Final Master's Dissertation JP Pophaim (original) (raw)

God, first and foremost, for bringing me this far and never leaving my side until this dissertation was completed, "For I was confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil 1:6). This was one of life"s greatest challenges but I was prepared for the task as I firmly believed that "my help would come from the Lord, who made heaven and earth" (Ps. 121:2) and that I would make a success of this journey as I have "placed my hope in the Lord and will soar on wings like eagles" (Isaiah 40:31) and reach new heights in my career. My parents and sister, for all the support and sacrifices made and for guiding me so that I could achieve all I set out to do. I am most grateful to my parents for constantly reminding me to grab every educational opportunity with both hands as they strongly believe that education is the most powerful, precious and significant thing they could ever provide for their children. They kept me focused while I was on this journey and they never failed to reassure me that I was capable of completing this dissertationeven at times when I felt I could not carry on. A special word of thanks goes to my supervisor, Professor Robert Peacock who guided and supported me without wavering, never doubting my potential as a young academic. I appreciate and respect your professionalism and your encouraging words to always try my best in order to produce optimal results. Thank you to my extended family, colleagues and friends for the love and support throughout this entire process. And lastly, but not leasta big thank you to the shelters, organisations and participants who formed part of this study. My sincerest appreciation goes to the participants for allowing me to document their experiences which helped give this study meaning, purpose and value. Declaration I, Jean-Paul Pophaim, declare that this dissertation is my own unaided work. All citations, references and borrowed ideas have been duly acknowledged. This dissertation is being submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Masters of Social Science with Specialisation in Criminology at the Department of Criminology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. I also hereby confirm that this research has not been previously submitted for a qualification at another institution of higher education.