This thesis explores women’s disclosure of domestic violence, and is based on the findings of two research studies. The first study explored prevalence rates of domestic violence reported by women following childbirth. The subsequent narrative study explored women’s experiences of disclosure and their interactions with statutory agencies. The research was influenced by a feminist epistemology, recognizing the marginalisation of the women’s experiences from a subjugated relationship, addressing the power relationship between the researcher and participants and because of the significant disparity between gendered lives. The study was conducted in two parts. A survey of five hundred women in the immediate postnatal period within a large NHS Hospital participated in the first part of the study. The second study involved narrative interviews with fifteen women living within their own community who talked about their experiences of domestic violence and issues surrounding disclosure. Women’s stories about disclosure including the responses they received were influenced by cultural narratives. The theories of social power have been utilized as an explanatory framework and provide the theoretical basis of the analysis. The study found low levels of disclosure at two specific points along the pregnancy/childbirth continuum; during booking in clinic and in the immediate postnatal period. Furthermore, the findings revealed three specific tactics used by perpetrators to engage women in the early relational stage with the intentionality of exerting control and subjugation. These have been termed feeling special, feeling vulnerable and commitment. Whilst women talked of coercion and subjugation by their partners, they also talked of how their interactions with statutory agencies limited their agency. The significance of this study is that the thesis was able to challenge contemporary policies developed by statutory agencies in the provision of support to women who experience domestic violence. The thesis develops some understanding of the nature and role of cultural narratives and patterns of disclosure before suggesting new directions to further advance the findings presented. Finally, the thesis proposes recommendations to improve training for statutory agencies in providing a response to women disclosing domestic violence, suggesting a new direction in thinking about the facilitation of this training.

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This qualitative study conducted in Johannesburg and Pretoria, explores the effect of migration on domestic violence. Drawing on the social constructionist and feminist theory, the study investigates how migrant women understand and explain the effect of migration on domestic violence. Participants were identified using purposive and snowball techniques and narratives of fifteen migrant women were employed in data collection using a semi-structured interview guide. Data for this study was analysed using a combination of content, narrative and discourse analysis. Analysis of the data revealed that the context in which domestic violence is experienced greatly shaped how urban migrant women understood and explained domestic violence. Participants explained the meaning and effect of migration on domestic violence mainly drawing on discourses related to their experiences of migration. In addition, their definitions of domestic violence differed from the classical definitions that group domestic violence in categories; given that they drew on actual experiences in the context of migration as opposed to their home country to explain what domestic violence meant and how migration affected it. Further analysis, shows that broader factors in the context of migration including migrant women’s legal status, xenophobia, poverty, unemployment as well as immigration policies, intersected broadly with gender and unequal power relationships to increase migrant women’s vulnerability to domestic violence. Migrant women in this case, drew mainly on such migration related discourses to explain reasons that they felt led to increased domestic violence and to show how and why they endured domestic violence for survival in the absence of love for their spouses. 2 Factors including being migrants, women’s legal status, xenophobia, lack of networks, dependency caused by poverty and high crime rates in South Africa were also seen by migrant women as heightening their fear of public violence leading to the tolerance and preference of private violence as the only available option. Migrant women also idealised their home country as safer from domestic violence to show the negative consequences of migration on women and how it increases domestic violence. In doing so, they drew on the discourse of culture which they understood as tied to place to explain its role in prohibiting and minimising domestic violence, and to justify not using available services for responding to domestic violence in South Africa. In employing such discourses, they intended to show how services for responding to domestic violence in the host country1 were culturally inappropriate for migrant women and the attachments they held towards their home country and culture.

Feminist critiques have been instrumental in cautioning the use of restorative justice in cases of domestic violence. However a smaller body of feminist literature examining the issues from the perspective of victim-survivors, supports the use of restorative justice in domestic violence cases. This thesis aims to contribute to the second body of research and incorporate particular victim-survivor voices into a debate that has profound implications for how justice could be administered for future victim-survivors of domestic violence. Thematic, narrative and discourse methods of analysis were used to reveal and explore e-interviews with two B.C women who experienced domestic violence and underwent a restorative justice process in response. Within a feminist framework, the results support the view that, when safety and power can be fully addressed, restorative justice renders benefits not obtainable in the traditional justice system: victim-survivors experience empowerment, and achieve healing and closure. / Graduate

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Theses (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2004. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains vi, 70 pages. Bibliography: p. 55-59.

Theses (M.A.)--Marshall University, 2004. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 55-59). Also available through the Internet.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2008. / Evidence from literature (Edleson, 1999; Ross man, 1998; Graham-Bermann, 1996) has shown that children who witnessed family violence suffer from emotional, behavioural, social and cognitive problems and are often in conflict with the law and adults. For this reason, the main aim of the present study was to form and evaluate a therapeutic group for children who witnessed family violence in an attempt to promote health at secondary and tertiary levels. The sample for this study consisted of 12 children aged 8-13 years (who constituted the therapeutic group) and their mothers (who evaluated children's progress). Specifically designed questionnaires were used to collect data which was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study showed that children who witnessed family violence benefited from group therapy as a treatment approach. Children's post-test responses showed a significant improvement when compared to pre-test responses. This was also affirmed by mothers' post-test responses. These findings suggest a critical need for provision of group therapy to children who witnessed family violence.

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