Browsing by Author "Jameson, Deborah Anne."

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The relationship between mode and locus of exposure and the impact of interpersonal violence in a sample of South African adolescents.
(2014) Jameson, Deborah Anne.; Collings, Steven John.
Children living in South Africa are exposed to chronic adversity on a daily basis, placing them at increased risk for psychological distress and high levels of fear. In particular, the impact of interpersonal violence on children has been noted with concern and has been well researched. Whilst numerous studies have focused separately on either mode of exposure (direct versus indirect or vicariously experienced) or locus of exposure (the specific domain such as the home, school or community) to interpersonal violence and the wide array of detrimental outcomes on childhood development, there remain inconsistencies in findings. The aim of this study was therefore to systematically investigate the constructs of mode and locus of exposure, simultaneously and comprehensively, in order to provide more clarity into the relative impact of different forms of interpersonal violence on South African children. The study expanded on an existing research project that was conducted over three loci of exposure: the home, the school, and community, in order to explore the nature of South African adolescent fears, using existing data. Ecological systems theory was the guiding framework to gain an integrative perspective. This was a quantitative study that employed a cross-sectional survey research design. Stratified random sampling in terms of the quintile system was utilized. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of a free response format and a 5-point Likert scale, was administered to a sample of 312 adolescent school children in the North West province (South Africa) in 2013. Systematic Content Analysis was utilized to derive content categories and coding was informed by Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources theory. Data were analysed using a 2 (mode) x 2 (locus) Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results showed that the risk of exposure to interpersonal violence was high, with 56.1% of respondents reporting that they had been exposed to some form of interpersonal violence in the past 12 months. A significant main effect of mode of exposure indicated that vicarious forms of traumatic exposure were significantly more distressing for participants than were direct forms of traumatic exposure. However, the impact of exposure to interpersonal violence was found to be unrelated to locus of exposure. Respondent’s age, gender, and race were not found to be related to the impact of exposure to interpersonal violence. These findings suggest that the impact of interpersonal violence on children is mediated by mode of exposure but not by locus of exposure. Our results took into consideration children’s chronic exposure to interpersonal violence within the South African context. These findings are discussed with reference to their implications for practice and future research.
Scared at school? : a child-centred perspective on fears and anxieties experienced by adolescents in South African schools.
(2013) Jameson, Deborah Anne.; Collings, Steven John.
South African children have been exposed to chronic adversity which has resulted in psychological distress and high levels of fear. Violence against children is ubiquitous and injury is common. Children have been found to be ‘scared everywhere’, not only at school but also in their homes and communities. Yet no systematic attempt has been made to explore this. The aim of this study therefore is to conduct a systematic investigation of how children conceptualize and understand their own fears and anxieties. It is an exploratory study designed to gain baseline information from a child’s perspective. Although this study focused on the school context, it was part of a broader research project that also included the family and community contexts, guided by Ecological Systems theory to gain an integrative perspective. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey research design was employed. This study utilized stratified random sampling in terms of the quintile system, involving random selection of schools proportional to the size of each quintile. The sample consisted of 312 children ranging between the ages of 13 – 18 years from seven schools in the North West Province. The research instrument consisted of open-ended questions to explore the content of children’s fears and possible solutions, and a rating scale to survey their level of fear. A coding strategy was developed to establish the scariest events based on Hobfoll’s Conservation of Resources theory, which states that “fear results when valued resources are threatened or lost”. Three categories of fears were identified: Primary (threats to survival and physical integrity); Secondary (threats to financial and interpersonal resources); and Tertiary (threats to competence and social standing). Krippendorf’s Content Analysis was used for the open-ended questions. The findings indicated that fears associated with the primary resource domain were experienced the most frequently and rated the highest in terms of levels of fear. Although some dominant fears were found to be universal, variations were found in the manifestations of specific fears which were related to the school context, including ‘problems with peer relationships’ and fears related to ‘gang activities’; ‘violence or threat of violence from a teacher’ and ‘failure and underachievement at school’. Females were found to experience significantly higher levels of fear than males as a result of ‘interpersonal disputes’. Based on the findings, Conservation of Resources theory would appear to have significant implications for future research investigating normative childhood fears, as it can be successfully applied in predicting fear outcomes as a result of adversity across different childhood developmental levels and in a variety of contexts. Recommendations are made for intervention, including looking beyond the child’s immediate school environment to how the interrelation of multiple levels will influence the developing child.