Life skills that enable resilience: a profile of adolescents from a coloured community in Kimberley

Abstract

English: Adolescent development is synonymous with physical and emotional changes and challenges. This development has previously been termed "storm and stress" to further illustrate these turmoils that adolescents experience. Adolescents generally growing up in a coloured community further experience hardships such as gangsterism, unemployment, overcrowding and substance abuse. The implementation of life skills could be seen as a way to possibly reduce engagement in risky behaviour and effectively face adversity. Life skills include an unlimited list of complex and integrated skills and assist in the participation of meaningful occupations. The main occupation of an adolescent is that of a learner. Within schools, life skills are part of the form of Life Orientation. Life Orientation includes subjects such as vocational guidance, religion and physical education and it addresses the most crucial life skills. Not only can life skills assist with positive adaptive behaviour amongst adolescents, but supportive environments also contribute to resilient behaviour. Resilience is being able to bounce back from challenges. Adolescents engaging in risky behaviour, having poor to little knowledge of life skills, not applying their life skills and negative environmental factors all influence their ability to be resilient. The researcher undertook this study to establish a profile of coloured adolescents and their knowledge and application of life skills that lead to resilient behavior. This was a descriptive study involving a convenience sampling method. The study took place at four predominantly coloured schools in Kimberley in the Northern Cape. Three hundred and forty eight (348) learners returned signed permission letters that allowed them to complete the questionnaire. The sample comprised of both males and females aged 16 to 18 years. Grade 12 learners were in the minority, while there were mostly grade 11 learners (45.4%) that participated in the study. Learners mostly came from coloured suburbs with 26.4% of learners coming from other suburbs within Kimberley. The profile of coloured adolescents presented with learners possessing knowledge and/or application of different life skills. Learners presented with better knowledge of life skills within communication skills (90.3%), time management (72.8%) and values (89.9%). When expected to apply life skills, problem-solving skills (90.9%) and values (81.1%) were applied best. Learners applied time management and decision making poorly of all life skills. The researcher further noted that application of communication skills and time management (whether high or low) were directly related to resilience. Knowledge of the other life skills (whether high or low) were related to resilience. The only exception was within values, where knowledge and application were both directly related to resilience. Only small numbers of learners engaged in risky behaviour in the form of drinking alcohol mostly. Risky behaviour is considered a negative influence on life skills. Learners portrayed hope, optimism and competence within individual environmental factors. However learners from the lower socio-economic backgrounds presented with less hope (70.7%) compared to other suburbs (84.2%). Within family factors security, stability and support were prominent factors and had a positive influence on life skills leading to resilience. Peer acceptance was important for most learners (95.4%). To conclude the researcher will use findings to develop community and school programmes that could assist in the implementation of life skills that would serve to support and empower adolescents. The important role that the occupational therapist could play in adolescent development is to ensure optimal engagement in occupations through life skills in order to develop as healthy adults.

Afrikaans: Die ontwikkeling van adolessente is sinoniem met fisiese en emosionele veranderinge en uitdagings. Hierdie ontwikkeling is voorheen genoem "storm en stres" wat die uitdagings wat adolessente ervaar illustreer. Adolessente wat grootword in In kleurling gemeenskap ervaar verdere swaarkry soos bendebedrywighede, werkloosheid, oorbevolking en dwelmmisbruik. Die implementering van lewensvaardighede kan gesien word as In manier om moontlik die betrokkenheid in riskante gedrag te verminder. Lewensvaardighede sluit In onbeperkte lys van komplekse en geïntegreerde vaardighede in en help met die deelname aan sinvolle aktiwiteite. Die hoofrol van In adolessent is dié van In leerder. In skole, word lewensvaardighede aangebied as deel van die Lewensoriëntering Kurrikulum. Lewensoriëntering sluit onderwerpe soos beroepsvoorligting, godsdiens en liggaamlike opvoeding in en dit fokus op die mees kritieke lewensvaardighede. Lewensvaardighede help nie net met positiewe aanpasbare gedrag nie, maar ondersteunende omgewings dra ook by tot veerkragtige gedrag. Veerkragtigheid beteken dat die persoon in staat is om terug te bons van uitdagings. Adolessente wat betrokke raak in riskante gedrag, min kennis oor lewensvaardighede het, nie goeie toepassing van lewensvaardighede toon nie asook negatiewe omgewingsfaktore beïnvloed hul vermoë om veerkragtig te wees. Die navorser het hierdie studie onderneem om In profiel te vestig van kleurling adolessente asook kennis en toepassing van lewensvaardighede wat lei tot veerkragtige gedrag. Dit was In beskrywende studie met In gerieflikheidssteekproef. Die studie is by vier kleurling skole in Kimberley in die Noord-Kaap uitgevoer. Drie honderd agt-en-veertig (348) leerders het teruggekeer met ondertekende toestemmingsbriewe wat hulle toegelaat het om die vraelys te voltooi. Die steekproef het uit beide seuns en dogters bestaan tussen die ouderdomme van 16 tot 18 jaar. Graad 12 leerders was in die minderheid, terwyl hoofsaaklik graad U-leerders (45,4%) aan die studie deelgeneem het. Leerders het hoofsaaklik van kleurling woonbuurte gekom met 26,4% van leerders wat van ander woonbuurte binne Kimberleyafkomstig was. Die profiel van kleurling adolessente het bestaan uit leerders wat oor kennis en/of toepassing van verskillende lewensvaardighede beskik. Leerders het met In beter kennis van lewensvaardighede ten opsigte van kommunikasievaardighede (90,3%), tyd (72,8%) en waardes (89,9%) presenteer. Ten opsigte van die toepassing van lewensvaardigheid, was probleemoplossings-vaardighede (90,9%) en waardes (81,1%) die beste toegepas. Leerders het tydsbestuur en besluitneming die swakste van alle lewensvaardighede toegepas. Die navorser het verder opgemerk dat die toepassing van kommunikasie vaardighede en tydsbestuur (hetsy hoog of laag) direk verwant aan veerkragtigheid. Kennis van die ander Lewensvaardighede (hetsy hoog of laag) was verwant aan veerkragtigheid is. Die enigste uitsondering was in waardes, waar kennis en toepassing albei direk verwant aan veerkragtigheid was. Slegs klein getalle leerders was betrokke in riskante gedrag veral in die vorm van inneem van alkohol. Riskante gedrag word beskou as 'n negatiewe invloed op Lewensvaardighede. Leerders het hoop, optimisme en bevoegdheid binne individuele omgewingsfaktore getoon. Leerders uit die laer sosio-ekonomies agtergronde het egter minder hoop (70,7%) in vergelyking met die ander woonbuurte (84,2%) getoon. Binne die gesin was faktore soos sekuriteit, stabiliteit en ondersteuning, wat 'n positiewe invloed op lewensvaardighede het, mees prominent wat lei tot veerkragtigheid. Eweknie aanvaarding was belangrik vir die meeste leerders (95,4%). Die navorser het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat bevindings gebruik kan word om die gemeenskap en die skool programme te ontwikkel wat kan help in die implementering van lewensvaardighede en wat kan help om adolessente te bemagtig en ondersteun. Die belangrike rol wat die Arbeidsterapeut kan speel in adolessente ontwikkeling is om te verseker dat optimale betrokkenheid in aktiwiteite bereik word deur middel van lewensvaardighede sodat hulle as gesonde volwassenes kan ontwikkel.