Thesis (M. A. ( Social Work)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Studies have shown that women abuse in marriages is prevalent. Globally, one in three (1:3) or 35% of women have experienced physical and or sexual violence by an intimate partner who in some instances, could have been a marital partner or spouse. Reports from Statistics South Africa show that one in every four of all women in South Africa is assaulted by their partners weekly. This study sought to describe reasons why women continue to stay in abusive marriages. The study was qualitative in nature and used a case study design. The sampling of the study was purposive and involved sixteen (16) participants who met the criteria of the study: women who continued to stay in abusive marriages. The study was conducted at Khuseleka One-stop Centre and Victim Empowerment Programme in Mankweng, Capricorn District in Limpopo Province. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide, and was analysed using Thematic Content Analysis (TCA) to gain in depth account from participants of their abuse in marriage. This study employed the Womanism theory to discuss findings. The major finding of this study was that many abused women who stay on in their marriage are economically dependent on their husbands. The study further reveals that children are main contributing factors that hinder these women from leaving abusive partners. The study further reveals that cultural beliefs play a crucial role since these women were socialised and brought up with cultural beliefs that “lebitla la mosadi ke bogadi”, which simply means that a woman’s grave is at the home of her husband. The study recommends educational programmes about GBV and related programmes for both genders.

Thesis (M.A. (Criminology and Criminal Justice)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study intended to explore Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) against women in the Seshego Zone 1 area, which is situated in the Polokwane Municipality of the Limpopo Province. The different types of IPV against women, the prevalence of IPV against women, the causes of IPV against women, the reasons for not reporting IPV against women, as well as the available measures taken to combat this scourge guided this study. This study followed a qualitative research approach, where 17 participants were purposively selected, and this was coupled with snowball sampling. Face-to-face in depth semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data to explore the IPV against women. The collected data was analysed by means of Inductive Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). The responses were audio recorded and written down to add value to the study findings. Themes and sub-themes were solicited from the participants’ verbatim expressions. This study established that the rate of IPV against women cases are high and has been increasing during the period of study because the victims are not taken seriously when reporting. It was also confirmed that jealousy and poverty are the major causes of IPV against women in the area. The victims often fail to seek support and do not report to the police when the violence takes place. It was also evident that most people seem to lack exposure on the issues of IPV against women and the lack of economic and employment opportunities in the area hinder women empowerment against violence and this should be urgently addressed. This study recommends that the local police should learn to take the cases of IPV against women seriously so that the rate of violence can decrease and the victims of IPV against women should be able to identify the signs and prevalence of this practice to effectively prevent it. Moreover, the victims should be encouraged to report cases to the police, and they must demand progress reports on the cases. As a result, the women continue to suffer due to violence in the study area. Moreover, this study suggests that there must be local support groups for women who experience violence in the community to help in detailing the consequences of IPV against women. This should be aided by various awareness campaigns to alert men that IPV against women is a criminal offence, and it is punishable. The government should also support women to start small businesses to reduce full dependence on their partners, thereby reducing the risks of IPV.

M.A. / Incest can be defined as, “The involvement of dependant children or adolescents in sexual activities they do not truly comprehend, to which they are unable to give informed consent, or that violate the social taboos of family roles” (Kempe & Kempe, 1978, p.60). Incest may include a multitude of activities, such as fondling, masturbation, exposing genitalia, exposure to pornographic material, as well as intercourse (Gilmartin, 1994). In our sexist patriarchal society, sexual abuse of children and women has been, and still is, a dark secret (Bradshaw, 1995). A study done by Collings (1997) at the University of Natal revealed that over 50% of all second year st udents had reported some incidence of sexual abuse during their childhood and/or adolescent years. Statistics from the South African Police Force indicate an increase in the number of incest cases from 7559 in 1994 to 10037 in 1995 (Tucker, 2000). Lyell (1997) emphasised that the magnitude of the problem of sexual abuse is far greater than any professionals working in this field ever imagined. Over the past 24 years many studies have been published on the psychological impact of incest (Ensink, 1992). These effects include the disruption of normal development (Doyle, 1997), emotional problems (Newman & Peterson, 1996), social problems (Newman Lubell & Peterson, 1998) and physical problems (Tucker, 2000), to name a few. The abovementioned statistics show that incest is of concern in the South African context. It is also of international relevance because as Boyles, De Noon and Key (1999) have noted sexual abuse is a worldwide problem. The purpose of this study is to investigate the way adult female survivor s of childhood incest cope. The epistemological framework of this study is that of the Modernistic approach. Quantitative methods of research were therefore used to collect and analyse the data. The survivors’ ways of coping were assessed through response s t o the “Ways of Coping” Questionnaire given by a multi-e t h n i c sample containing mainly white women. Relevant biographical details were obtained with the use of a constructed biographical questionnaire. The differences regarding the different ways of coping, as related to specific factors, such as duration of therapy, duration of abuse and so forth, were discussed. Possible implications of the results have also been mentioned in this thesis. The information obtained provides a new perspective on incest, that of salutogenesis. Previous research has focused on the adverse effects that occur because of incest. There has not been a focus on the strengths of incest survivors, or the reason why some survivors cope better than others. It was found that incest sur vivors develop constructive coping skills, such as positive reappraisal, seeking social support and planful problem solving, after a minimal time period of one year in therapy. It was also found that the duration of abuse affects the way an adult survivor copes with the incest. Particular ways of coping are correlated with others, for example planful problem solving is correlated with positive reappraisal. The information which has emerged from this study may be useful for therapists working with incest sur vivors. Having a broader understanding of survivors’ ways of coping and some of the factors influencing these, may allow therapists to direct and teach ways of coping, and more specifically to facilitate and encourage more constructive ways of coping.

Thesis (M.A. (English) -- University of Limpopo, 2010 / This dissertation examines the way in which two South African novelists, Zakes Mda and J.M. Coetzee, portray the sexual abuse of women during the apartheid and post-apartheid eras. The two selected novels used in this research are The Madonna of Excelsior (2002) by Mda and Disgrace (2000) by Coetzee. The research, furthermore, analyses the attitudes of the sexual abusers and their victims in both eras as well as examines the effects of socio-economic imbalances that might have prompted the men to sexually abuse women whom they should be offering protection against any form of violence and abuse. The study furthermore identifies and analyses the factors that hinder victims from reporting their sexual abuse to the police. Finally, this dissertation also presents a comparative study of the differences and the similarities between the way the two novelists portray sexual abuse.

Spousal abuse is a global phenomenon that occurs in many cultures and affects most of the world’s population of women. Over the past 30 years, spousal abuse has become increasingly recognized as a problem, and women in many countries have organized to advocate for change. The issue of wife abuse has been taken up by the public as an issue of general concern more than once since the latter part of the nineteenth century. It came into the limelight again in the early 1970’s in the United States, its progress towards public awareness corresponding with the growth of the women’s movement. In broad terms, the women’s movement may be divided into two major feminist perspectives. First wave feminism is principally concerned with equalities between the genders whereas second wave feminism uses women’s differences to oppose the ‘legalities’ of a patriarchal world. The phenomenon of women being abused in intimate relationships has been referred to as “the problem that had no name.” Indeed, one of the most important contributions of second wave feminism was the labels it provided to previously unnamed, largely unspoken, taboo problems that women confronted. Without a label to refer to a phenomenon, that phenomenon is extremely difficult to describe, to discuss, to count, and analyse. In South Africa concern about wife abuse, started in the early 1980’s. Inspired by the action of overseas movements, South African feminists began to mobilize around violence against women. In the South African context, violence against women must be viewed against the socio-political background of apartheid, race, class, and gender relations. In an historic context of overwhelming oppression and state-sanctioned violence, a culture of violence developed. Over time this situation is accepted as a norm and becomes a primary means of conflict resolution- including between domestic partners. Accurate statistics on the problem of spousal abuse in South Africa are unavailable since national prevalence studies have not been conducted. Difficulties in obtaining prevalence to date have been exacerbated by fragmentation created by the former apartheid bureaucracy; the lack of resources to confront the problem of spousal abuse; and the fact that the problem is often unrecognized and under reported. However, preliminary findings from available research indicate that spousal abuse in South Africa is a serious and extensive problem. The abuse reported in these studies ranged from verbal insults, threats, physical injury and even death. Numerous studies found that spousal abuse is seen as a private matter, so that the abused woman does not have the support of friends, family or the authority to help her stop the abuse or to leave the relationship. Spousal abuse is sequential, developmental and dynamic. The situation of the abused woman is unlike many other crisis in that it is transcrisis; that is, it is cyclical, reaching many peak levels over extended periods of time. For a variety of reasons it is rare for women to leave an abusive spousal relationship for good after the first abusive incident. Continued and increased abuse over a period of years is the typical pattern of abusive spousal relationships. Research has indicated that abusive spousal relationships typically include a life-threatening history of injuries and psychosocial problems that entrap the women in the relationships. Limited research has been undertaken on the experience of women who do manage to leave abusive spousal relationships despite the debilitating physical and emotional sequelae of the abuse and a lack of family and societal support. This investigation aims to address and explore the experience “Coloured” women who managed to leave abusive spousal relationships. As the literature review will indicate, the social-cultural context of “Coloured” is one that not only makes them susceptible to experiencing spousal abuse but it also predisposes them to remain in these relationships. The investigation seeks those themes, emotions and thoughts which are central and significant in the women’s experience. It explores the manner in which leaving comes about and is incorporated into the women’s sense of self and understanding of the world. Essentially, the research aims to provide some understanding of what the experience of leaving an abusive relationship entails and the personal meaning it holds for the women. In order to ensure that the women's own subjective experiences, and their own interpretations and understanding of those experiences will be the focal point, as opposed to that of the researcher, the existential-phenomenological system of inquiry is employed. The existential-phenomenological approach is not only utilized as a specific research methodology but is also adopted as an overall attitude towards doing research. The participants in the study are viewed as beings-in-the-world, thereby acknowledging that the experience of leaving occurs in a context in which the participants act on and are simultaneously acted upon by their lived-worlds. Qualitative access to the subjective realm of the women is attempted through a qualitative design through which rich data is collected through in-depth, open-ended interviews which facilitates unique and personal descriptions. A pilot interview with a woman who left an abusive spousal relationship indicated that the research question (How did you experience leaving the abusive relationship?) together with broad open-ended questions, facilitated the attainment of rich, vital, substantive descriptions of the experience of leaving. Three “Coloured” women, who left their abusive spousal relationships at least two years ago, were then sourced from previously “Coloured” designated communities and interviewed for the purpose of this study. The qualification in terms of time is important since this study is interested in the experience of women who left their abusive relationships permanently and research has shown that many women leave abusive spousal relationships only to return after some time. / Dr. I. Van der Merwe Prof. W. Schoeman

D.Litt et Phil. (Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

Thesis (M. A. (Clinical Psychology)) -- University of the North, 2003 / Refer to the document

Thesis (Ph.D. (African Languages)) --University of Limpopo, 2005 / This study investigates the expression of women abuse through female songs. Groups of singers from twenty-two communities were listened to during the study. A qualitative analysis was undertaken. Songs obtained from secondary sources, were compared and analysed in the same way in which those obtained from the singers themselves were analysed. In particular, the usefulness of these singing groups was examined. It was found that most of the women who are experiencing abuse of some kind, derive perceived social support from fellow singers. All the women in the different singing groups declared that they were not singing for the sake of singing but that they were sending messages to the perpetrators of abuse in the expectation that a change will be realized. Singing groups were found to be effectively providing assistance in dealing with emotional abuse. The study thus illuminates the subjective use of referential expressions in expressing abuse. This emphasizes the challenge for singers to check whether or not the manner in which they present their pleas is appropriate.

Thesis (M.A. (Psychology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2015 / The study investigated the psychological factors that compel battered women to remain in abusive relationships. According to statistics in South Africa (SA) one in every five women is battered by her partner, and one in every four of all women in SA are assaulted by their partners weekly. The research approach was qualitative in nature. Sampling for the study was purposive and utilised eight participants who met the criteria for the investigation. The study was conducted at Tshilidzhini Hospital Trauma Centre and The Sibasa Victim Empowerment unit in Thohoyandou, Vhembe District in the Limpopo province. Data was gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire guide. Data was analysed, using Thematic Content Analysis (TCA), to gain an in-depth account of each participant’s experience of abuse. The results of the study indicate that cultural factors still play an important role in facilitating women abuse. The women in the study used religion, denial and avoidance, guilt and self-blame as coping mechanisms. Low self-esteem, depression, cognitive dissonance and relationship hope and commitment were identified as psychological factors compelling battered women to remain in abusive relationships. The study recommended that educational programmes and workshops on woman abuse be provided to empower women in rural areas.

Gender-based violence is a global problem that affects women and girls of all races, colour and creed. This study locates gender-based violence within the development agenda, explores related theories and points out how culture, patriarchy and tradition influences gender-based violence perpetration and can also contribute to positive behavior change. This dissertation provides an analysis of gender-based violence globally, in the Southern African region and in Zimbabwe through secondary and primary research. The research focused on women and girls because they are constitute the majority when one looks at the victims of gender-based violence statistics and issues that come out on different communities. This research contributes to an increased understanding and knowledge of gender- based violence by interrogating the statistics of gender-based violence, response mechanisms and the role civil society organisations play. The primary research utilised guided interviews with the use of questionnaires with individuals and representatives of organisations. Findings indicate a need for greater awareness on the provisions of the Zimbabwe Domestic Violence Act, increased economic empowerment of women and more male inclusion in raising awareness as part of prevention. Key informant discussions with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) representatives highlighted the need for programme synergies so that gender-based violence initiatives are holistic. The case study of Musasa is key in assessing the role civil society organisations play in complementing Government actions and strategies. / Development Studies / M.A (Development Studies)