The lived experiences of single mothers of offending youth in the Western Cape, South Africa

Abstract

The family unit, in all its variances, is viewed as the cornerstone of any society. However, over the last few decades a trend away from the nuclear family towards single parenthood has become more and more visible. Research conducted with single parents substantiated that in most instances single parenthood has been identified as challenging on numerous issues such as disciplining their children, financial and social accountabilities, employment and accommodation to name a few. This qualitative study added the offending behaviour of the youth to these challenges and explored how this additional pressure on an already strained situation played out. Salient factors that was revealed through semi-structured interviews with single mothers in the Western Cape, South Africa, were in agreement with the literature reviewed and included the effects of absent fathers and economic issues; the part neighbourhood characteristics played; the incentives behind the youths’ offending behaviour and how effective and accessible support structures were to single mothers. The study further laid the foundation on which more intensive research can be conducted to identify factors to assist single mothers in managing their offending youths’ behaviour, curb recidivism and the subsequent overcrowding of correctional centres, and identify risk factors to prevent youth offending behaviour altogether.

Die gesinseenheid word in al sy afwykings as die hoeksteen van enige samelewing beskou. Oor die afgelope paar dekades het n neiging weg van die kernfamilie na enkelouerskap meer sigbaar geword. Navorsing wat onder enkelouers gedoen is, het aangevoer dat enkelouerskap in die meeste gevalle as uitdagend geidentifiseer is oor talle kwessies soos dissiplinering van kinders, finansiele en sosiale aanspreeklikhede, indiensneming en verblyf, om maar net n paar te noem. Hierdie kwalitatiewe studie het die wetsoortredende gedrag van die jeug by hierdie uitdagings gevoeg en het ondersoek hoe hierdie addisionele druk op n reeds gespanne situasie afspeel. Belangrike faktore wat deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met enkelmoeders in die Wes-Kaap, Suid-Afrika, gedoen was, het onthul, die gevolge van afwesige vaders en ekonomiese kwessies; die rol wat omgewingskenmerke speel; die aansporings agter die jeug se wetsoortredende gedrag en hoe doeltreffend en toeganklik ondersteuningsstrukture vir alleenouers was. Die studie het verder die grondslag gele waarop meer intensiewer navorsing gedoen kan word om faktore te identifiseer wat enkelmoeders kan help om hul jeug se wetsoortredende gedrag te bestuur, die herhaling daarvan te voorkom en die daaropvolgende oorbevolking van korrektiewe sentrums aan bande te le, en laastens om risikofaktore te identifiseer om te voorkom dat die jeug die gedrag aanstoot gee.

Iyunithi yosapho, kuko konke ukwahluka kwayo, ijongwa njengelitye lembombo kulo naluphi na uluntu. Nangona kunjalo, kule minyaka ingamashumi idlulileyo umkhwa oshiye usapho Iwenyukliya usiya kubuzali obungabodwa uye wabonakala ngakumbi. Uphando olwenziwe nabazali ababodwa lubonisa ukuba kwiimeko ezininzi ukuba ngumzali ongatshatanga kuye kwabonwa njengocelomngeni kwimiba emininzi efana nokuqeqesha abantwana, uxanduva lokuphendula ngezimali nezentlalo, ingqesho nendawo yokuhlala ukukhankanya nje ezimbalwa. Olu phononongo olusemgangathweni longeze indlela yokuziphatha yolutsha kulomceli mngeni kwaye luvavanye indlela olu xinzelelo longezelelekileyo kwimeko esele inengxaki. Izinto ezibalulekileyo ezithe zatyhilwa kudliwanondlebe noomama abangatshatanga eNtshona Koloni, eMzantsi Afrika, bebevumelana noncwadi oluqwalaselweyo kwaye kubandakanya iziphumo zootata abakhoyo kunye nemiba yezoqoqosho; icandelo leempawu zobumelwane ezidlalwayo; Inkuthazo ebangela ukuba ulutsha luziphathe gwenxa kunye nendlela efanelekileyo nefumanekayo ngayo imibutho yenkxaso koomama abangatshatanga. Olu phononongo luye Iwabeka isiseko apho uphando olunzulu lunokuthi luqhutyelwe khona ukufumanisa izinto ezinokunceda koomama abangatshatanga ekulawuleni indlela yokuziphatha kolutsha ekhubekisayo, ukuthintela ukuphindaphinda kunye nokuxinana kwamaziko oluleko, kunye nokuchonga umngcipheko wokuthintela ulutsha ukuba luziphathe kakubi ngokupheleleyo