June 2016 Submitted to the faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology by Dissertation only. / Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most prevalent form of violence experienced by women in South Africa. It is estimated that 31.8% of young men aged 15-26 years perpetrate sexual and physical violence against their intimate partner. Studies with women also report high incidents of IPV victimisation from adolescents. The subtle and nuanced social dynamics of IPV are less understood owing to little qualitative research on IPV with youth in Black South African townships. Research aim and objectives: This study explored how young people aged 15-20 years from Soweto, Johannesburg perceive and experience IPV. The proposed objectives were: To obtain young people’s views on IPV, to explore young people’s understandings of their experiences of IPV, and to analyse discourses of IPV. Research methods: Thirteen participants were recruited through snowballing from different townships in Soweto including Pimville as an entry point. In-depth, face-to-face and semi-structured interviews were used to collect audio-recorded data. Thematic Analysis (TA) process assisted to group themes together to enable the researcher to execute the discourse analysis. Discourse analysis was used to analyse the data. To begin the analysis the researcher read each transcript carefully to achieve data immersion. The researcher re-read the transcripts with the aim of coding. The researcher analysed each transcript manually. The supervisor and researcher then went through the codes and agreed on codes to develop the codebook that answer the research aim and objectives. For this study data were analysed separately by gender because the researcher wanted to compare young men and women’s similarities and differences about their understanding of IPV and be able to understand social construction of IPV. Findings: The research contributed to fill a knowledge gap on perceptions and experiences of IPV among young people from a black South African township. Participants reported direct and indirect experiences of IPV. Young men and women perceived violence differently. Men were mostly perpetrators and women the victims. Traditional and cultural beliefs and values of femininity and masculinity seemed to precipitate violence in relationships, as men and women are modelled and ascribed gender roles by their parents and society. Alcohol and drug abuse contribute towards violence in relationships. In this study young people’s narratives reported similar findings where men after drinking used violence towards their partners. Victim assistance from onlookers depended on the relationship with the victims. Women with multiple partners or women who confront their partner about their infidelity were reported to fuel violence. Discussions: This study indicated that young people are exposed to violent behaviour as it was reportedly common to see boyfriends beating their girlfriends either publicly or privately. In addition, young people’s exposure to violence was either directly or indirectly. Young people also reported women as victims of violence and men as perpetrators of violence. This was evident as few participants themselves report exposure to partner violence. Through exposure to violence during childhood, young people witness and learn the same patriarchal behaviour that their fathers use when chastising their mothers. Men, who grew up having been exposed to their fathers using violence to discipline their partners, might also use violence in their own relationships. These behaviours legitimise the use of violence against women in relationships. It is possible that young people hold on to the behaviour while transitioning into adulthood. The violent behaviour is precipitated by the construction of hegemonic masculinity. Young people recognised that violence against women is an unacceptable behaviour and in order to eliminate IPV the constructed harmful ideas of masculinity will have to be challenged. Recommendations: Young people should be educated on reproductive health, and gender-based violence and intimate partner violence. The implementation of youth friendly facilities by department of health that assist young people in violent relationships by empowering them with education about violence. Encouragement of young people to speak about their violent experiences to eliminate perceptions of IPV as a private matter. Modelling of culture and traditions beliefs by parents and society that promote gender quality and awareness of violence through school curriculums. Young people should be educated about implications of substance use such: contracting HIV and sexual transmitted infections related diseases, unplanned pregnancy and gender based violence. Implementation of police empowerment programmes that deals with intimate partner violence. Conclusions: This study evidently shows that young people are aware of IPV happening amongst them. Young people indicated that IPV is not acceptable and distanced themselves from the behaviour. This study contributed an understanding of how young black people from the townships perceived and experienced IPV. Key words: Qualitative research design, discourse, gender-based violence, intimate partner violence, Soweto Johannesburg, townships, young people, dating violence, social learning theory, patriarchy, socially constructed, adolescence, perpetration and victimisation of intimate partner violence, violence against women, gender roles, inter-personal violence, intimate relationships.

Thesis advisor: Lisa A. Goodman / Intimate partner violence (IPV) and its substantial consequences remain widespread for LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) individuals (Balsam, Rothblum, & Beauchaine, 2005; Walters, Chen, & Breidig, 2013). LGBTQ IPV survivors are particularly vulnerable to identity abuse: tactics leveraging heterosexism and cissexism (FORGE, 2014; NCDSV, 2014). Past research has documented the existence of LGBTQ-specific identity abuse as a unique dimension of victimization (Balsam & Szymanski, 2005; FORGE, 2014; NCDSV, 2014), with limited attention to those at greatest risk despite the diversity of the LGBTQ community. Participants who identified as LGBTQ (n = 734; 53% cisgender women; 39% queer or pansexual; 84% White; Mage = 33.48) completed surveys that assessed their exposure to identity abuse (7-items; α = .79), physical and sexual abuse (20-items; α= .89) and psychological abuse (14-items; α = .87), and other demographics. The data were analyzed to determine 1) whether there were demographic differences in exposure to identity abuse, 2) whether identity abuse contributed to variance in PTSD or depression scores; and, 3) whether the relationships between identity abuse and PTSD and depression scores were moderated by affirmative LGBTQ identity. Findings indicated that there were significant differences in identity abuse exposure by gender and sexual orientation. With regard to gender, ANOVA analyses revealed transgender or nonbinary-identified individuals reported higher rates of past year identity abuse exposure than cisgender males and cisgender females. Also, cisgender females were most likely to report adult exposure to identity abuse compared to transgender or nonbinary-identified individuals and cisgender males. Queer-identified individuals were most likely to report adult exposure to identity abuse compared to lesbian, bisexual, and gay-identified individuals. Identity abuse contributed to the variance in symptoms of PTSD and depression. This relationship remained significant even after accounting for exposure to other forms of violence (e.g., psychological abuse and physical abuse). Further, an affirmative LGBTQ identity indeed weakened the relationship between exposure to past year and adult identity abuse, respectively, and depressive symptoms. However, there was no moderating effect found for symptoms of PTSD. These results add to existing IPV literature by identifying particular subgroups within the LGBTQ community who are at greater risk of identity abuse exposure within intimate partner relationships, suggesting that exposure to identity abuse contributes to poorer mental health outcomes, and indicating that affirmative LGBTQ identity is a protective factor that could be utilized in intervention and prevention efforts. As a whole, these results highlight the need for increased awareness of identity abuse within the LGBTQ community, as well as routine and comprehensive assessment for identity abuse exposure by service providers. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2016. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Counseling, Developmental and Educational Psychology.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is defined as any violent or ill intended behavior that could cause harm to the other person within the confines of an intimate relationship. IPV has very serious consequences for the individual, the community, and the larger society. Much of what is known about IPV comes from studies conducted in the U.S. or other Western countries. However, women who live in developing countries have an increased risk of experiencing IPV because of poor living conditions and different social norms. Yet, little is known about specific risk factors and intervention approaches for IPV conducted in developing countries. Consequently, this thesis will focus on IPV risk factor research and interventions that have taken place in countries in Africa. To date there has not been a systematic review of this work. The project will help identify risk factors for IPV in an African context, and to determine what intervention approaches appear successful and which are not.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a worldwide public health problem that causes a devastating effect on the survivors and their families, society and health care services. World Health Organization (2004) conducted multi-country study which shows the prevalence of female who were the survivors of IPV among the world ranged from 15% to 71%. Smith and Farole (2009) reflected that about 86% IPV was committed against women by men. Lau (2008) found the male to female ratio of IPV in Hong Kong was 1 to 7. In order to reduce IPV, the first step is screening (Leppa?koski, Astedt-Kurki, & Paavilainen, 2011). Self-disclosure of IPV is rare and unlikely (Todahl & Walters, 2011; Phelan, 2007; Schimanski & Hedgecock, 2009; Stith et al., 2004). Most of the survivors of IPV were not easily identified by nurses and doctors (Leppa?koski, Astedt-Kurki, & Paavilainen, 2011). Human, social, and economic cost of IPV is high. Early IPV screening is important. Early detection of IPV can help the survivors of IPV to have early intervention and prevention of future episodes (Perciaccante, Carey, & Dodson, 2010). Campbell (2002) also stated that routine screening maybe the most effective way to identify IPV. Mortality and morbidity can be reducing and it does more good than harm (Schimanski & Hedgecock, 2009). Lau (2008) stated that Emergency Department (ED) was an ideal place to study IPV in Hong Kong as police, primary care, social workers referred most IPV survivors to ED for further management. However, there is no routine screening of IPV in Hong Kong ED. The objectives of the dissertation are to search the literatures of screening of female IPV in ED and then conduct a quality assessment from these chosen literatures to synthesis the findings. The transferability and feasibility of the findings of the selected is assessed. The last objective is to develop an evidence based guideline, implementation and evaluation plan for application of routine IPV screening in Hong Kong ED. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing

Male partner violence involves repeated abuse, committed by an intimate partner, someone you know and care about, over a period of time. A woman who has experienced this unimaginable betrayal by her intimate partner, the man she believed would protect and cherish her, struggles with the many complexities involved in male partner violence. I use autoethnography as methodology to share my own personal story of male partner violence and I explore, examine, and challenge the socio-cultural and socio-political norms that influenced me to stay in an abusive relationship and also leave the relationship. I include the knottiness of my healing journey after moving out and moving on. I use a silkscreen portrayal of male partner violence, a pen and ink self-portrait, photographs, poetry, court documents and journal entries to explore different perspectives of my experience and to examine the relationship between seeing, thinking, and knowing, and the complex nature of my experience of male partner violence. I struggle and untangle what kept me in the marriage for so long and share the stimulus for why I eventually left and I examine the very troubling effects of male partner violence on myself and my children. I share my guilt, shame, grief and loss but I also recognize my resourcefulness, strength, and determination to survive and move beyond male partner violence. I made many decisions along the way and I always felt caught in a losing dichotomy every time. Through a feminist way of viewing male partner violence and autoethnographic writing, I also examine social perceptions of male partner violence, domination, the loss of voice and power that occurs and the lack of support from traditional social institutions. While I understand that women experience male partner violence in different ways, this is my personal experience of living with and leaving male partner violence.

Includes bibliographical references / This study examined the social representations of intimate partner violence (IPV) that emerged amongst violent men, their social networks and within the media, and framed within social representations theory and feminist poststructuralism. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 11 men, recruited from two men's programmes at an NGO, and seven focus group discussions were conducted with the men's social networks. A total of 11 3 reports on violence against women were collected from two newspapers that draw the largest readership in the Cape Town area. A thematic decomposition analysis - emphasising language, power and subjectivity - revealed how participants' representations of respectability, morality, and reputation served to maintain patriarchy, and make violence permissible. The findings also shed light on the polarity of human thought, demonstrating how 'non-valid' victims of IPV are blamed and 'othered' for the violence perpetrated against them; yet in contrast, men who perpetrate violence are protected and defended. Understanding violence as an intersectional experience - defined by race, class, gender and sexuality in the context of post-apartheid South Africa - is central to the analysis. This study employed an integrated and unique methodology to sample men, their networks and printed media reports, which involved an analysis of violence as a social act. To my knowledge, it is the first study to have asked questions about what social representations of intimate partner violence emerge in men and their social networks' narratives and how these resonate in South African media's discourses. Suggestions for prevention and community-based programmes, interventions for perpetrators and victims of intimate partner violence, and practical recommendations for improved journalistic practice are provided. The community, relationships and individuals are shown to be inseparable spheres, and the contextualised analyses of power and oppression are shown to open possibilities for social change.

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Domestic Violence is a public health issue that is affecting millions of people annually. Police reports can give a unique aspect of cases that involve domestic violence because the narrative is a firsthand report of the violent incident. Using domestic violence case reports gathered from a law enforcement database at a county Sheriff's office in Florida, the current study examines whether alcohol use in domestic violence incidents influences threats that the victim receives during the incident. Logistic regression analysis indicates that alcohol use does not significantly impact threats that the victim receives during a domestic violence altercation. However, the study found that if there is a history of domestic violence mentioned in the police report, it is more likely that threats are also mentioned. The findings suggest that more research should be done on domestic violence cases involving alcohol use and non-violent forms of abuse such as threats.