TO:                   LAUREUS SPORT FOR GOOD FOUNDATION

 

ATTENTION:      MARLENE COETZEE-GEORGE

 

PROJECT:          “FIGHT WITH INSIGHT” A BOXING PROGRAMME FOR YOUTH IN CONFLICT WITH THE LAW

 

AREA:               SOUTHERN SUBURBS JOHANNESBURG

 

TIME PERIOD:    PILOT 2006/7 AND ONGOING

 

PERSON TO CONTACT REGARDING THIS REPORT:

                        LUKE LAMPRECHT AND SHAHEDA OMAR

 

 

 

PRESENTED IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANTON GILLMORE AND THE BOX OFFICE GYM (SOUTHERN SUBURBS RECREATION CENTRE).

 

We are very excited about this initiative and are confident about the benefits of a boxing programme for young offenders once they have completed their diversion programme. A diversion programme is part of the youth justice and restorative justice paradigm in dealing with youth offenders. The belief is that the youth need to be guided to behave appropriately through life-skills training rather than through a punitive criminal justice system. The difficulty, though is that the youth often make poor decisions as there are no other available options, poor or absent role models. In addition, they enter the diversion programmes via the court and are not necessarily willing participants. What we hope to achieve through offering boxing as a sport is using what got them into conflict with the law as the tool for them to make alternative and positive decisions and thus contributions within themselves and toward others.

 

Diversion groups are currently run in three regions (Parktown Head Office, Protea Court and Zamakuhle Clinic in Soweto and the Krugersdorp Magistrates Court.  Once the groups are completed (12 weeks), it is important that the process does not end there.  We have recently implemented Art Therapy and Music Therapy as offshoots of our diversion programme.    The diversion programme is compulsory and it is also compulsory to attend at least one of the follow on programmes, as an alternative to community service as this sentencing option yielded few positive results and was challenging to manage.  They are introduced to the community- based “positive alternative” during one of the final sessions to generate interest.  The boys are actively encouraged to participate in as many as possible, and we feel that a viable Sport and Recreation option needs to be added to our current Arts and Culture options.  We need to remove all possible barriers to the realisation of the potential for the youth to engage in positive activities. As a result we need to assist with transport costs as well as boxing gear to ensure maximum participation and investment in youth rehabilitation and as a result community contribution.

 

The most important contribution of the programme being that the youth will be introduced to positive role models from and be able to follow the educational messages through in a positive context. These messages are simply respect for self and others. All of the youth involved initially are youth sex offenders and this will be extended via our outreach programmes to bullying and physical assault. There are rules in boxing that parallel those of life, turn taking, referees, rest periods, rounds, when the fight is over and you need to move on. The metaphors are endless!

 

Finally, the box office proudly proclaims that “it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog!” We firmly believe that there is too much emphasis on the negative outcomes of “peer pressure” and feel that a “positive peer culture” is possible within the boxing arena as it harnesses a natural talent or instinct and channels it.

 

 

The Clinic Manager, Luke Lamprecht, has met with Anton Gilmore of The Box Office at the Southern Suburbs Sports Complex.  Anton Gilmore is a renowned boxer who fought for the World Title, against Cassius Baloyi, the current world champion. Voted the Most Promising Boxing Promoter of 2005, he is also a strong believer in Sports Development and has a number of Development Boxers at his gym. We feel he would be an ideal role model not only because of his success, but because he is concerned about youth in crisis.  His motto is “if you fight on the street, then you cant fight in my gym” and claims that the day he started boxing, he stopped fighting. 

 

Luke and Anton have agreed to create a link between the Clinic as Luke once boxed (very unsuccessfully) and Anton agrees that community work is essential. During the diversion programme Luke and Anton will introduce boxing, and then Luke and Thabo will train with the youth will attend boxing training once a month to learn with the youth and follow-up with them, ensuring continuity and sustainability of the programmes and their shared objective.

RATIONALE FOR DIVERSION AS AN OPTION AND THE LINK TO SPORT SPECIFICALLY

 

Many of the victimisers who are required to join the SPARC groups are submissive and timid and feel quite powerless due to their own history or socialisation process.  Often their attempt to resolve that problem is by violating, assuming power, which is destructive.  Our rationale is to re-channel and create an opportunity for ventilation through constructive means, where they still feel powerful and triumphant, but are expressing and releasing that anger in a healthy and adaptive way.

 

With any recreational sport, there are rules, limit-setting and guidelines which must be adhered to, thereby requiring self-discipline.  Participants are expected to respond to these rules, not in an impulsive manner, which is what they have learnt, but in the appropriate way.  This is an opportunity for them to un-learn old, maladaptive behaviours and re-learn correct behaviours. Candidates are given a degree of self-mastery over their body, which is particularly important in impulse-control disorders, which may manifest as child-on-child abuse.

 

With this specific technique, every child is given the opportunity to feel strong and in control, irrespective of size.  Most of the boys suffer from low self-esteem, an inability to believe in themselves.  They see themselves as unworthy of doing anything or completing any task.   This builds their repertoire, not only strengthening the intellectual side but the physical side of their development, which impacts on the intellectual side.  We cannot separate the mind and the body as the one feeds into the other.

 

The objectives of the programme:

Provides an effective, appropriate way to channel anger impulses and release anger. 

Gives alternatives rather than just forbidding certain actions. 

Physical fitness

Self-discipline

Sense of mastery and belonging

Development of self-esteem

 

Shaheda Omar

THERAPEUTIC MANAGER

SPARC

Information

 

1. What does SPARC stand for?

Support Programme for Abuse Reactive Children

 

2. What are the ages of the children on the programme?

6-16yrs

 

3. What is the vision of this programme?

To disrupt the cycle of abuse and prevent the development of potential adult offenders.

 

4. What kind of content is involved?

Facilitators examine topics such as :  Healthy Sexuality, Victim Empathy, Impulse Control, Taking Responsibility for your actions, Anger Management and HIV / Aids and Problem-solving techniques.

 

5. How are the children elected to go on the programme?

It is usually court mandated, but there are exceptions where voluntary clients are allowed on this programme.

 

6. When was the programme started?

In February 2001.

 

7. Who currently runs the SPARC programme (s)?

The Therapeutic Manager at the Teddy Bear Clinic.

 

8. How many trained, active therapists are there who run SPARC programmes ?

4 who are actively running programmes at the Teddy Bear Clinic but 80 individuals have been trained in Gauteng.

 

9. How many children are in each session?

From 5 to 10 children.

 

10. How long does a programme go on for?

We contract for 12 sessions but some children may need to remain in the programme longer, depending on their progress.

 

11. How many children are assisted through the programme per year?

Approximately 90 children per year across the three regions.

 

12. What happens to the children once the programme is over?

They are referred into a community service programme for 6 months (SPCA, library or working with the aged.)

 

13. How is the success rate monitored?

We have conducted 3 month, 6 month and 18 month follow-ups to evaluate the offender free status of each child.

 

14. How long will it take to train a therapist?

Firstly the person needs to have worked in the field and have had experience. The course is 5 days.

 

15. If you have a trained therapist AND boxing instructor, how much would the programme cost per year?

Approx R67.035.65 per region per year for the diversion programme and R 39 800 for the sport component.

 

16. Are programmes run like this elsewhere in the country/world?

No- not for pre-pubescent children in this country and there is very little information available.

 

16. What is DIME?

DIME (Diversion into Music Expression) is a creative process where they play music and create musical instruments or DIAT (Diversion into Art Therapy).  The aim is to connect with others and themselves and to further enhance their self esteem.  This is facilitated by our music therapist, Helen Krige and art therapist, Elton. It is extremely important for these children to see themselves in a different way, moving away from the label perpetrator to creator of something beautiful. 

 

Below is a combined itemized budget, which is negotiable within limits as there may be a need for additional funding to completely meet all of the programme objectives.

 

BUDGET LINE ITEM	AMOUNT
Travel Expenses for Clients	1416.70
Printing and Stationery	4662.46
Salary and Bonus	42526.46
Corporate Management	12578.66
Service Management	5851.37
TOTAL:	67 035.65

 

Improvements to Box Office facilities (once-off cost)	5000.00
Kit and Equipment (per year)	6000.00
Training for 12 children per quarter is R7200	28 800.00
TOTAL:	39 800.00

 

 

Conclusion

We recognise that the marketing of this programme from the Walk The Talk perspective, as well as the Sports Trust.  The Teddy Bear Clinic and The Box Office strongly believe that we are currently walking the talk and investing heavily in youth at risk in South Africa.  As was highlighted in Child Protection Week, the protection of children is everybody’s business.  What is unique about this partnership possibility is that there is the opportunity for everyone to participate in the protection of children and improving the health of our society by participating in a walk for individual health.  In this way every individual can make a difference in the life of another.  What we would like to highlight is ordinary people making extraordinary contributions every day within challenges facing youth in our society.  We look forward to a positive response and a meaningful partnership in reclaiming youth at risk.