires were administered to participants using snowball sampling. This sampling technique was most appropriate given the sensitive nature of the study namely seeking perceptions on ATM safety. The participants were all women from the four main race groups in KwaZulu-Natal namely African, Indian, White and coloured. They represented six age categories namely from 18 to 65 years of age. Participants were recruited from ABSA, Standard, First National, Nedbank and Capitec banks.
Findings show that participants were aware of precautions to take irrespective of age, race or banking institution. First National and Standard Bank participants scored the highest in terms of agreeing with their level of awareness. In terms of feeling safe using ATM’s where a security guard is present the 42 to 49 year old women had the highest responses. Further findings show that the responses in the disagree and neutral scales were particularly interesting when participants were posed with the question: “My banking institution does not need any more ATM safety measures”. In the 42 to 49 year age category 17.2 % of participants believed that their banking institutions actually need more ATM safety measures followed by 15.2 % of the 34 to 41 category. The lowest response to this statement was generated from the 18-25 year category of participants. Findings also show that when participants were asked to respond to the statement “I am not afraid to use ATM's at a well-lit, open, high traffic area” the majority responses were in the neutral and agree scales. Findings of the study revealed that women across all race groups are equally vulnerable to ATM crime or feelings of insecurity when using ATM’s. Although the study makes a variety of recommendations for future research in the area, one critical recommendation is for a mixed method research design that could also inquire from participants what they consider suitable remedies for women victims of ATM crime. Here the focus should be on indirect costs of ATM crime including pain, suffering, psychological impact and the trauma experienced by the victim
Constructing crime online : representations of violent crime, perpetrators and victims on a South African news aggregator : News24.
Full text linkM. App. Soc. Sc. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2014.This study explores the representation of violent crime on an online news environment. The involvement of moral entrepreneurs within the news media in combating crime is also investigated. News media is the main source of information for national and international events. Policies tend to be influenced by what the media report on, so research into the new online platform of news production is important. The research design took on an interpretive paradigm, leading to a qualitative method of research. Discourse and linguistic analysis was used for the interpretation of the data collected from an online news aggregator News24. The data was in the form of online news articles. The literature showed that the commercial motives of news agencies outweigh the information providing services thereof. Profit is guaranteed by focusing on heinous crimes that are sensationalised. Results show the interplay between moral entrepreneurs and news media as unexplored in South Africa, hence the lack of inclusion criminal justice system agencies in news articles except when the journalist is furthering commercial agendas. Victims and perpetrators were clearly stereotyped, more so perpetrators who were portrayed as inherently evil and seeking to only to do harm to moral members of society. Law enforcement and the media can coexist while serving two similar yet different tasks. It is recommended that law enforcement agencies help bridge the gap by being more open to the media. Communication needs to be established between law enforcement agents and news agents in order to have a positive influence on crime policies and combat crime more effectively
Investigating Nigerian foreign nationals’ experiences of violence, safety and security on 'Point Road', Durban, South Africa.
Full text linkMasters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of Nigerian foreign nationals on inter- ethnic violence, safety, and security on Point Road in the Durban area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study intended to understand the nuances of Nigerian foreign nationals in Durban and how it provides a catalyst for violent confrontations subsequently undermining their rights to a safe climate. Added to this, the study intended to understand factors that create conditions for inter-ethnic rivalry and violence between Nigerian foreign nationals. The study was located appropriately within the interpretive paradigm that views reality as subjective and built from an individual’s lived experiences. Besides, the case study as a research method was used to understand the experiences of participants for the study. The researcher generated data for the study using semi-structured interviews from 10 participants. The interview process was done through tape recordings and the data analyzed using the thematic method of analysis. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice and Merton’s Strain theory, the generated data show that nuances between Nigerians through ethnicity instigate various forms of violence. Data also showed that Nigerian foreign nationals involved in altercations often take advantage of the economic vulnerability of South African street urchins commonly referred to as “izigebengu” or “Paras” who accept small amounts of money to carry out most of the violent confrontations. The data also showed that, the lack of response and the discriminatory attitudes posed by law enforcement officers in attending to the internal safety and security of Nigerian foreign nationals’ act against international humanitarian best practices and lends credence to other prevailing odds such as under-reported violent experiences. The study recommended that further research can be done to explore and understand how Nigerian foreign nationals’ victims of violent attacks cope with the situation of insecurity they encounter in their daily lives, including the recovery of their goods or property damaged if not stolen throughout the attacks. Whether they orchestrate these attacks, the government and different stakeholders must come together and implement policies that render security at the primary site of the study and deter potential attackers from committing similar or the same inhuman activities
Analysis of Independent Police Investigative Directorate investigators’ experiences of the application of Section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate, torture and assault, by police officials in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Full text linkMaster of Social Science in Criminology. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2017.The South African Police Service officers have informally incorporated the operational methods of torture and assault in the execution of their duties in the reformed police service of South Africa. This historical conversation of police torture and assault has generated a debate over what constitutes torture and what has caused the persistence of this blunder in the police service. This study went a step further by exploring accountability mechanisms that are in place to reduce incidences of torture and assault. The investigation entailed an analysis of the effectiveness of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) strategies and challenges encountered by investigating officers in addressing section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate. The analyses of the experiences of the selected IPID investigating officers strove to determine the nature of police torture and assault in this country’s democratic dispensation and to determine the stumbling blocks that exist in the SAPS and IPID organisations for the reduction of police torture and assault in KwaZulu-Natal.
This study adopted a qualitative interpretive phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten (n=10) IPID investigating officers whose investigations were guided by section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The participants were selected by means of the purposive sampling technique. Using a thematic analysis approach, the study revealed that assault in KwaZulu-Natal province includes slapping, kicking and punching a suspect whereas torture constituted strangulation, suffocation, electrocution and tubing and occurred predominantly when the police were searching for information about dagga, firearms and undetected suspects. The influx of cases of torture and assault is the outcome of several problems, namely public’s lack of understanding of the police procedures, public provoke the police, excessively volatile raids, inadequate police training as it does not address the challenges that the police experience in their occupational setting, and management pressure on the police to meet projected targets for firearm or drug retrieval.
More specifically, the study also found that, in addressing the issue of police torture and assault, IPID investigating officers encountered various challenges such as a lack of evidence from complainants, lack of police cooperation, lack of complainants’ cooperation in the investigation, and lack of resources. The findings thus suggest that investigation strategies in terms of police brutality are ineffective due to investigative challenges. This in turn renders the disciplinary and criminal conviction strategies ineffective in ensuring police accountability. As a result, torture and assault by police officers are perpetuated
A quantitative analysis of juvenile delinquency trends among school going adolescents in a select sample of secondary schools in Chatsworth, Durban.
Full text linkThesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2014.This quantitative study explores juvenile delinquency trends among school going adolescents in a select sample of schools. The study conducted in Chatsworth, Durban (Kwa Zulu-Natal) was developed as an exclusively Indian Township in the 1960‘s but since the 1990s more and more Africans moved into the area. Nonetheless Chatsworth remains predominantly ‗Indian‘ in terms of its demography and character. Permission and ethical approval for this study were obtained from the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal- Howard College Campus. The study consisted of a sample of 750 respondents randomly selected from two secondary schools in Chatsworth. A non-probability sampling method was followed. The main aim of this exploratory study was to understand trends in juvenile delinquency among adolescents in the area of Chatsworth through a quantitative lens. The study was carried out through coded self-administered questionnaires, administered to Grade 8,9,10, and 11 learners with the assistance of the educators at the identified schools during the Life-Orientation class periods. This study revealed that there were significant correlations between gender (male and female) and modes of punishment; norm violations; regulation violations; and malicious damage to property, followed by age (13-18 years) and modes of punishment; norm violations, and regulation violations, race (African, Indian, Coloured, White, Other) and modes of punishment; norm violations and regulation violations, and lastly religion (Christian, Hindu, Islam and Nazareth) and modes of punishment; regulation violations and malicious damage to property. The findings in this study forms a critical empirical study for future research in the field of juvenile delinquency/offending
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