Thesis (M. A. (Criminology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / The purpose of this study was to determine the strength of Pentecostal Christianity and its practices in restraining followers from committing crime focusing on the individuals’ criminality prior to, in the different growth stages (before being born again, being born-again and being Spirit-filled) of their spiritual lives and the length of time practising the belief. The present study aimed at determining whether Pentecostal Christianity has a restraining influence on Christians from committing crime. A quantitative, explanatory study was conducted to statistically analyse the strength of Pentecostal Christianity in restraining Christians from committing crime. Data were collected through administration of questionnaires in three Pentecostal churches in the Mankweng Area on different Sundays. Data were further analysed using SPSS statistical program where inferential statistics was used to test hypotheses using the Kruskal-Wallis test in conjunction with Chi-Square test of independence and descriptive statistics were also used to formulate graphs to present findings. The hypotheses tested showed a significant difference in criminality before being born again, after being born-again and baptism in the Holy Spirit with a p value of less than 0,.05. The length an individual has practising the faith has no significant difference in reducing criminal behaviour. This study concluded that the Pentecostal Christian faith, to some extent, deters followers from committing crime. Keywords: Christianity, Pentecostal Christianity, crime

A research report submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Art in International relations, 2017 / This research project investigates public opinions about South African mall robberies discussed on Twitter. Using the principles of discourse and multimodal analysis, it provides critical insights constructed from the represented narratives of select, proposed middle-class consumers illustrating distinct sentiments about malls, crime and shopping. Malls are empirical objects that have been trivialised as ordinary and mundane consumer sites, devoid of any sociological significance embedded within the daily practices of shopping. This paper makes the argument that when contested by criminal activity, malls become valuable sites for critical enquiry towards gaining a deeper understanding of what these shopping attitudes mean within a post-apartheid, South African consumer landscape. The central issue of crime threatening public safety at malls diverges into an array of thematic discussions, revealing distinct indoctrinations surrounding apartheid’s iniquitous system of racial and social engineering. This study’s principle argument makes the claim that anxieties concerning public safety are only the tip of the iceberg, and this serves as an entry point into a discourse contesting exclusive shopping rights above constitutional equality for all. The test tube of mall robberies mixes desirable pleasures and humanitarian moralities together and creates a volatile cocktail of conflicting, consumer aspirations. In short, the public discourse of mall crimes is about maintaining self-entitled spaces of exclusivity within a desperate socioeconomic climate. This study concludes with questions and considerations raised by these authors which could springboard into opportunities for future inquiry. / XL2018

A research project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Diversity Studies), in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg July 2017 / This case study research explored a female inclusive diversion programme through the analysis of the lived experiences of the staff and programme participants. The research targeted six staff at the programme and five female participants, between the ages of 14 to 35 years who have completed or are busy completing the iCHOOSE diversion programme. The research is qualitative, drawing on eleven semi-structured interviews, direct observations, and documentation. Five themes were identified using Yin’s (2011) five phases of qualitative data analysis, namely: ownership, personal, equality and equity, performativity, and winding road. The first four themes focused on the participants whilst the final theme highlighted the programme itself in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and success. Key findings highlight the difficulties experienced by female youth participants, which mainly consist of societal perceptions of gender norms making their involvement in deviant and criminal acts more problematic than male’s involvement. In addition, discourse of equality as sameness hinders social justice. This research aims to expand on the current understanding of female youth offenders and add valuable insights to existing literature / XL2018

A multidimensional approach, using individual, social structural and process and system theories, is applied to examine the role of drugs in child abuse within the dysfunctional family system. By means of a saturation sample seventeen files were selected from Phoenix House and the South African National Council For Drug and Alcohol Abuse. A research schedule was developed and an analysis of the seventeen cases was done. The drug dependent parent is discussed and abuse in the family system are identified. Throughout, the influence of (the) parental drug dependency is illustrated and it is shown how dependency in a parent may influence family functioning and parenting skills. A literature study brought to light aspects in families which contribute to child abuse. Recommendations are made for further research on aspects highlighted by the findings. / Criminology and Security Science / M.A. (Criminology)

<p>People outside of prison tend to imagine sex in prison as violent gang attacks on defenceless individuals, but in actual fact, sex in prison is more complicated than the isolated gang rapes that take place. For the purpose of this study, the researcher followed the qualitative research approach from a constructivist perspective to understand how participants portrayed or constructed their experiences of victimization and/or perceprion of rape.</p>

Thesis (M.A. (Diversity Studies))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, 2016 / IPV directed against male partners is a contentious and notorious topic within the study of domestic violence (Barkhuizen, 2010). Together with this it can be established from the research that even though there is a willingness amongst professionals to acknowledge males as victims of IPV there remains a lack of awareness both amongst professionals and society in general. Therefore, the issue of female-to-male IPV within the South African context is in need of extensive research. Accordingly, this research aims to fill the gap in the literature concerning male victimisation. Six key professionals- who work with domestic violence and have knowledge pertaining to the laws surrounding domestic violence- provided expert, educated opinions on the topic which were drawn from interviews that were transcribed and analysed with the use of thematic content analysis and critical discourse analysis. Key findings revealed the complexities of female-to-male IPV in South Africa. The research revealed that yes, South African law does make provision for male victims but the law is poorly implemented due to many intricacies. The most interesting results related to police perceptions of IPV (both female and male perpetrated). As such this study will bring about greater awareness of the issue and thus provide victims of female-to-male IPV the opportunity to report such incidents without fear of disbelief, reprisal or humiliation. In addition, this research will assist in addressing many of the academic debates and legal issues that surround this controversial aspect of abuse. KEY WORDS: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV), Domestic Violence, Male Victimisation, Female-to-male IPV, Professionals, Police, South Africa / GR2017

This study aimed to examine the relationships between crime exposure and posttraumatic stress symptomatology, and crime exposure and fear of crime. More specifically it set out to establish a possible causal link between crime exposure and posttraumatic stress symptomatology and fear of crime. In addition, it then aimed to identify and explore the possible moderating effect of coping style, (problem-focused, emotion-focused and dysfunctional coping) on the afore-mentioned relationships. The study was conducted on a Johannesburg based, tertiary student population (n = 123) and employed self-report questionnaires to solicit responses which were then subject to statistical analyses. Findings for the relationship between crime exposure and posttraumatic stress symptomatology indicated that increased exposure to crime was predictive of higher posttraumatic stress symptomatology. However a comparison of the relationship between non-crime related traumas and posttraumatic stress symptomatology suggested that crime exposure was not the only predictor of posttraumatic stress symptomatology. Similarly, findings for the relationship between crime exposure and fear of crime indicated that increased exposure to crime was predictive of increased fear of crime levels. Again, however, a comparison of the relationship between non-crime related traumas and fear of crime suggested that crime exposure was not the only predictor of fear of crime. In reference to the possible moderating effects of coping styles on the relationships between crime exposure and posttraumatic stress symptomatology, and crime exposure and fear of crime, no significant moderating effects were found for problem-focused, emotion-focused or dysfunctional coping. Dysfunctional coping was significantly associated with higher levels of traumatic stress symptomatology and fear of crime, but independent of exposure patterns. Visible patterns of relationship with regard to both problem focused and emotion focused coping appeared to be more complex than would be expected based on existing findings in the literature.

Every phenomenon evolves with times. Illicit activities like Transnational Organized Crimes (TOC) are not an exception in this regard. Africa, especially West and Southern Africa, have been challenged by a number of TOCs. Ghana and South Africa are amongst the countries in West and Southern Africa that have been subjected to a range of crimes of this nature. Drug trafficking and money laundering are the most prominent illicit activities in Ghana and South Africa. Drug trafficking and money laundering has been prevalent in Ghana and South Africa to such an extent that it has contributed to the growth of illicit economy. Increased size of illicit economy, constrained state capacity and expansion of TOCs are amongst effects of drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa. This dissertation evaluates state capacity in relation to drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa in the period from 2001 to 2011. Regulatory, administrative, technical and extractive are elements of state capacity being looked at. The research used qualitative research method, this was achieved through textual analysis of secondary sources. Regulatory, administrative, and technical state capacity elements have been fairly operational in dealing with drug trafficking and money laundering in the period from 2001 to 2011 in the two countries being looked at. On the other hand extractive state capacity element has been struggling from 2001 to 2011 in reducing drug trafficking and money laundering in Ghana and South Africa. It is clear that globalization has played an important role in the occurrence of the two TOCs under discussion. To better understand TOCs further research needs to look at other regions within and outside Africa. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2013.

<p>People outside of prison tend to imagine sex in prison as violent gang attacks on defenceless individuals, but in actual fact, sex in prison is more complicated than the isolated gang rapes that take place. For the purpose of this study, the researcher followed the qualitative research approach from a constructivist perspective to understand how participants portrayed or constructed their experiences of victimization and/or perceprion of rape.</p>

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the most distressing criminal activities has been the attacks on farmers since 1994 and for many years now our farming community has been plagued by these senseless acts of brutality. Since the early nineties there has been a steady increase in the occurrence of farm attacks in our country and the rising incidence of violent crimes on farms and smallholdings in South Africa has become a cause for great concern. The farming community in South Africa has a very significant function in the economy of the country as producers of food and providers of jobs and other commodities required by various other industries, such as the mining industry. They render an indispensable service to our country and therefore we have to ensure that this community receives the necessary safeguarding that is so desperately needed at this time. Farm attacks are occurring at alarming rates in South Africa, the Western Cape, and recently also in the Stellenbosch district. The phenomenon of farm attacks needs to be analysed in the context of the crime situation in general. The underlying reasons for crime are diverse and many, and need to be taken into account when interpreting the causes of crime in South Africa. To ensure that this research endeavour has practical value for the various parties involved in protecting rural communities, crime hotspots and circumstances in which crime occur were identified and used as a tool to provide the necessary protection and mobilisation of forces for these areas. The study focused on different theories in explaining the crime phenomenon. Information from the Stellenbosch SAPS was used to analyse the study area and to identify areas that can be classified as possible hotspots in the study area. Demographic and socio-economic determinants shed light upon the social structure in the study area and various environmental determinants were also used to generate a broader understanding to the social pandemic. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert 1994 is plaasaanvalle een van die mees ontstellende kriminele aktiwiteite van ons era. Die landbougemeenskap word al jare lank geteister deur hierdie sinnelose aktiwiteite. Sedert die vroeë negentigerjare is daar ’n stewige toename in die voorkoms van plaasaanvalle asook toenemende insidente van geweldsmisdade, wat tot groot kommer lei. Die landbougemeenskap in Suid-Afrika het ’n baie belangrike funksie in die ekonomie, aangesien hulle voedselvervaardigers is, werksgeleenthede skep en industrieë van sekere kommoditeite voorsien. Hulle lewer ’n onmiskenbare diens aan die land en daarom verdien hierdie gemeenskap die nodige beveiliging. Die aantal plaasaanvalle in Suid-Afrika, die Wes-Kaap en onlangs ook die Stellenboschomgewing, is skokkend. Hierdie fenomeen moet binne die konteks van algemene misdaad geanaliseer word. Die onderliggende redes wat aanleiding gee tot plaasaanvalle is divers, maar moet almal in gedagte gehou word wanneer die oorsake vir misdaad ondersoek word. Om te verseker dat hierdie navorsingspoging praktiese waarde toon vir diegene betrokke, behoort gebiede waar misdaad seëvier geïdentifiseer te word en dan gebruik te word om die nodige beskerming aan en mobilisering van polisiemagte binne hierdie gebiede te bied. Die studie fokus op verskillende teorieë wat gebruik kan word om die voorkoms van misdaad te verklaar. Inligting is van die Stellenbosch-polisiediens verkry om die voorkoms van misdaad in die studiegebied te verklaar en om probleemgebiede te identifiseer. Demografiese en sosio-ekonomiese veranderlikes kan lig werp op die sosiale struktuur van die studiegebied en kennis van omgewingsveranderlikes dra ook by tot ’n beter begrip van hierdie sosiale pandemie.