Herman Strydom

HIV/AIDS AND SOUTH AFRICAN ADOLESCENTS: ATTITUDES AND INFORMATION NEEDS

HIV/AIDS is by far the most serious health hazard of our time and by far the biggest current crisis in South Africa. Prevention of the disease by way of communicating correct knowledge and information, in order to change individuals’ and communities’ attitudes and sexual behaviour, is of vital importance. This exploratory study utilised qualitative and quantitative methodology. A purposive, non-probability sampling technique was used to administer questionnaires to a sample of adolescents throughout the North West Province. The aim of the study was to assess attitudes and needs of information of high school pupils on various aspects of HIV/AIDS in order to draw up recommendations for a prospective programme to educate adolescents and to influence their attitudes towards HIV/AIDS. It was found that adolescents had an urgent need for more knowledge and information on sexuality and HIV/AIDS, that the idea of condoms has taken on with adolescents and that they have a fair to positive attitude on the problem. It is recommended that a programme be developed to educate adolescents about sexuality and HIV/AIDS in an objective and factual manner. Outsiders should be utilised to implement such a programme. Material and facilities like video’s, films, flip charts, books and posters, are indispensable in any such programme. It is vital to indigenise such a programme for use under South African circumstances. Not all schools have all the facilities to their disposal, and therefore the proposed programme should be adaptable to any circumstances

Sterkteperspektief op bemagtigende maatskaplike groepwerk met alkoholafhanklike bejaardes

In hierdie artikel word daar by die kenmerke van die sterkteperspektief asook die houdings en persepsies van maatskaplike werkers teenoor die perspektief stilgestaan. In die teks word die agtergrond van die sterkteperspektief, die sterktes van alkoholafhanklike bejaardes, die rol van die perspektief in geregistreerde behandelingsentra in Suid-Afrika asook die voor- en nadele van die perspektief onder meer toegelig. Die doelwitte van hierdie artikel is (a) om deur middel van literatuurstudie en empiriese ondersoek die uitdagings, sterktes en behoeftes van alkoholafhanklike bejaardes te identifiseer waarop ’n maatskaplike groepwerk-bemagtigingsprogram gebaseer kan word, en (b) vas te stel oor watter kwaliteite die sterkteperspektief beskik ten einde die alkoholafhanklike bejaarde met maatskaplike groepwerkdienste te bemagtig.

The Perceptions and Needs of Farm Dwellers Regarding Aging, Advanced Age, and Future Perspectives

Abstract This article reports on a multidisciplinary study that was undertaken by the Faculty of Health Sciences of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education. This study was done on certain farms in the North West Province of South Africa and called the FLAGH study, meaning the Farm Labour, Agriculture and General Health study. This article reports on a need assessment of farm dwellers done during the second half of 2002 and focuses specifically on perceptions and needs regarding aging, advanced age and future perspectives of aged farm dwellers. The objective of this study was to ascertain the psychosocial needs and problems of farm dwellers in order to eventually design, implement and evaluate a programme aimed at the improvement of the quality of life of farm dwellers. An exploratory study was done, utilising in-depth interviewing according to a schedule of both quantitative and qualitative nature. Certain aspects, like the attitude of the community towards the elderly, relationships of the elderly with peers, children, grandchildren and spouses were dealt with in this study. Topics like the needs or problems of the elderly, nearing death, old age homes and retirement were also covered in this project.

EVALUERING VAN DIE BENUTTING VAN GEMEENSKAPSDIENSTE DEUR BEJAARDES IN 'N SEMI-STEDELIKE GEBIED

’n Behoefte het by die bestuur van die Potchefstroom Dienssentrum vir Bejaardes ontstaan om die bestaande gemeenskapsdienste vir bejaardes te evalueer ten einde te kan vasstel waarom bejaardes by ’n dienssentrum aansluit en van sekere dienste gebruik maak; waarom ander nie wil aansluit nie en watter dienste hulle as belangrik sou beskou indien hulle wel daarvan gebruik sou maak. Die probleem sal eerstens omlyn word, waarna die doelstelling en doelwitte vir die ondersoek bespreek sal word. Die teoretiese begronding vir die ondersoek en die navorsingsmetodologie sal bespreek word, waarna die bevindinge van die empiriese ondersoek weergegee sal word. Gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings rond die artikel af.

PERSPECTIVES OF ELDERLY BLACKS ON INSTITUTIONAL CARE

This article reports on the perspectives of black elderly persons regarding where they believe persons such as themselves should stay, where they themselves would like to stay, and where their families and children would like them to stay. Their knowledge of alternative care and their consideration of ever living in an old-age home are also discussed. It was found that the indigenous support system for caring for elderly people in their communities by their children is still practised and preferred by the elderly, but not significantly so by the younger generation. It became clear from the study that old-age homes were still a rather new and largely unacceptable concept to elderly black persons

THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF CAR GUARDS: INTERVENTIVE ROLES OF THE SOCIAL WORKER

In South Africa unemployment is a major problem and many people are desperate to make an earnest living and are prepared to do any job as long as it brings in enough money for a roof over their heads and food on the table. Crime has become a major social problem within the South African society and motor vehicle thefts and car burglaries are high on the list of crime statistics. Police and security protection services are unable to keep guard over all the parking areas and informal car guards did not provide the answer. To address this problem, car watch organisations were introduced in the city centers. Social workers should identify those people who are especially vulnerable, including car guards, and ensure that their abilities and potential are developed and strengthened. The objective of the research project was to study the survival skills of car guards relating to their economic and social circumstances. The phenomena of difficult customers, dangerous and harsh working conditions, and poor remuneration were investigated. A qualitative study accompanied by a phenomenological research design was implemented for the study. Field research and specifically in-depth personal interviewing and naturalistic observation were used as research procedures.

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND THE WORKPLACE: A SITUATION ANALYSIS

Substance abuse among the employed in South Africa has increased in recent years with major economic consequences for employers. Specialist outpatient treatment programmes are available to employers, yet few employees are inducted into these programmes. A situation analysis was conducted to explore possible reasons for this state of affairs. This article provides an overview of workplace-related limiting factors in combating substance abuse and also covers the resources needed to deal with the problem of substance abuse in the workplace. The authors suggest collaboration between employers and outpatient treatment centres as a viable solution.

An assessment of the need of police officials for trauma intervention programmes - a qualitative approach

l Officials in the South African Police Service (SAPS) are exposed to multiple traumatic incidents. The effect of such exposure is aggravated by various contributing factors that may cause intense trauma for the individual, family members and the police service. The risk factors include post-traumatic stress, acute stress, depression, alcohol abuse, suicide and impaired productivity. It is therefore important that officials have direct access to support. The efficacy of the present trauma intervention programmes in the SAPS is questioned, because despite their implementation police officials still present high levels of acute and behavioural problems

Intervention strategies used to address alcohol abuse in the North West province, South Africa

One of the purposes of the Alcohol Sub-Study of the Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study was to identify the socio-economic effects of binge drinking from the perspective of community support networks and assess their intervention efforts to address the alcohol abuse problem in the selected areas of study. Emphasis was placed on implementation of plans and legislation; however, eradication of the problem seems to be insignificant for various reasons. This article reports on these identified challenges and proposes appropriate intervention strategies that take cognisance of the nature of the communities for which intervention efforts are intended

ABORSIE AS MORELE DILEMMA IN SUID-AFRIKA

Sedert 1996 is die terminering van swangerskap op versoek wettig in Suid-Afrika. Ongeag die standpunte wat daarvoor of daarteen ingeneem word, het die terminering van swangerskap deel van die etos van die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing geword. Die samelewing moet daarom geleer word hoe om dit te hanteer en hoe om aan diegene wat deur die daad van aborsie geraak word, hulp te verleen (De Vynck, 1999:1).