Psychological and emotional effects of repeated exposure to violent crimes on victims residing in a high crime community in Nelson Mandela Metropolitan in the Eastern Cape
- Authors: De Klerk, Ulricha
- Date: 2020
- Subjects: Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46413 , vital:39582
- Description: Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While the literature provides detailed and comprehensive approaches and counselling modalities to working with clients who experience traumatic events, there is not much evidence on the experiences of individuals who reside in high crime communities. It follows, that the psychological and emotional experiences, as well as needs of such individuals may present with specific requirements from the therapeutic alliance. This study aimed to explore the psychological and emotional effects of repeated exposure to high crime and violence and the implications this posed to traumatic experiences. The study further aimed to develop a set of guidelines that can be drawn upon when working therapeutically with clients who reside in high crime communities. The study draws on a qualitative methodology and 17 participants were interviewed. The transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis and five themes were identified, relevant to the aims and objectives that were set. The findings suggest that the psychological and emotional experiences of individuals who reside in high crime communities, is experienced at a more heightened and prolonged period, thus making the psychotherapeutic intervention employed, more specific. To this effect, the guidelines developed provide specific strategies and approaches thatwere developed based on the themes identified and verified by a panel of psychological experts. The study contributes to the field of trauma, counselling and violence, in that it focuses on an area of trauma that has not been adequately focused on withinthe South African context, as well as in global contexts.
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- Date Issued: 2020
Factors contributing to occupational stress in student support staff in a Further Education and Training (FET) College in the Southern Cape
- Authors: De Klerk, Ulricha
- Subjects: Work -- Psychological aspects , Job stress -- South Africa -- Western Cape , College students -- South Africa -- Western Cape
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:10085 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1020806
- Description: The main purpose of this study is to explore the factors that contribute to occupational stress as experienced by the Student Support staff in a Further Education and Training (FET) College in the Southern Cape. The Student Support staff has displayed many symptoms of stress over the past few years. This in turn has led to absenteeism, change in staff temperament, their feelings towards the College, motivation levels and a significant change in the staff’s day to day operations. Although the Head of Department for Student Support Services has engaged with the staff on numerous occasions to discuss the reasons for their experience of stress, no substantial reasons could be established in order to make the necessary changes in the department. No interventions that have been implemented to date have relieved the staff’s experience of stress. The researcher chose to use a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design to gain insight into the situation or phenomenon in order to identify the factors contributing to occupational stress and to identify measures that can be implemented to reduce occupational stress in the Student Support staff. The participants in this research included at least 10 Student Support staff within the Student Support Services Department at a Further Education and Training College in the Southern Cape. Purposive sampling was used in this research study. Interviews will continue until data saturation is achieved. The staff members must have been employed for at least one year in the Student Support Services Department. The researcher will make use of semi-structured interviews, observations and field notes. The data will be systematically collected and meanings, themes and general descriptions of the experience analysed within the specific context (de Vos, Strydom, Fouche & Delport, 2005). The researcher will make use of Tesch’s method of analysis, and use Guba’s strategies for ensuring Trustworthiness. The researcher will apply the ethical considerations of confidentiality, informed consent, ethical approval from relevant institutions, avoidance of harm to participants, truthfulness and the debriefing of participants when conducting this study. The findings were reported as three major themes and subthemes. The three major themes were; Student support staff identified several factors that contributed to occupational stress, Student support staff identified the effect that occupational stress has on them, Student support staff offered suggestions that the college could implement to reduce occupational stress. These themes were discussed and analysed in-depth.
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