Kirjahaku

South African children have been exposed to chronic adversity which has resulted in psychological distress and high levels of fear. Violence against children is ubiquitous and injury is common. Children have been found to be 'scared everywhere', not only at school but also in their homes and communities. Yet no systematic attempt has been made to explore this. The aim of this study therefore is to provide a systematic investigation of how children conceptualize and understand their own fears and anxieties. It is an exploratory study designed to gain baseline information from a child's perspective. Although this study focused on the school context, it was part of a broader research project that also included the family and community contexts, guided by Ecological Systems theory to gain an integrative perspective. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional survey research design was employed. This study utilized stratified random sampling in terms of the quintile system, involving random selection of schools proportional to the size of each quintile. The sample consisted of 312 children ranging between the ages of 13 - 18 years from 7 schools in the North West Province.

Children living in South Africa are exposed to chronic adversity on a daily basis, placing them at increased risk for psychological distress and high levels of fear. In particular, the impact of interpersonal violence on children has been noted with concern and has been well researched. Whilst numerous studies have focused separately on either mode of exposure (direct versus indirect or vicariously experienced) or locus of exposure (the specific domain such as the home, school or community) to interpersonal violence and the wide array of detrimental outcomes on childhood development, there remain inconsistencies in findings. The aim of this study was therefore to systematically investigate the constructs of mode and locus of exposure, simultaneously and comprehensively, in order to provide more clarity into the relative impact of different forms of interpersonal violence on South African children. The study expanded on an existing research project that was conducted over three loci of exposure: the home, the school, and community, in order to explore the nature of South African adolescent fears, using existing data.