Teddy Bear Research Articles

AFRICAN CHILDREN AND SEXUALITY: A PERSPECTIVE ON TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY APPROACHES

For many years in South Africa, sexual acts with, and between children under the age of sixteen, were regarded as a sexual offence, even if consensual. A twist to this legal position was brought about by the case of Teddy Bear Clinic for abused Children v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development (2013 (12) BCLR 1429 (CC)), where the Constitutional Court decriminalized consensual sexual activity between children of certain age-ranges, starting from the age of twelve. Prior to serving before the Constitutional Court, this case was heard by the North Gauteng High Court. The application brought before the High Court challenged the constitutional validity of sections 15 and 16 of the Sexual Offences and Related Matters Act (32 of 2007) in as far as the said provisions criminalize a range of consensual sexual activities between children of a certain age. Sections 15 and 16 respectively criminalize acts of consensual sexual penetration and sexual violation between children.The court’s decision of decriminalizing consensual sexual acts of children of certain ages has created a space for a discourse on children and their decision-making on sexual matters. The court’s decision further paved way for a reflective discussion of traditional and contemporary approaches used in conscientizing children about their sexuality. As discussed below, the said approaches immensely influence the decisions that children make in sexual matters that affect them.It is asserted in this article that, while legal developments in the contemporary society emphasize the individualistic nature of a child when dealing with matters of his sexuality, it is argued that this approach cannot be the sole basis in dealing with sexuality of children. This is because the Constitution which serves as a bedrock of our legal system recognizes customary law as a distinct component of the South African legal system. It further recognizes the multi-cultural nature of the society within which children are raised. It provides that everyone has the right to participate in the cultural life of their choice, guided by the dictates of the Bill of Rights.
 This article seeks to explore the extent to which the Constitution, in as far as it recognizes the pluralist nature of our society, is assimilated in legislation and case law when dealing with the sexuality of children.

Emergency Preparedness Nursing Education: Learner and Faculty Perspectives

Over the past decade, entry-to-practice emergency preparedness competencies have been identified as an essential component of nursing education. In this paper the author reports upon a small Canadian study which explores the perspective of undergraduate learners and faculty members who participated in and/or facilitated an Emergency Preparedness Simulation (EPS) module during a primary health care praxis course. The central purpose of this study was to explore the related experiences of learners and faculty who participated in or facilitated an Emergency Preparedness Simulation (EPS) module academic year and their perspectives on the effectiveness of the simulation in preparing learners to respond to emergencies in the future. The EPS module included a seminar followed by a mass-casualty simulation experience. The mass-casualty simulation experience included a “Teddy Bear” triage and an “Explosion” triage. The constructivist data analysis identified four related patterns for both the learner and faculty participants: Strengths (S), Objections (O), Suggestions (S), and Feelings (!) [SOS!]. Three themes were identified in each pattern: relevance, design, and engagement. In comparing the learner and faculty perspectives, there is a clear congruence between the strengths identified, the objections identified, and the power of feelings for both learners and faculty who participate in the emergency preparedness scenarios. Learners and faculty had different suggestions. Learners suggested more time on developing skills, particularly around first aid of individual clients, and recommended all students begin with the “Teddy Bear” triage. Faculty suggested a re-thinking of the “Explosion” triage simulation to emphasize community based emergency preparedness and responsiveness. Such re-focusing would support the integration of key primary health care principles and values including equity, social justice, and social determinants of health. Learners and faculty valued the EPS module and recommended it continue to be a learning component of the primary health care course.

Teddy Bear: The Dearest, Nearest, and Scariest

The teddy bear, as one of the world’s most favorite stuffed toy, is distinct from real animals. In this paper, the author applies anthropological, philosophical and psychological theories to mainly explore two questions: 1. Why has the teddy bear achieved such incomparable commercial and cultural success around the world? 2. Is it accidental or inevitable that a cruel monster, instead of other adorable animals, has become the prototype of a popular toy? The paper discussed the dialectic relations between human beings and the nature and argued that perpetuation, tameness and nearness are three main characteristics that offer grounds for the teddy bear’s existence and popularity.

A CRITICAL REFLECTION ON THE SOUTH AFRICAN LAW OF THE CHILD

Children are considered to be vulnerable, and therefore need to be protected against parents, strangers and even themselves. As a consequence, the State’s quest for the protection of children in South Africa is expressed in the implementation of legislation designed to offer greater care and protection. For instance, section 28 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, offers a wide range of rights which are designed to offer greater protection to children. The rights of children can, in effect, be categorized into two themes. The first relates to the protection of children – as the child is dependent on those around him or her due to a lack of capacity, and is therefore vulnerable. The second theme relates to the autonomy of children. Section 28(2) of the Constitution provides that in any matter concerning a child, the best interests of the child are of paramount importance. However, most South African legislative provisions that deal with minor children seem to miss this principle, and are riddled with inconsistencies. In many statutes, where the principle is recognized, there is either limited appreciation of the significance of the principle and its overall impact on issues concerning children, or there is no coherence with the manner the courts have interpreted and applied the principle. For example, the recent judgment of the Teddy Bear Clinic case declared sections 15 and 16 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act unconstitutional. The judgment has been heavily criticized by different segments of society for encouraging teens to engage in wanton sexual intercourse, but illustrates some of the flaws in legislation aimed at protecting the welfare of minor children in South Africa. Furthermore, the common law and other legislation such as the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, the Marriage Act, and provisions of the Children’s Act regulating contraceptives and condoms, all contain such inconsistencies. For instance, the common law and section 24 (together with s 26) of the Marriage Act allow a minor from the age of puberty to enter into a valid marriage; section 129 of the Children’s Act requires that a minor aged twelve be assisted by a guardian to undergo a surgical operation; whereassections of the Choice Act do not require parental consent for terminating a minor’s pregnancy. This note reviews the above and other inconsistences currently prevalent in the law of the child in South Africa. A brief overview of the Teddy Bear Clinic case will be considered. Thereafter, it outlines and examines various gender-based contradictions in the law, and examines the possible rationale for justifying the particular legislative measure concerned. The note concludes by proposing possible solutions to the discrepancies that have been identified.

Smartphones, Teddy Bears, and Toys

Smartphones, Teddy Bears, and Toys

Evaluation of Commercial Sunflower (<i>Helianthus annuus</i> L.) Cultivars in Bogor, Indonesia for Ornamental and Nursery Production

A wide range of imported ornamental sunflower seeds have been marketed in Indonesia. A field evaluation was conducted on seven sunflower cultivars to investigate their germination, growth and development in humid tropical environment in Bogor, West Java, Indonesia and to determine their potential uses. Most of the tested cultivars, except for ‘Sungold Double’ and ‘Velvet Queen’, demonstrated good germination and growth. ‘Eclipse’ was highly susceptible to stem rot, which resulted in only 30% of the plants survived. ‘Little Leo’, ‘Teddy Bear’ and ‘Sungold Double’ were naturally compact, dwarf, and produced attractive blooms so they might be suitable as pot plants. ‘Hallo’, ‘Velvet Queen’, ‘Sunburst’, and ‘Eclipse’s plant height were more than 100 cm, had long stem and large blooms. These cultivars might be suitable as landscape plants.Keywords: morphological characteristics, West Java, pot plants

The Teddy Bear Clinic Constitutional Court case: sexual conduct between adolescent consenting children aged under 16 years decriminalised and a moratorium on the reporting duties of doctors and others.

The Constitutional Court in the Teddy Bear Clinic appeal case held that the sections of the Sexual Offences Act that impose criminal liability for sexual offences on adolescent children under 16 years of age are invalid. The invalidity was suspended for 18 months to allow Parliament to correct the Act's defects. A moratorium was imposed on all investigations into, arrests in, prosecutions in, and criminal and ancillary proceedings regarding such section 15 and 16 offences. This includes the duty to report consensual sexual conduct between children under 16 years of age in terms of section 54 of the Act--pending Parliament's correction. However, it is submitted that the 'best interests of the child' principle in the Children's Act and the Constitution should guide all obligatory reporting situations involving sexual and other conduct of children, irrespective of whether they are adolescents under 16 years old or between 16 and 17 years old.

‘Child Savers’ V ‘Kiddie Libbers’: The Sexual Rights of Adolescents

On 3 October 2013, the Constitutional Court handed down judgment in the landmark case of the Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. The case effectively decriminalises sexual conduct between consenting adolescents who are between 12 and 16 years of age. Khampepe J, writing a unanimously endorsed judgment, was at pains to point out from the start that the issue was about whether it is constitutionally permissible for adolescents to be subject to criminal sanctions in order to deter early sexual conduct, and not whether adolescents should or should not engage in sexual conduct or whether Parliament should set a minimum age for such consensual sexual conduct.

“The snake”: A novel object of hypothetical Venusian fauna

INTRODUCTIONIn [1–5], data were presented on hypotheticalVenusian fauna existing under physical conditions thatare radically different from terrestrial conditions.Along with unknown forms, objects were found whoseshapes resembled certain creature on Earth. This phenomenon, i.e., similarity to Earth’s fauna, was calledterramorphism. Among the objects found on theVENERA9 panorama, an object conventionallycalled a Teddy Bear [3] was observed. The angular resolution corresponding to this panorama attained 21

Reporting underage consensual sex after the Teddy Bear case: A different perspective

Doctors and researchers face a complex dilemma regarding the mandatory reporting of consensual underage sex, because of contradictions between the Children’s Act and the Sexual Offences Act. When providing underage children with sexual and reproductive health services, they have had to decide whether to provide these confidentially, in terms of the Children’s Act, or thereafter report the consensual but illegal sexual behaviour to the police, in terms of the Sexual Offences Act. The recent Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children, and Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (RAPCAN) v. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development case addressed whether consensual underage sex ought to be a criminal offence and thus reported. The court held that aspects of sections 15 and 16 of the Sexual Offences Act infringed on the constitutional rights of adolescents (aged 12 - 15 years) by proscribing many consensual sexual activities. McQuoid-Mason has described this case in detail. He submits that following the judgement, doctors are no longer under a reporting obligation in relation to consensual underage sex. We respectfully disagree. This article critiques McQuoid-Mason’s approach, sets out our views on the mandatory reporting obligations after the Teddy Bear case and concludes with some comments on the judgement’s implications for researchers and medical practitioners.

Misguided reform: Regulating consensual sexual activity between adolescents in South African law from a gender perspective

abstractThe age of consent to sexual intercourse in South African law is 161 and the South African experience emphatically shows that children below the age of 16 are engaging in under-age sexual intercourse. Sections 15 and 16 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act 32 of 2007 make it a criminal offence for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 15 to engage in certain consensual sexual activities. The question of whether or not consensual under-age sex ought to be made a criminal offence as a protective measure against adult sexual predatory behaviour, formed the subject of judicial scrutiny in the recently decided Teddy Bear Clinic for Abused Children and Resources Aimed at the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect [RAPCAN] v Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development & Others.2 As a consequence of this criminally prohibitive legislative stance, the North Gauteng High Court declared sections 15 and 16 constitutionally invalid. The matter was referred to the Constitutional Court to confirm the High Court's order. The Constitutional Court has reserved judgment. This Article broadly aims to show how age of consent laws provide an obvious example of direct state intervention in the sexual lives of adolescents, with specific emphasis on the disproportionate impact of the impugned provisions as experienced by adolescent girls (and not boys). The thrust of the Article sets out to show how these provisions ultimately hurt adolescent girls more than boys, by demonstrating its conflict with different laws which militate particularly against adolescent girls' sexual health and well-being. In a climate where sexual violence or the threat of it poses one of the biggest impediments to their right to self-determination in South Africa, it is suggested that a further burden of gender injustices are created, premised on a flawed paradigm which detracts from achieving the goal of protecting adolescents from adult sexual predators.

Does the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’ enhance preschool children’s knowledge? A pilot study with a pre/post-case control design in Germany

The 'Teddy Bear Hospital' is a medical students' project, which has been increasingly established in many countries. To evaluate this concept, we examined the effects of a German Teddy Bear Hospital on children's knowledge relating to their body, health and disease. Using a quasi-experimental pre/post design, we examined 131 preschool children from 14 German kindergartens with pictorial interview-based scales. The analysis of covariance revealed that the children who visited the Teddy Bear Hospital had a significantly better knowledge concerning their body, health and disease than the children from the control group. This German Teddy Bear Hospital is a good health education vehicle for preschool children.

Decriminalisation of consensual sexual conduct between children: What should doctors do regarding the reporting of sexual offences under the Sexual Offences Act until the Constitutional Court confirms the judgement of the Teddy Bear Clinic case?

In the Teddy Bear Clinic case, the High Court declared some sections of the Sexual Offences Act unconstitutional, a decision which is still to be confirmed by the Constitutional Court. However, until the Constitutional Court pronounces on the matter, doctors faced with child patients who have been involved in ‘consensual sexual penetration’ or ‘consensual sexual violations’ with other children would be fully justified in not reporting such conduct to the authorities because ( i ) the High Court has judged the criminalisation of such conduct as unconstitutional, which is likely to be upheld by the Constitutional Court; and ( ii ) there is no duty to report consensual sexual activities involving children if this would violate the constitutional ‘best interests of the child’ principle.

Golliwogs and Teddy Bears: Embodied Racism in Children's Popular Culture

Golliwogs and Teddy Bears: Embodied Racism in Children's Popular Culture

Teddy Bear Hospital — Students' Learning in the Field of Practice with Children

The Teddy Bear Hospital is a collaborative project between council run nursery schools and a post-graduate nursing college in regional Norway. The background to this project is that students have limited possibilities to gain experience with children in hospitals during the practical training aspect of their education, a situation this project hopes to redress. In this project the students meet with healthy preschool children in nursery school on the one day and then meet them again on the following day, this time within the college's training department. The children bring their teddy bears with them who are then ‘admitted’ to the ‘Teddy Bear Hospital’, where they receive treatment and a dressing based on the symptoms the children describe. The project is a quality case study and the result were analyzed using Giorgie's phenomenological method. The discussion is based on a sociocultural approach to learning by Vygotskij, and Dewey's principle that all learning comes through experience. Analyses and triangulation of the students' written reflection notes, interviews with the nursery school staff, observations and drawings by the children, demonstrate that the students gain experience in communicating with children. The students become intrigued by how the children play. They are also able to experience meeting children in their role as hospital personnel, dressed as they are in white hospital uniform. The notes show that they reflect upon the children's maturity based upon the theory they learned in college before practice.

Pediatric News

Pediatric News

Keep the Teddy Bear

Keep the Teddy Bear

2012 PPAG Fellows

2012 PPAG Fellows

Paediatric society: ongoing initiatives to raise the profile of paediatrics

<h3>Aims</h3> To assess baseline paediatric career intentions and the impact of a student-led paediatric society (PS), which aims to increase student exposure and encourage recruitment to paediatrics. The PS was established in 2009 and runs career events, paediatric/neonatal resuscitation training days, Teddy Bear Hospital (TBH) sessions and provides information for electives. <h3>Methods</h3> Clinical students (2011) joining the PS completed a baseline career choice questionnaire during their introductory week. After attending PS events, students completed anonymous feedback questionnaires to assess changes in attitudes towards paediatrics. Participation in TBH, paediatric electives and student selected components (SSC) were used as other indicators of interest in paediatrics. <h3>Results</h3> The PS has 288 members, representing 64% of clinical students. 53 students responded to the baseline careers questionnaire; of these, 7 (13%) planned to specialise in paediatrics and mean certainty about their future career choice was 2.5 (5-point Likert scale). 30 students attended our careers event in November 2011 and 16 completed the feedback questionnaire; 8 were certain they wished to specialise in paediatrics and a further 8 considering paediatrics. The mean value for certainty about their future career was 3.2 (5-point Likert scale). Students (n=30) attending our Paediatric / Neonatal resuscitation training day rated it a mean of 100% for satisfaction and 97% for increased confidence in dealing with future emergency scenarios. The PS organised 8 TBH health education events for local primary schools, involving over 100 medical student volunteers and 250 children. Over the last 4 years the number of students undertaking paediatric electives has increased from 26 to 42 and SSCs from less than 10 in 2007 to 34 in 2011. <h3>Conclusions</h3> ▶The majority of students entering clinical medicine are unsure about their future career choice, but many consider paediatrics as an option. ▶Events run by the PS with supportive consultants are popular. ▶Increasing student involvement in TBH, paediatric electives and SSCs has increased the profile of paediatrics at this medical school.

Formulaic Language and Second Language Acquisition: Zipf and the Phrasal Teddy Bear

This article revisits earlier proposals that language learning is, in essence, the learning of formulaic sequences and their interpretations; that this occurs at all levels of granularity from large to small; and that the language system emerges from the statistical abstraction of patterns latent within and across form and function in language usage. It considers recent research in individual differences, the psycholinguistics of language processing, and longitudinal studies of first (L1) and second (L2) language acquisition. The first section reviews studies of individual differences in phonological short-term memory (PSTM) and working memory (WM) and their correlations with vocabulary and grammar acquisition in L2. The second section summarizes evidence that language processing is sensitive to the statistical properties of formulaic language in terms of frequency and transitional probability. The third section examines the definition of formulas and formulaicity using different statistical metrics. The fourth section evaluates longitudinal research in L1 and L2 into the putative developmental sequence commonly proposed in usage-based approaches, from formula to low-scope pattern to creative construction. The final section weighs the implications of the statistical distributions of formulaicity in usage for developmental sequences of language acquisition. Zipf's law and the “phrasal teddy bear” explain the paradox whereby formulas seed language acquisition and yet learner language is formula-light in comparison to native norms.