PERCEPTIONS OF RELATIONSHIP VIOLENCE: A YOUTH PERSPECTIVE

Youths constitute a significant and growing sector of the population living in South Africa.Dickson-Tetteh and Ladha (2000:2) state that there are currently about 18 million people underthe age of 20 years, who constitute 44% of the total population. McWhirter, McWhirter,McWhirter and McWhirter (2004:4) suggest that the well-being and stability of society dependon our ability to prepare well-adjusted and responsible young people to step forward to take uptheir roles as the older generation passes. In contemporary society the youth face a host ofchallenges that can impact either positively or negatively on their ability to negotiate thetransition from childhood to adulthood. During adolescence youths complete crucial life-tasksand as such are especially vulnerable to the effects of violence as both perpetrators andvictims

FAMILY MEDIATION: THE PERCEPTIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF UNMARRIED PARENTS AND MEDIATORS

While there have been significant developments regarding mediation, parental responsibilities and the rights of unmarried fathers, fathers remain challenged in acquiring their parental rights through mediation in terms of Section 21 of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005.   The aim of this qualitative study was to understand the experiences of parents and mediators regarding mediation since the inception of the Children’s Act in 2007.  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with unmarried fathers, unmarried mothers and mediators. Data were analysed using within-case analysis. The findings highlighted the positive experiences of mediation, challenges in mediation and strategies to enhance the quality of mediation.

Injury-related behaviour among South African high-school students at six sites

Objectives. To document and compare prevalence rates of adolescent injury-related risk behaviours at six sites in South Africa. Design. The identical self-administered instrument was used at all sites. Prevalence rates (with 95% confidence intervals) were calculated taking the multistage cluster sampling strategy into account. Setting and subjects. In Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and Mankweng participants were drawn from either grades 8 or 9, and grade 11, while in Queenstown and Umtata they were drawn from grade 11 only. We selected 39 schools in Cape Town and Durban, 33 in Port Elizabeth and 20 in each of the rural areas. Outcome measures. Road-related risk behaviour, violence, and suicide attempts. Results. Across the sites there were high rates of risk behaviour in all domains. For example, in the 12 months preceding the survey an estimated 52.8% of grade 11 males in Cape Town had travelled in the front seat of a motor vehicle without a seatbelt, 33.0% of grade 8 males in Mankweng had bullied others, while 44.5% of the same group had been bullied, and 18.6% of females in Port Elizabeth had attempted suicide. Rates were lower in rural areas for behaviour involving motor vehicles, but there were no consistent urban-rural findings for violence-related behaviour. Females were at higher risk of suicidal behaviour and males were at higher risk of other injury-related behaviour. Conclusions. There is a need for effective interventions to reduce the extent of injury-related risk behaviour in adolescents in urban and rural settings

Social factors affecting seasonal variation in bovine trypanosomiasis on the Jos Plateau, Nigeria

BACKGROUND: African Animal Trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a widespread disease of livestock in Nigeria and presents a major constraint to rural economic development. The Jos Plateau was considered free from tsetse flies and the trypanosomes they transmit due to its high altitude and this trypanosomiasis free status attracted large numbers of cattle-keeping pastoralists to the area. The Jos Plateau now plays a major role in the national cattle industry in Nigeria, accommodating approximately 7% of the national herd, supporting 300,000 pastoralists and over one million cattle. During the past two decades tsetse flies have invaded the Jos Plateau and animal trypanosomiasis has become a significant problem for livestock keepers. Here we investigate the epidemiology of trypanosomiasis as a re-emerging disease on the Plateau, examining the social factors that influence prevalence and seasonal variation of bovine trypanosomiasis. METHODS: In 2008 a longitudinal two-stage cluster survey was undertaken on the Jos Plateau. Cattle were sampled in the dry, early wet and late wet seasons. Parasite identification was undertaken using species-specific polymerase chain reactions to determine the prevalence and distribution of bovine trypanosomiasis. Participatory rural appraisal was also conducted to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning animal husbandry and disease control. RESULTS: Significant seasonal variation between the dry season and late wet season was recorded across the Jos Plateau, consistent with expected variation in tsetse populations. However, marked seasonal variations were also observed at village level to create 3 distinct groups: Group 1 in which 50% of villages followed the general pattern of low prevalence in the dry season and high prevalence in the wet season; Group 2 in which 16.7% of villages showed no seasonal variation and Group 3 in which 33.3% of villages showed greater disease prevalence in the dry season than in the wet season. CONCLUSIONS: There was high seasonal variation at the village level determined by management as well as climatic factors. The growing influence of management factors on the epidemiology of trypanosomiasis highlights the impact of recent changes in land use and natural resource competition on animal husbandry decisions in the extensive pastoral production system