Trauma- en stresbegeleiding by tieners deur 'n ondersteuningsgroep : 'n prakties-teologiese ondersoek

Abstract

Hierdie studie vloei uit ‘n bewuswording van ontstellende tendense wat posvat in tieners se lewe op die platteland. Vir eers het baie ouers gedink dat hulle kinders in ‘n veilige milieu grootword en dat hulle nie aan dieselfde gevare blootgestel word as die tieners in die stede nie. Kommer by die personeel van die plaaslike hoërskool oor tieners se blootstelling en vergrype aan drank, dwelms en seksualiteit, het die wenkbroue laat lig en hulle die vraag laat vra: Maar hoe gereed is ouers, die skool en die kerk as ondersteuningsgroep om hierdie gedrag van tieners te bestuur? Die hipotese wat vir hierdie studie gekies is en wat ook die invalshoek bepaal het, was dat ouers en tieners nie regtig bekend is met mekaar se leefwêrelde nie. Die vraag kom soms ook na vore of die gedragsprobleme wat tieners openbaar nie iets te doen het met die tyd en aandag wat ouers aan hul kinders gee nie. Om hierdie tieners suksesvol te kan begelei, is dit nodig om te weet wat binne die leefwêreld van die tiener aangaan. Hoe dink hulle? Waaraan dink hulle? Wat staan eerste in hulle lewe? Waaraan spandeer hulle die meeste van hul tyd? Wat is hulle lewens-en wêreldbeskouing? Beleef hulle trauma en stres? Die doel van die navorsing is tweërlei van aard: Hoe dink hulle oor sake soos seksualiteit, alkohol en dwelms? Tweedens wil hierdie navorsing die gemeenskap help om tieners beter te verstaan. Om hulle suksesvol te kan begelei, moet die berader hulle ken en daarom val die fokus van die studie op die leefwêreld van die tiener binne die plattelandse gemeenskap. Om by die leefwêreld van die tiener uit te kom en daardie leefwêreld te verstaan, sal daar uiteraard van onder andere ‘n verkennende studiemetode gebruik gemaak moet word. As deel hiervan sal daar ook gebruik gemaak word van ‘n kwalitatiewe empiriese navorsing. Hierdie navorsing het ondere andere gewys dat: <ul> <li> Tieners op die platteland wel betrokke raak by sekere seksuele aktiwiteite en ook alkoholiese drank gebruik. Dit wil egter voorkom asof hulle versigtiger is wanneer dit kom by die gebruik van dwelms.</li> <li> Tieners eerder met hulle vriende as met hulle ouers oor seksuele aktiwiteite praat.</li> <li> Dat ouers, wanneer dit kom by drank en dwelms, die inisiatief neem om met hulle kinders te praat oor die gebruik daarvan en die gevare daaraan verbonde.</li></ul> Om hierdie krisis aan te spreek, word sekere aanbevelings gemaak asook sekere riglyne daargestel vir moontlike gesprekvoering. Hierdie is egter nie `n kitsoplossing nie, maar vra dat die gemeenskap, by name die ouers, onderrigpersoneel en die kerklike gemeenskap, `n lang pad sal moet stap met die tieners. ENGLISH : This study finds it’s origin in an awareness of upsetting tendencies observed in the lives of teenagers in rural areas. Initially, many parents were under the impression that their children were growing up in a safe environment and that they were not subjected to the same dangers as children in the cities. Concern on the part of the staff of a local high school about the teenagers’ exposure to alcohol and drug abuse as well as sexual activities, raised questions. The question asked was: How equipped are parents, the school and the church as a support group to manage the behaviour of teenagers? The hypothesis of this study, which also determined the directional approach, was that parents and teenagers are not really in touch with each others’ worlds. The question is sometimes raised whether or not the behavioural problems of teenagers can be linked to the attention that parents give to their children. In order to successfully guide teenagers it is necessary to know what is happening in that teenager’s world. What is their thought pattern? What do they think about? What is most important in their lives? On what do they spend most of their time? How do they look at life in general? Do they experience trauma and stress? The purpose of the research is twofold: What are their thoughts concerning matters like sexuality, alcohol and drugs? Secondly, it is the purpose of this research to help the community to understand teenagers better. In order to successfully guide and lead them, the counsellor must know them and therefore this study focuses on the world of the teenager living in a rural community. It follows that, in order to enter the world of the teenager and to understand that world, there would among other things be a need for qualitative, exploratory empirical research. This research has indicated that inter alia: <ul> <li> Teenagers in rural towns do become involved in certain sexual activities and also use alcohol. It would appear, however, that they are more careful when it comes to the use of drugs.</li> <li> Teenagers would be more likely to talk to their friends about sexual activities than to their parents.</li> <li> Parents, when it comes to alcohol and drugs, take the initiative to talk to their children about the use of drugs and the dangers involved.</li></ul> To address this crisis, certain recommendations are made and certain guidelines are provided for possible discussion. This is, however, not an instant solution, but requires that the community, and specifically parents, teaching staff and the church community have a long standing relationship with the teenagers. Copyright