Abstract:
Aims
The study was based on the premise that the many children in South Africa had been
subjected to a number of violent crimes. It was, therefore, assumed that these children
would react negatively to the exposure to traumatic events. The researcher thus set out to
determine the degree to which crime and other traumatic events were affecting children,
particularly those living in the black townships. It was hypothesized that due to the level
of violence and other traumatic events occurring in the townships on the one hand and
children’s vulnerability on the other, there would be a heightened prevalence of posttraumatic
stress disorder.
Method
797 children from 18 schools in Sebokeng Township, south of Johannesburg, were
administered questionnaires to assess the presence of PTSD. While children were
selected on the basis of age and availability, selection of schools was random. Children
were administered the questionnaires in groups in their classrooms. The researcher,
together with an aide was present in the administration in order to help children
understand and answer the questions.
Findings
The study revealed a higher presence and prevalence of PTSD. Significant proportion of
children reported to have been suffering from all PTSD criterion groups. Although there
were gender differences in the proportion of children who met various PTSD criterion
groups, no gender differences existed in the scores obtained by the children. Age was
shown to have no relation to PTSD. Using the ANOVA, significant differences existed
across schools.
