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.