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.