Research on children’s quality of life and subjective well-being has advanced over the past decad... more Research on children’s quality of life and subjective well-being has advanced over the past decade largely as a result of developments in childhood theory, children’s rights legislation, and the shift toward positive social science. However, in line with the uncertainty regarding the conceptualization of subjective well-being, the structural configuration of children’s subjective well-being has not been considered in the literature. In the current study, we present and test a model of children’s subjective well-being, which includes global (context-free items assessing overall and general well-being, without reference to a specific aspect of life) and specific (domain-based items assessing a specific aspect of life) cognitive components, and positive and negative affect. We further test the fit structure of a hierarchical structural (second-order) model of children’s subjective well-being. Finally, we test the measurement invariance of the hierarchical model across age and gender. W...
Handbook of Quality of Life in African Societies, 2019
In the current South African socio-political framework children have been afforded the highest pr... more In the current South African socio-political framework children have been afforded the highest priority within government. Not only have the rights and needs of children been entrenched in the development strategies of the government, but children themselves have been guaranteed socio-economic rights and protection from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Subsequently, knowledge and information on the well-being of children have become important pursuits. It has also become increasingly important to obtain an understanding of what children regard as important to their well-being. The current chapter explores the importance of researching children’s subjective perceptions of well-being. It considers the current methods of engaging with children about their subjective perceptions of various aspects of their lives, outlines the status of theoretical advancement, and importantly, considers the implications for social policy. The authors motivate for a focus on participatory methodologies ...
If you want to know how children are doing, ask them. This is the central premise of the child in... more If you want to know how children are doing, ask them. This is the central premise of the child indicator movement, with its genesis in the advancement of children’s rights (1970s) and the epistemological shifts in the sociology of childhood. From this epistemological position, childhood is a valid structural feature of society and children’s perspectives acknowledged as valid, their experiences as real, with the capacity to meaningfully reflect on their lives. The methodological upshot is that children transitioned from being absent in social research, to objects of research, to subjects of research; igniting the interest in children’s subjective well-being (SWB). This provided the momentum for the advancement of child-centred research, and participatory methodologies—with children now regarded as participants in the research process. We put forward the Children’s Delphi, a participatory methodological framework, advancing children as the authentic knowers and authoritative experts ...
Teaching Quality of Life in Different Domains, 2019
The chapter aims to briefly sketch the extent of Quality of Life (QoL) research relating to child... more The chapter aims to briefly sketch the extent of Quality of Life (QoL) research relating to children in South Africa, to introduce the shift to subjective QoL, and to propose a syllabus for training emerging researchers for conducting QoL research with children. It proceeds by elaborating on the shift toward and extent of QoL research in South Africa and introduces the QoL research with children in this context. The focus then shifts to contextualising South Africa, particularly in terms of legislation and objective indicators relating to children. The key aspect of the chapter is to propose a syllabus for teaching QoL research with children. In particular five aspects are put forward, that is: contextualising children and childhood in South Africa; children’s QOL and inequalities; theories of children’s subjective well-being (SWB); methodological considerations; and children’s rights and SWB. To this end, the goal of preparing emerging researchers in this field of study would be to...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood globally, an... more The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood globally, and particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This prospective study describes the prevalence and types of substitute behaviors as well as predictors, correlates, and motivations associated with substitution in persons (n = 137) admitted to residential substance use treatment in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The brief assessment of recovery capital, overall life satisfaction scale, and an adapted version of the addiction matrix self-report measure were completed during and post-treatment. Results indicate that substitutes were employed consciously for anticipated appetitive effects, for time-spending, (re)connecting with others, and enjoyment. At follow-up, 36% of service users had substituted their primary substance(s) with another substance or behavior; 23% had relapsed and 40% had maintained abstinence. While some service users may be especially vulnerable to develop...
This chapter focuses on merging positive psychology and environmental psychology (sustainability)... more This chapter focuses on merging positive psychology and environmental psychology (sustainability) by exploring children’s recreational engagement with nature and the influence on their subjective well-being. The chapter details two studies conducted in the Western Cape of South Africa, in one rural and two urban communities using participatory methodologies with children. Study 1 aimed to explore how children discursively construct natural spaces and the influence on their subjective well-being using focus group interviews, while Study 2 aimed to explore children’s representations and perceptions of natural spaces using photovoice and community mapping. Four overarching findings identified from both Study 1 and 2 were the following: Children’s mobility in natural spaces: The role of socio-economic status (SES) and threats to children’s safety; Nature as children’s space and the influences on their subjective well-being; Children’s rights and access to safe natural spaces; and Resear...
Objectives Bullying victimisation (BV) among children in South Africa has been identified as a ma... more Objectives Bullying victimisation (BV) among children in South Africa has been identified as a major public health concern. While several studies report on the prevalence rates of BV, there is currently a dearth of research that reports on the prevalence of BV among a national sample of primary school children. This study determines the prevalence rates of BV among a nationally representative sample of school-going children in South Africa across provinces, age, and gender. The sample comprised 7067 children (boys = 45.6%; girls = 54.4%) between the ages of 10–12-years attending 61 primary schools across the nine provincial regions of South Africa. Results In terms of ‘being hit’ by other children, percentages range from 22.55% (North West) to 33.34% (Free State). Children in Gauteng (33.59%) and Limpopo (38.54%) had the highest percentage of children being ‘left out’ or excluded. Additionally, across all provinces more than 30% of children reported that they had been ‘called unkind...
Research on children’s quality of life and subjective well-being has advanced over the past decad... more Research on children’s quality of life and subjective well-being has advanced over the past decade largely as a result of developments in childhood theory, children’s rights legislation, and the shift toward positive social science. However, in line with the uncertainty regarding the conceptualization of subjective well-being, the structural configuration of children’s subjective well-being has not been considered in the literature. In the current study, we present and test a model of children’s subjective well-being, which includes global (context-free items assessing overall and general well-being, without reference to a specific aspect of life) and specific (domain-based items assessing a specific aspect of life) cognitive components, and positive and negative affect. We further test the fit structure of a hierarchical structural (second-order) model of children’s subjective well-being. Finally, we test the measurement invariance of the hierarchical model across age and gender. W...
Handbook of Quality of Life in African Societies, 2019
In the current South African socio-political framework children have been afforded the highest pr... more In the current South African socio-political framework children have been afforded the highest priority within government. Not only have the rights and needs of children been entrenched in the development strategies of the government, but children themselves have been guaranteed socio-economic rights and protection from abuse, exploitation, and neglect. Subsequently, knowledge and information on the well-being of children have become important pursuits. It has also become increasingly important to obtain an understanding of what children regard as important to their well-being. The current chapter explores the importance of researching children’s subjective perceptions of well-being. It considers the current methods of engaging with children about their subjective perceptions of various aspects of their lives, outlines the status of theoretical advancement, and importantly, considers the implications for social policy. The authors motivate for a focus on participatory methodologies ...
If you want to know how children are doing, ask them. This is the central premise of the child in... more If you want to know how children are doing, ask them. This is the central premise of the child indicator movement, with its genesis in the advancement of children’s rights (1970s) and the epistemological shifts in the sociology of childhood. From this epistemological position, childhood is a valid structural feature of society and children’s perspectives acknowledged as valid, their experiences as real, with the capacity to meaningfully reflect on their lives. The methodological upshot is that children transitioned from being absent in social research, to objects of research, to subjects of research; igniting the interest in children’s subjective well-being (SWB). This provided the momentum for the advancement of child-centred research, and participatory methodologies—with children now regarded as participants in the research process. We put forward the Children’s Delphi, a participatory methodological framework, advancing children as the authentic knowers and authoritative experts ...
Teaching Quality of Life in Different Domains, 2019
The chapter aims to briefly sketch the extent of Quality of Life (QoL) research relating to child... more The chapter aims to briefly sketch the extent of Quality of Life (QoL) research relating to children in South Africa, to introduce the shift to subjective QoL, and to propose a syllabus for training emerging researchers for conducting QoL research with children. It proceeds by elaborating on the shift toward and extent of QoL research in South Africa and introduces the QoL research with children in this context. The focus then shifts to contextualising South Africa, particularly in terms of legislation and objective indicators relating to children. The key aspect of the chapter is to propose a syllabus for teaching QoL research with children. In particular five aspects are put forward, that is: contextualising children and childhood in South Africa; children’s QOL and inequalities; theories of children’s subjective well-being (SWB); methodological considerations; and children’s rights and SWB. To this end, the goal of preparing emerging researchers in this field of study would be to...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood globally, an... more The dynamics of substitute behaviors and associated factors remain poorly understood globally, and particularly in low- and middle-income contexts. This prospective study describes the prevalence and types of substitute behaviors as well as predictors, correlates, and motivations associated with substitution in persons (n = 137) admitted to residential substance use treatment in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The brief assessment of recovery capital, overall life satisfaction scale, and an adapted version of the addiction matrix self-report measure were completed during and post-treatment. Results indicate that substitutes were employed consciously for anticipated appetitive effects, for time-spending, (re)connecting with others, and enjoyment. At follow-up, 36% of service users had substituted their primary substance(s) with another substance or behavior; 23% had relapsed and 40% had maintained abstinence. While some service users may be especially vulnerable to develop...
This chapter focuses on merging positive psychology and environmental psychology (sustainability)... more This chapter focuses on merging positive psychology and environmental psychology (sustainability) by exploring children’s recreational engagement with nature and the influence on their subjective well-being. The chapter details two studies conducted in the Western Cape of South Africa, in one rural and two urban communities using participatory methodologies with children. Study 1 aimed to explore how children discursively construct natural spaces and the influence on their subjective well-being using focus group interviews, while Study 2 aimed to explore children’s representations and perceptions of natural spaces using photovoice and community mapping. Four overarching findings identified from both Study 1 and 2 were the following: Children’s mobility in natural spaces: The role of socio-economic status (SES) and threats to children’s safety; Nature as children’s space and the influences on their subjective well-being; Children’s rights and access to safe natural spaces; and Resear...
Objectives Bullying victimisation (BV) among children in South Africa has been identified as a ma... more Objectives Bullying victimisation (BV) among children in South Africa has been identified as a major public health concern. While several studies report on the prevalence rates of BV, there is currently a dearth of research that reports on the prevalence of BV among a national sample of primary school children. This study determines the prevalence rates of BV among a nationally representative sample of school-going children in South Africa across provinces, age, and gender. The sample comprised 7067 children (boys = 45.6%; girls = 54.4%) between the ages of 10–12-years attending 61 primary schools across the nine provincial regions of South Africa. Results In terms of ‘being hit’ by other children, percentages range from 22.55% (North West) to 33.34% (Free State). Children in Gauteng (33.59%) and Limpopo (38.54%) had the highest percentage of children being ‘left out’ or excluded. Additionally, across all provinces more than 30% of children reported that they had been ‘called unkind...
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