The purpose of this research was to describe and explain family violence in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. It was conducted by means of a literature review, followed by empirical research, based on police dockets, against the background of Seligman's theory on learned helplessness. Other theories were also applied eclectically. The literature review was used to design a research schedule (questionnaire). This schedule was used for data capturing from police dockets from the Crime Information Analysis Centre (CIAC) at their Gauteng Regional office in Johannesburg. From this data, a convenience sample consisting of 415 cases, was compiled. These cases were reported at the charge offices of Laudium, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Rietgat, Eersterust and Mamelodi, during the period between 1 January 2001 and 1 March 2002. Domestic violence is caused by macrosocial-, gender- and relationship factors. These causes can be explained by certain aspects of structural- process- reaction and the learned helplesness theories. The adjudication of this causes and explanations focus on primary, secondary and tersiary aspects of prevention. Triggering facors, confrontation, crime incidents and restoring the equalibrium were studied in relation to the dynamics of domestic violence. All these factors such as causes, explanations, prevention and dynamics , are considered to explain the stabilization of domestic violence. / Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om gesinsgeweld in die Gauteng-Provinsie van Suid-Afrika te beskryf en te verklaar. E)it is gedoen aan die hand van 'n literatuurstudie, en is uitgebrei met 'n empiiiese ondersoek wat op polisiedossiere gebaseer is, teen die agtergrond van Seligman se teorie van aangeleerde hulpeloosheid, asook ander teoriee wat eklekties bygewerk is. Die literahmrstudie is gebrnik om 'n skedule (vraelys) te ontwerp. Die navorsingskedule is gebruik vir datavangs uit polisiedossiere. Die polisiedossiere van die Misdaadinligting- Analisesentrum (MIAS) van Gauteng se streekkantoor in Johannesburg is gebruik vir die samestelling van 'n geriefHkheidsteekproef bestaande uit 415 gevalle. Hierdie gevalle kom uit die aanmeldings by die aanklagkantore van Laudium, Alexandra, Hillbrow, Rietgat Eersterust en Mamelodi, tussen 1 Jamiaiie 2001 en 1 Maart 2002. Makrososiale faktore, geslagsrolsosialisering en verhoudingsfaktore veroorsaak gesinsgeweld. Sekere elemente van die struktuur- proses- reaksie- en aangeleerde hulpeloosheidsteoriee kan dit verklaar. Die beregting van bogenoemde fokus op primere, sekondere en tersiere voorkomingsaksies. Die dinamika waarop gefokus word met betrekking tot gesinsgeweld sluit in aspekte soos: die snellerfaktore, konfrontasie, die praktiese misdaadinsident en uiteindelik die herstelde ekwillibrium. A1 die faktore (oorsake, verklarings, voorkoming en dinamika) lei uiteindelik tot die stadium waar waar verduidelik word hoe gesinsgeweld gestabilliseer word. / Criminology and Security Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Criminology)

This thesis includes four studies investigating the experiences of abused women. According to ecological approaches different systems should be considered when conducting research into abused women and their experiences. The first study involved women who successfully left an abusive relationship. An ecological approach was used to investigate the experiences of the women in the different phases of their relationship, including the initial attraction to the partner, the development and sustaining of the abuse and her attempts to leave until her final decision to leave permanently. An important finding was the importance of considering and investigating all systems and levels when dealing with abused women, including those who have left and those who are contemplating leaving this relationship. The second study found that women who experienced physical abuse were often hurt in anatomical locations that were indicative of impulsive violence. The abuser used any object in the heat of the moment to attack the victim and no premeditated planning was evident in the type of injuries sustained. The women further reported that medical practitioners did not investigate the causes of injuries and that they were not referred to social services or organisations dealing with abused women, although they were recognised as suffering from abuse. The intersection of abuse of women and HIV was the topic of focus of the third study. A review of the records of abused women revealed that many abused women were subjected to risk factors for contracting HIV, with counsellors focussing only on abuse issues. Longitudinal case studies, of women exposed to both conditions, revealed that they lacked social support and were often secondarily victimised by the social welfare systems. An environmental scan found that social and health care services were not accessible to these women. The final study investigated intervention strategies to combat burnout in workers at an organisation dealing with abused women. The importance and effectiveness of creative exercises and art sessions were determined in combination with debriefing and supervision sessions. The studies all considered systems that are important in service delivery to abused women. A holistic and systemic investigation and treatment of abused women is shown to be essential, as is the importance of grass roots research. / Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Emotional abuse is a problem experienced worldwide, crossing all economic, educational, social and ethnic segments of all societies. Overtime, many empirical researchers concentrated on studying the occurrence and impact of physical abuse on women but neglected to study the effects of emotional abuse on the woman's physical and mental health. But with time, researchers began to realise that emotional abuse also had a great impact on the lives of women. Therefore, a detailed exploration of emotional abuse between intimate adult partners has only recently emerged in the literature. Though it is difficult to separate emotional abuse from other forms of abuse, many women in our research who were provided with a definition of emotional abuse identified and confirmed that they have been emotionally abused in their past or are being abused in their current intimate relationships. This research project focused mainly on women who suffered and have survived the wounds of emotional abuse in intimate relationships. Group work is aimed at the growth and development of the individual. This study reports on an in-depth analysis of the arrangements and formulation of the structure of support groups, and the effectiveness of the functioning of these groups. Participants who joined the support groups in this research, were women who have undergone therapeutic intervention and are/or were engaged in a healing process that involved reintegration, implementation and maintenance of therapeutic goals. Support groups do provide a place where people can share their experiences in a safe environment, and where they can symbolise their experiences and consequently make them more acceptable to the self. It has been concluded in this research that support groups were effective in giving members the opportunity of helping each other to heal from the wounds of emotional abuse by being supportive, giving feedback, making helpful suggestions and providing useful information necessary for their growth and development. Therefore, participants who joined the support groups agreed that they have benefited by receiving the encouragement and support from one another, which contributed towards their process of healing emotionally, and in turn, caused them to change from being helpless victims to survivors of emotional abuse. / Sociology / D. Phil (Sociology)

Text in English with abstracts in English, isiXhosa and isiZulu / Research about intimate partner violence (hereafter IPV) in South Africa indicate that there are high prevalence rates. The negative effects of this phenomenon create a wide range of physical, mental and emotional problems for those exposed to it. There have been various intervention programmes designed to address IPV. However, the high incidence indicates that these have been ineffective. Seeking to explore women’s lived experiences of IPV at a non-profit organisation, this study gathered data from women with experiences of IPV. Eight participants were selected based on purposive sampling technique from a non-profit organization in Johannesburg. Utilizing semi-structured interviews conducted in English for a duration of one hour, data was gathered from the participants. Using IPA and the ecological model as a theoretical framework to interpret the women’s lived experiences. The findings of the study indicated that individual factors such as childhood exposure to violence influenced the women’s lived experiences of IPV. Stereotypical gender roles and economic strains were found to be at the core of the women’s lived experiences of IPV. Furthermore, broader societal values and beliefs about violence proved to validate and normalise the violence women experienced. The findings broaden our understanding of intimate partner violence and offer an opportunity to add knowledge of intimate partner violence in the South African context. / Uphando malunga nobundlobongela obenziwa liqabane othandana nalo (apha okubizwa ngokuba yi-IPV) eMzantsi Afrika lubonakalisa ukuba bukwizinga eliphezulu. Iziphumo ezibi zesi senzeko zidala iingxaki ezahlukahlukeneyo ngokwasemzimbeni, ngokwasengqondweni nangokwasemphefumlweni kwabo basesichengeni sazo. Iinkqubo zongenelelo ezahlukahlukeneyo ziye zayilelwa ukuhlangabezana neIPV. Nangona kunjalo, izehlo eziphezulu zibonakalisa ukuba azikhange zisebenze. Ngokufuna ukuphonononga iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo zeIPV kwiqumrhu elingenzi nzuzo, olu phononongo luqokelele idatha kumabhinqa aphila phantsi kweemeko zeIPV. Abathabathinxaxheba abasibhozo bakhethwa kwiqumrhu elingenzi nzuzo eGoli ngokusekelwe kubuchule bokusampula okunenjongo. Kusetyenziswa udliwanondlebe olwakheke ngokwesiqingatha olwaqhutywa ngesiNgesi ngesithuba seyure enye, idatha yaye yaqokelelwa kubathabathinxaxheba. Uhlalutyo lwamava emo yesenzeko umntu aphila phantsi kwaso (i-IPA) kunye nemodeli yonxibelelwano phakathi koluntu nemekobume yalo zasetyenziswa njengenkqubosikhokelo sethiyori ukutolika iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo. Iziphumo zophononongo zabonakalisa ukuba iimeko ezizodwa ezinje ngokuba sesichengeni sobundlobongela ebuntwaneni ziphembelele iimeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo zeIPV. Iindima zobuni zeengcinga ezisoloko zisetyenziswa njalo kunye nengxaki yezoqoqosho zafumaniseka zingoyena ndoqo weemeko amabhinqa aphila phantsi kwazo ngokuphathelele kwi-IPV. Kwakhona, imikhwa esulungekileyo yoluntu ngokubanzi kunye neenkolelo malunga nobundlobongela zibonakalise ukwamkela nokubenza bube yinto eqhelekileyo ubundlobongela obuthe behlela amabhinqa.Iziphumo zenza siqonde ngokungaphaya ngeIPV kwaye zinika ithuba lokongeza ulwazi ngeIPV kwimeko yaseMzantsi Afrika. / Ucwaningo mayelana nodlame lwezithandani (emva kwalokhu oluzobizwa nge-IPV) eNingizimu Afrika lukhombisa ukuphakama okukhulu kwamazinga okwanda nokusabalala kwalolu hlobo lodlame kuleli. Imithelela engemihle neze yalolu dlame idala izinkinga eziningi impela kulabo abazithola bebhekene nalolu dlame, okungaba yizinkinga zomzimba, zengqondo kanye nezomphefumulo. Ziningi izinhlelo zokungenelela ezisunguliwe njengomzamo wokuqeda isihlava se-IPV. Kepha-ke, ukubhebhetheka nokusabalala kakhulu kwezigameko zalolu dlame kubonisa ukuthi azisebenzi neze kahle lezi zinhlelo zokungenelela. Lolu cwaningo lwaqoqa idatha kwabesifazane abake bahlangabezana ne-IPV, ngenhloso yokucubungula nokuhlaziya ngokujulile izigameko abadlule kuzona abesifazane abayizisulu ze-IPV abathola usizo enhlanganweni engenzi nzuzo. Ababambiqhaza abayisishiyagalombili abavela enhlanganweni engenzi nzuzo eGoli bakhethwa ngokulandela indlela yokukhetha ababambiqhaza ngokwezici-bunjalo zabo ezihambelana nezinhloso zocwaningo. Idatha yaqoqwa kubabambiqhaza ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo ezingama-semi-structured interviews ezabanjwa ngolimi lwesiNgisi isikhathi esiyihora. Kwasetshenziswa i-interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) kanye ne-ecological model njengohlaka lwethiyori yokuhumusha izigameko abadlule kuzona abesifazane ezimpilweni zabo.Imiphumela-ngqangi yocwaningo yakhombisa ukuthi izimo eziqondene nomuntu ngamunye, njengokuhlangabezana komuntu nodlame ngenkathi eseyingane, kwaba nomthelela kwindlela abesifazane abahlangabezana ngayo nezigameko ze-IPV nezinyathelo abazithathayo kanye nolwazi abaluzuzayo kulokhu. Amaqhaza kanye nemisebenzi ethathwa njengemisebenzi yabesifazane kuphela kanye nezimo zomnotho ezinzima ababhekene nazo abesifazane kwaba nomthelela kwindlela abahlangabezana ngayo nezigameko ze-IPV kanye nezinyathelo abazithathayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, izimompilo kanye nezinkolelo zomphakathi wonkana eziphathelene nodlame zabonisa ukugunyazeka ngandlelathize kodlame abahlangabezane nalo abesifazane futhi ngokunjalo zalwenza lwaba yinto ethathwa njengejwayelekile. Imiphumela-ngqangi yocwaningo ikhulisa ukuqonda kwethu i-IPV futhi ihlinzeka ngethuba lokwengeza olwazini lwe-IPV oluqondene nesimo saseNingizimu Afrika. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)