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Children's behaviour is influenced by their family's surroundings, interactions with their parents, and the connectedness that they experience within their family. Positive behaviour in children develops when they feel loved, supported, and safe in the presence of their parents. A weakened parent-child bond may lead to child behavioural problems and impact the ability of parents to create a positive social learning environment. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of families with children presenting with behavioural problems (FCBPs) in strengthening family connectedness. A qualitative research approach was used where semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 parents of children aged two to 18 reported to be presenting with behavioural problems. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data, giving rise to three themes: 1) understanding family connectedness; 2) parenting children with behavioural problems; and 3) family, community, and social work interventions. The findings of the study showed that FCBPs find it difficult to strengthen their relationships with their children. Their parenting capabilities are challenged when they have a strained relationship with their children presenting with behavioural problems (CBPs). The frustration of parents in the study was heightened by limited support received from family, community, and spouses, impacting their ability to strengthen the connectedness in the family. The study recommends that parents receive specialised social work intervention to learn new skills and strategies to strengthen their relationships and cope with the behaviour of their children. Furthermore, this study recommends that social workers receive training to deal with the risky behaviour of children and to support parents to strengthen their relationships with their CBPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Stroke survivors often experience permanent or temporal physical and psychological stroke impairments. As a result, stroke survivors are often discharged to recover in their home environments and are cared for mostly by family members. Additionally, caregiving roles are often assumed without any formal training or preparation whatsoever. This can transform the family's functional patterns due to adjustments that are made to accommodate the caregiving needs. Objectives: To explore the experiences and influence of stroke on families and on family functioning. Method: Explorative descriptive qualitative research design through the use of in-depth interviews were employed as the means of data collection. The sample size was eight (8) family members and was guided by the saturation point. Data was thematically analysed. Results: Four themes emerged from the analysis: 1) reduced interactions with family members due to communication barriers, 2) the influence of stroke on family relationships, 3) emotional engagement in caring for a family member with a stroke and 4) financial implications of stroke on family functioning. This study found that stroke can influence the family functioning negatively as family members may be forced to change their functional patterns. However, some family members reported positive experiences, they developed a supportive structure to accommodate the new life of the stroke survivor. Conclusion: Using the McMaster's model of family functioning, this study found that stroke is a threat to the six dimensions of family functioning: 1) problem-solving, 2) communication, 3) roles, 4) affective responsiveness, 5) affective involvement, and 6) behaviour control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sexual abuse is not being reported adequately. Teachers are in an ideal position to deal with and report sexual abuse, but they are not sufficiently trained in this regard. Therefore it was necessary to evaluate whether training programmes could be effective. The research that informed this article focused on presenting a specific training programme to twenty primary school teachers after which two focus group interviews were conducted. The aim was to explore the participants' perceptions regarding the programme. The teachers benefitted from the relevant information, they valued the group consolidation, they felt confident about sharing experiences and they were more prepared to act in sexual abuse cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]