Indicators of Trauma in a Single Sand Tray Scene of a Rural School Youth
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Indicators of trauma in a single sand tray scene of a rural school youth Karin Ayres 2016 © University of Pretoria Indicators of trauma in a single sand tray scene of a rural school youth by Karin Ayres Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER EDUCATIONIS (Educational Psychology) Department of Educational Psychology Faculty of Education University of Pretoria SUPERVISOR Prof. Carien Lubbe-De Beer PRETORIA NOVEMBER 2016 © University of Pretoria Acknowledgements I would not have been able to complete this study without the assistance, guidance and support of several individuals. I wish to express my deep appreciation to the following individuals: Prof. Carien Lubbe-De Beer, my supervisor and mentor, for her guidance, support, encouragement and belief in my capabilities. Ms. Catia Rocha for ensuring the grammatical accuracy of this study. My family, especially my mother, for being there for me and helping me with whatever I needed. A very special thanks to my husband, Kobus, for his support, love, patience and encouragement. I could not have asked for a better life partner. My two precious daughters, Keila and Katelin, for always reminding me what my real purpose in life is…to love them. ---oOo--- Page i © University of Pretoria Declaration of Originality I, Karin Ayres, declare that the mini-dissertation, entitled: Indicators of trauma in a single sand tray scene of a rural school youth , which I hereby submit for the degree Masters in Educational Psychology at the University of Pretoria, is my own work and has not previously been submitted by me for a degree at this or any other tertiary institution. _______________________ Karin Ayres November 2016 ---oOo--- Page ii © University of Pretoria Ethical Clearance Certificate Page iii © University of Pretoria Ethics Statement The author, whose name appears on the title page of this mini-dissertation, has obtained, for the research described in this work, the applicable research ethics approval. The author declares that she has observed the ethical standards required in terms of the University of Pretoria’s Code of ethics for researchers and the Policy guidelines for responsible research. ---oOo--- Page iv © University of Pretoria Abstract Indicators of trauma in a single sand tray scene of a rural school youth by Karin Ayres Supervisor: Prof. Carien Lubbe-De Beer Degree: M. Ed. (Educational Psychology) The purpose of this study was to explore the ways in which a rural school youth indicates trauma in a single sand tray scene. An empirical study of limited extent, which was conducted from the interpretivistic paradigm and qualitative by nature, was undertaken. A clinical case study was utilised as research design and document analysis was employed as data collection method. The case record of a Grade 9 learner with a complex trauma history, who attended a secondary school in a low-resourced community in Mpumalanga, was selected as the principal participant in the study. Sandplay assessment, trauma indicators and rural youths were the main concepts guiding the study. The findings of the empirical study were, firstly, that the ways a rural school youth indicated trauma in a single sand tray scene corresponded with trauma indications in Sandplay literature, of which, secondly, scenes appearing hostile, sexualised, bounded-off, rigid, obstructed or empty and devoid of life (e.g. people, vegetation) and scenery were examples. This reflected the universal dynamism of trauma. Another finding was that the utility of a single sand tray scene as a screening tool for trauma with a rural school youth was high and valuable as it identified different types of trauma and trauma-related suffering (symptoms). Key words • Cross-cultural assessment • Sandplay assessment • Trauma • Indicators of trauma • Rural youth • Qualitative research ---oOo--- Page v © University of Pretoria Table of Content Page CHAPTER 1 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1 1.2 RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY 2 1.2.1 PERSONAL MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY 5 1.3 PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH STUDY 6 1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 6 1.4.1 PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTION 6 ECONDARY RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1.4.2 S 6 1.5 ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY 6 1.6 CONCEPT CLARIFICATION 7 1.6.1 PROJECTIVE TECHNIQUES 7 1.6.2 SANDPLAY 7 1.6.3 TRAUMA 8 1.6.4 ADOLESCENCE 8 1.6.5 RURAL YOUTH 8 1.7 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 9 1.8 LAYOUT OF THE STUDY 9 1.9 CONCLUSION 10 ---oOo--- Page vi © University of Pretoria Page CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: YOUTH TRAUMATISATION 2.1 INTRODUCTION 11 2.2 CONCEPTUALISATION OF TRAUMA 11 2.2.1 HISTORY OF TRAUMA 11 2.2.2 DEFINITION OF TRAUMA 13 2.2.3 NATURE OF TRAUMA 14 2.2.3.1 Individual trauma 14 2.2.3.2 Collective trauma 17 2.3 PREVALENCE OF TRAUMA AMONGST SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOL YOUTH 19 2.3.1 THE SCALE AND NATURE OF YOUTH TRAUMATISATION 19 2.3.1.1 Youth traumatisation in the school, home and community 20 2.3.2 RISK PROFILE OF YOUTH TRAUMATISATION 23 2.4 IMPACT OF TRAUMA DURING ADOLESCENCE 24 2.4.1 TRAUMA STRESS SYMPTOMS 25 2.4.1.1 Trauma stress symptoms in the emotional functioning domain 26 2.4.1.2 Trauma stress symptoms in the physical functioning domain 26 2.4.1.3 Traumatic stress and the adolescent brain 27 2.4.1.4 Trauma stress symptoms in the cognitive functioning domain 30 2.4.1.5 Trauma stress symptoms in the behavioural functioning domain 31 2.4.1.6 Trauma stress symptoms in the relational functioning domain 32 2.4.2 PREDICATIVE RISK FACTORS 33 2.4.3 CLINICAL -LEVEL TRAUMA STRESS SYMPTOMS 35 2.4.3.1 Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD (CPTSD) 35 2.5 CONCLUSION 37 ---oOo--- Page vii © University of Pretoria Page CHAPTER 3 LITERATURE REVIEW: SANDPLAY AND TRAUMA 3.1 INTRODUCTION 38 3.2 HISTORY OF SANDPLAY 38 3.3 PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SANDPLAY 41 3.4 STAGES OF SANDPLAY 42 3.5 ROLE OF THE THERAPIST 43 3.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FIRST SAND TRAY SCENE 44 3.7 CONTEMPLATING THE PRACTICAL APPLICABILITY OF SANDPLAY WITH TRAUMA 44 3.8 INDICATIONS OF TRAUMA IN SANDPLAY LITERATURE 47 3.8.1 INDICATIONS OF EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS IN SAND TRAYS 48 3.8.2 INDICATIONS OF THE NEED FOR THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTION IN SAND TRAYS 50 3.8.3 INDICATIONS OF TRAUMA IN SAND TRAYS 51 3.8.4 INDICATIONS OF COPING DIFFICULTIES IN SAND TRAYS 57 3.9 CONCLUSION 59 ---oOo--- Page viii © University of Pretoria Page CHAPTER 4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 4.1 INTRODUCTION 60 4.2 PURPOSE OF THE STUD Y 60 4.3 PARADIGMATIC PERSPECTIVES 61 4.3.1 EPISTEMOLOGICAL PARADIGM 61 4.3.2 METHODOLOGICAL PARADIGM 62 4.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 64 4.4.1 CASE STUDY AS RESEARCH DESIGN 64 4.4.2 STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES OF A CASE STUDY RESEARCH DESIGN 64 4.4.3 UNIT OF ANALYSIS 65 4.4.4 REFLECTION ON THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER 65 4.4.5 SELECTION OF THE PARTICIPANT AND SAMPLING PROCEDURE 66 4.4.5.1 The research context 66 4.4.5.2 Selection of the participant 66 4.4.6 DATA COLLECTION AND DOCUMENTATION 67 4.4.7 DATA ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION 69 4.5 QUALITY CRITERIA / TRUSTWORTHINESS OF THE STUDY 70 4.6 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 71 4.7 CONCLUSION 72 ---oOo--- Page ix © University of Pretoria Page CHAPTER 5 FINDINGS AND INTERPRETATION 5.1 INTRODUCTION 73 5.2 ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF A SINGLE SAND TRAY SCENE 73 5.2.1 CASE HISTORY AND EXTERNAL SITUATION 73 5.2.1.1 The people in Noku’s life 74 5.2.1.2 Living conditions 75 5.2.1.3 School life 75 5.2.1.4 Recreational activities and friends 76 5.2.1.5 Noku’s inner life 76 5.2.2 THE MANNER IN WHICH THE SAND TRAY SCENE WAS CREATED 78 5.2.2.1 Session content 78 5.2.2.2 Interaction with the sand 80 5.2.2.3 Position of the participant in relation to the tray 81 5.2.3 THE RESEARCHER ’S FEELING RESPONSE TO THE SANDPLAY SCENE 81 5.2.4 THE SANDPLAY STORY 82 5.2.5 CONTENT OF THE SAND TRAY SCENE 83 5.2.5.1 Symbolic content 83 5.2.5.2 Use of figures 84 5.2.5.3 Arrangement of figures and shape of the sand 86 5.2.5.4 Colour 86 5.2.5.5 Use of the blue bottom of the sand tray 86 5.2.5.6 Relationship between figures and elements of the scene 87 5.2.5.7 Dynamic or static quality 87 5.2.5.8 Boundaries 88 5.2.5.9 Theme of the sand tray 88 5.2.5.10 Closeness to consciousness 89 5.3 COMPARISON BETWEEN A SINGLE SAND TRAY SCENE AND A PROJECTIVE TEST 90 5.4 CONCLUSION 92 ---oOo--- Page x © University of Pretoria Page CHAPTER 6 FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 INTRODUCTION 93 6.2 FINDINGS OF THE STUDY 93 6.2.1 SECONDARY RESEARCH QUESTION 1: WHAT INDICATIONS OF TRAUMA ARE REVEALED IN LITERATURE ON SANDPLAY ? 93 6.2.2 SECONDARY RESEARCH QUESTION 2: WHAT IS THE UTILITY OF A SINGLE SAND TRAY SCENE AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR TRAUMA IN A RURAL SCHOOL YOUTH ? 95 6.2.3 PRIMARY RESEARCH QUESTION : HOW DO A RURAL SCHOOL YOUTH INDICATE TRAUMA IN A SINGLE SAND TRAY SCENE ? 96 6.3 CONTRIBUTION OF THE STUDY 99 6.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 100 6.5 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH, TRAINING AND PRACTICE 100 6.6 CONCLUSION 101 REFERENCES 102 ---oOo--- Page xi © University of Pretoria List of Tables Page Table 2.1: Predicative risk factors of psychological difficulties following trauma 34 Table 3.1: Characteristics of dynamic and stagnant post-trauma play 52 Table 4.1: Primary and secondary document sources 68 Table 6.1: Indicators of trauma in Sandplay 96 ---oOo--- List of Figures Page Figure 2.1: PTSD and Complex PTSD symptom configurations 37 Figure 5.1: Circle of Influence Activity.