Thesis (DPhil (Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Domestic violence is a serious social problem, both in Southern Africa, as well as globally. From March 2003 to February 2004 a total of 27 071 men and women were assisted by Mosaic to apply for Interim Protection Orders (IPO), in the domestic violence sections of eleven Magistrates’ Courts in the Western Cape in South Africa. Mosaic is a nongovernmental organisation and provides free support services to all victims of domestic violence. The IPO, which is the practical tool and legal document of the South African Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, is issued by a Magistrate’s Court. It is supposed to protect victims from physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, verbal and/or economic abuse, harassment, intimidation, stalking, damage to and entering of their property without their consent, in the interim period before a Final Protection Order is granted. The primary objectives of this study are to determine the impact of an IPO on the nature and the extent of domestic violence, the impact of an IPO on the general well-being of the victims of domestic violence and the efficiency of the application procedure for an IPO. The secondary objectives are to compile a profile of the victims of domestic violence in different cultural groups, to describe and compare the nature and the extent of domestic violence in different cultural groups, to review the role of the police in the implementation of an IPO, to make recommendations where applicable, and to inform the South African Government and policy makers of the findings of this study. An extensive literature study focusing on domestic violence, general well-being and the link between the two concepts provides the theoretical basis of the study. The empirical study confirms the link between domestic violence and general well-being. A quasi-experimental research design is used in this study. The study comprises two groups, namely an experimental group (N=884) and a control group (N=125). The control group, which appears similar to the experimental group (in the sense that they also experienced domestic violence) is drawn from the same communities as the experimental group. Both groups were pre-tested (completed a first set of questionnaires). The experimental group was exposed to a treatment (the application for and granting of an IPO). Both groups were then post-tested (completed a second set of questionnaires). Two standardised questionnaires were used, namely The Abuse Disability Questionnaire (McNamara, 1999) and The Spiritual Health and Life-Orientation Measure (Gomez & Fisher, 2003). Participants in the experimental and control groups experienced all forms of domestic violence as described in the Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998 (RSA Government Gazette, 1998). Results indicated that the IPO did not contribute significantly to the reduction in total abuse exposure, physical abuse, psychological/emotional abuse or sexual abuse, as both the experimental and control groups experienced similar changes from the first to the second measurements. The IPO was found to contribute significantly to a reduction in total impairment. On a physical level, the IPO contributes significantly to the reduction of health status issues. On a psychological level, it contributes significantly to the reduction of concern with physical harm, psychological dysfunction, life restriction and inadequate life control. On a social level, the IPO contributes significantly to a decrease in relationship disability. The IPO does not contribute to a reduction in anxiety and substance abuse as participants in both the experimental and control groups experienced similar changes from the first to the second measurements. The IPO does not contribute significantly to an increase in the personal, communal, environmental and transcendental well-being of participants in the experimental group as participants in both the experimental and control groups experienced similar changes from the first to the second measurements. “Breaking the silence” and awareness of support had a similarly positive impact on domestic violence in the control group, as did the IPO in the experimental group. This indicates that it is not only the IPO, by itself, which has a positive impact on the victims of domestic violence. There are shortcomings in the IPO and Interim Warrant of Arrest that need to be addressed. Improving the information, education and support structures, both in the courts and in the community, will empower the victims of domestic violence. Although the present research was conducted in metropolitan areas in the Western Cape in South Africa, improvements in the system that result from it will benefit all communities. The key findings of this study have already been channelled to representatives of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the National Prosecuting Authority, the Lower Court Judiciary, Non-Governmental Organisations, South African Police Service, policy makers and other interested parties. Avenues for future research have also been opened.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which women seeking services of a shelter for battered women in the Southwestern United States were similar to the existing picture of battered women. Supplemental questions were asked concerning the effects of substance abuse, marital status, and child abuse. Information was gathered from records of a sample of 100 women who sought shelter between September 1984 and August 1987. Results were compared with previous studies by Gayford (1975), Giles-Sims (1983), and Walker. Results suggested women in this study were similar to battered women who had been studied previously. No significant relationship was found between the use of drugs and/or alcohol and the type of abuse a woman experienced, between marital status and employment status, nor between the occurrence of child abuse and a woman's willingness to involve the police. Implications and recommendations for future research were presented.

M.A. / The purpose of this study is to look into Oedipal structures in the novels of Sibusiso Nyembezi. The notion of an Oedipal structure is derived from Sophocles' play entitled 'Oedipus the King'. In this play, Oedipus, a forsaken child, learns that he is a son of a Theban King. On the way to Thebes, he encounters and assassinates his father. Oedipus earns himself a title of a king after solving the riddle of the sphinx and marries his own mother ...

This thesis examines some flaws in the interpretation and application of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction ('the Hague Convention) and how this has led to the inadequate protection of children against the impact of domestic and family violence. These inadequacies have been identified in the inconsistent interpretation and application of Article 13(1) b) amongst Contracting States. This thesis seeks to address the disparity through a comprehensive analysis of the issues and its root causes, whilst conducting an empirical study with the aim of proposing policy recommendations. The demographics of taking parents shows that the majority of them are primary carer mothers as opposed to non-resident fathers. Added to this, UN global statistics reveal that 30% of women have experienced intimate partner violence and 38% of all murders of women are committed by intimate partners. It is also now recognised that violence and abuse between parents may expose a child to the grave risk of harm. Therefore, domestic violence does not have to be perpetrated on the child directly to suffer harm. The thesis derives its purpose from the conclusions of the Sixth Meeting of the Special Commission that allegations of domestic violence and the risks to the child are not always adequately and promptly examined. The thesis analyses the inconsistencies in the approach by Contracting States towards Article 13 (1) b) in cases involving domestic violence, with a particular focus on case law and the empirical survey that was carried out as a part of this doctoral research. The thesis aims to identify best practices and provide recommendations which it is hoped has influenced the Working Group in the preparation of the draft Guide to Good Practice at the Hague Conference. It is anticipated that the Guide to Good Practice on Article 13 (1) b) will greatly assist judges on measures to improve upon its interpretation and application in cases involving allegations of domestic violence. The underlying rationale is that it is possible to achieve real consistency. Judges need to be aided with a roadmap of the correct approach to analysing the grave risk of harm, whilst addressing evidential and resource issues. It is suggested that the starting point should always be an 'effective examination' of the allegations of domestic violence, rather than first considering protective measure on the basis of an assumption that the allegations are true. An “effective examination” should take place by means of a 'thorough, limited and expeditious' investigation, in line with X v Latvia (Application no. 27853/09) Grand Chamber [2013]. The recommendations put forward in this thesis combine the principle of 'effective examination' and a stronger recognition of the role of the Convention of 19 October 1996 on Jurisdiction, Applicable Law, Recognition, Enforcement and Co-operation in Respect of Parental Responsibility and Measures for the Protection of Children. The objective is to help unify the interpretation and application of Article 13(1) b) in cases concerning domestic violence across Contracting States.

Orientador: Marcia Cristina Argenti Perez / Banca: Fábio Tadeu Reina / Banca: Regina Célia Souza Beretta / Resumo: O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi o de investigar a violência intrafamiliar tomando em consideração três gerações que sofrem violações de direitos, bem como, nos objetivos específicos levantamos as diferentes formas de violência intrafamiliar nas duas primeiras gerações que trouxeram consequências para a terceira geração. Ampliamos a compreensão do fenômeno do abuso sexual no contexto desta família, sendo possível constatar a repetição do comportamento abusivo. Também verificamos a ineficácia das políticas públicas que contribuiram para a manutenção da violência intrafamiliar, quando analisamos os insucessos na vida de alguns membros da família pesquisada. A pesquisa baseou-se no método praxiológico bourdieusiano e possui abordagem qualitativa, utilizou o estudo de caso devido ao seu potencial para estudar questões sociais. A proposta de avaliar a dinâmica de uma família vítima de violência intrafamiliar, ao longo de três gerações, mostrou-se extremamente rica, com material farto coletado na pesquisa documental e empírica. Selecionamos três agentes como sujeitos da pesquisa empírica e na análise dos seus depoimentos conseguimos identificar situações de alta vulnerabilidade social que demandam intervenções das políticas setoriais e acompanhamento sistematizado de todos os núcleos da família. A família é numerosa e tem vários agentes importantes, foi necessário identificar e relatar a trajetória de cada membro, os descendentes da primeira geração os "agregados", para analisarmos... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The general objective of the research was to investigate domestic violence taking into account three generations suffering rights violations, as well as the specific objectives raise different forms of domestic violence in the first two generations bringing consequences to the third generation. We expanded the understanding of the phenomenon of sexual abuse in the context of this family, and could observe the repetition of abuse. We also verified the ineffectiveness of public policies that contributed to the maintenance of domestic violence, when we analyze the failures in the life of some members of the studied family. The research was based on the praxeological method Bourdieusian and has a qualitative approach, used the case study because of its potential to study social issues. The proposal was to assess the dynamics of a victim of domestic violence family over three generations, proved extremely rich, with abundant material collected in the documentary and empirical research. Selected three agents as subjects of empirical research and analysis of their statements can identify situations of high social vulnerability that required interventions of sectoral policies and systematic monitoring of all family nuclei. The family was large and had several important agent, it was necessary to identify and report the trajectory of each member, the first generation descendants the "clusters", to analyze the reproduction of violence in three generations. In the analysis, we found tha... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

Sibling violence is a pervasive, yet poorly understood and substantially underreported phenomenon. Currently recognized as the most common form of intra-familial abuse, various estimates suggest that 30 percent or more of children in the general population experience severe acts of violence inflicted by a sibling each year. Given that many young people in the child welfare system experience the family conditions associated with abusive sibling violence, recent publications have implored child welfare to embrace the notion that it is a form of child maltreatment. Practitioners and policymakers have yet to reach agreement on what constitutes physical or emotional abuse between siblings, and the perspectives of young people with lived experience of abuse are largely absent from research and scholarship. I designed the study, grounded in Critical Realism, to increase understanding of how sibling violence manifests in child welfare, contribute to theory development, and identify actions to protect children from harm. Based on in-depth interviews with eight foster care alumni, I offer a refined definition of sibling violence and four family conditions associated with sibling violence in child welfare. The findings also supported a systems-based theory reflecting four stable family member roles. My recommendations seek to leverage the infrastructure of the child welfare system while taking into consideration the limitations imposed by neoliberal social and economic policy.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2001. / Bibliography: leaves 65-70.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 157-178). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (M.A. (Play therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2002. Graduate Programme in Psychology. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 100-116). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://wwwlib.umi.com/cr/yorku/fullcit?pMQ71601.