Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-122).

This qualitative study aimed to examine and critically explore women’s accounts as to how their abusive partner’s interest in sport (team combat sports in particular) impacted on the domestic violence and abuse they endured. The study was underpinned by feminist standpoint epistemology and Lacanian theory. Values aligning with feminist standpoint epistemology, such as the nature and balance of power, were central to this research which had at its core the voices of marginalised women. At the stages of analysis and discussion the Lacanian model of the Real, the Symbolic and the Imaginary were used to explore the women’s accounts. This model has afforded new insights into this culturally sensitive topic by removing the focus from the women who sustained abuse to the nature of the abuse they endured. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with nine women who were accessing women’s support services. The women spoke of the abuse they had endured during the course of a heterosexual, intimate relationship. Thematic analysis provided new perspectives regarding the interplay between sport fanaticism and domestic violence and abuse. This thesis extends existing research which has sought to interrogate the association between domestic violence and sporting events (mainly team combat sports). The significance of this study is that it confers deeper, richer understandings regarding the nature of domestic violence and abuse. It reveals how the perpetrators of abuse use violence and/or coercive and controlling behaviours around their sporting interests as a means of asserting power and subjugating their partners. The study is important in that it discloses how the perpetrators perceived some sports, especially football, as preserve which promoted male supremacy. It suggests avenues for further research and reflects upon the cultural significance of sport and team combat sport in particular. The study concludes by suggesting two key points which emerge from this study which underscore the pernicious, chronic and shifting nature of DVA and highlight the need for vigilance in responding to the cultural resources liable to be exploited by perpetrators of abuse.

Drawing primarily on post-structural feminist conceptualisations of identity and power, this study explored Zimbabwean men’s comprehension of their own experiences of women-perpetrated abuse and the ways they construct meanings of such experiences in view of their masculine identities. To achieve this, the study specifically focused on five aspects: 1. The common conceptualizations of male identity in Zimbabwe; 2. The forms of women-perpetrated abuse experienced by men in Zimbabwe; 3. Male victims’ perceptions of abuse perpetrated by women; 4. Strategies employed by the victims in response to the abuse; 5. The support needs of men who have been abused by women who are their intimate partners. Interpretive phenomenology underpinned the qualitative approach adopted in this study. The main data sources were key informant interviews with selected individuals who, as part of their official jobs provided various services to abused men; semi-structured in-depth interviews with married and cohabiting men who had, in their recent past, been abused by their female intimate partners; focus group discussions with younger and older community members to solicit societal views on the markers of male identity in the Zimbabwean context. Tele-observation, which entails following television, social media websites and other media coverage of events and issues relating to the topic under investigation was adopted as an auxiliary method of capturing societal views on male identity and the types of abuse men are often subjected to by women in Zimbabwe. One of the main finding of the study is that there is no single form of male identity in Zimbabwe. Rather, male identity is fragmented, fluid and unstable. It is also marked by vulnerability that emanates from the reliance among men on third parties, among other sources, to define what constitute manhood. The study also revealed that vulnerability among men is demonstrated when they experience the different types of women-perpetrated abuse which include emotional, physical, sexual, psychological, economic and legal abuse, inter alia. Despite the inherent multiplicity of meanings derived by male victims from their experiences of intimate partner abuse (IPA), the perceptions that stood out are that; IPA is an expression of women’s power through both direct and indirect ways; and that women-perpetrated IPA is a basis for victims’ questioned identity (masculinity). It emerged that there are multiple coping mechanisms adopted by male victims, which in this study are categorised into primary and secondary coping strategies. The former includes seeking help from the justice system, family and friends, and civil society and faith-based organizations. The latter, on the other hand, entails individual actions such as alcohol abuse, home-desertion, suicidal thoughts and divorce. All in all, these coping options were shown to be ineffective and/or limited. To this end, the support needs of men abused by their female intimate partners were identified as informational support – regarding possible remedial actions they may consider, emotional support, instrumental support such as provision of temporary shelters, support through media coverage of cases of abuse against men, legal support and spiritual support. The overall conclusion of the study is that inclusive approaches, interventions and programs, which are open to acknowledging that persons of all genders can be victims or perpetrators of IPA, need to be adopted in the fight against IPA and all other forms of gender-based violence. The thesis concludes with recommendations for policy, practice and future research. / Thesis (DPhil Sociology)--University of Pretoria 2019. / UP DOCTORAL RESEARCH BURSARY / Sociology / DPhil Sociology / Unrestricted

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Clinical Psychology) in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2014 / Domestic violence is a global issue, and it is affecting many people of different cultures and backgrounds around the world. South Africa is one of the countries which are highly affected by various forms of violence. Different people are using different coping mechanism in dealing with violence in general. This study investigates the coping mechanisms of survivors of domestic violence. It looks at the various coping mechanisms that each survivor employs to deal with such experience. This study employed qualitative research design and the target population were women. A sample of ten participants was recruited from the Empangeni Magistrate’s Court, and they all participated voluntarily. Only participants who had been involved in domestic violence for at least six months were asked to participate in the study, and those women who had taken the step of going to court and reporting the matter, or laying charges. The process of getting participants was a challenge and many survivors were reluctant to participant in the study. To collect data, semi structured interviews were used and during the interview a tape recorder was used and content analysis was used to analyses the data. The findings of this research indicated the following: survivors of domestic violence view it as physical abuse. It seems most survivors have experienced this type of abuse. Others indicated that it is verbal and emotional abuse and extramarital affairs that affect them. To them they are other forms of domestic violence, and they have experienced them in their relationships. The lack of communication, sexual needs and controlling behaviour were also indicated to have been experienced by survivors of domestic violence in this study. As regards the second and third questions, which focused on coping mechanisms, survivors of domestic violence indicated to have used problem focused strategies as a way of coping. They break the silence by reporting the matter to court, and claiming a protection order. Some participants are religious, and they pray to God. Some women, though, seemed to use negative coping strategies, such as conditioning themselves, tolerating the violence and keeping silent. In conclusion, it seems like there is still a great deal to be done in terms of educating the society and empowering victims of domestic violence. It is then recommended that the methodology to be changed by researchers on the same topic and there is also a need to educate community and empowerment to the survivors of domestic violence. The media can also play a role in broadening the awareness of domestic violence.

A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Community Psychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Zululand, 2008. / Evidence from literature (Edleson, 1999; Ross man, 1998; Graham-Bermann, 1996) has shown that children who witnessed family violence suffer from emotional, behavioural, social and cognitive problems and are often in conflict with the law and adults. For this reason, the main aim of the present study was to form and evaluate a therapeutic group for children who witnessed family violence in an attempt to promote health at secondary and tertiary levels. The sample for this study consisted of 12 children aged 8-13 years (who constituted the therapeutic group) and their mothers (who evaluated children's progress). Specifically designed questionnaires were used to collect data which was analyzed by using descriptive statistics. The findings of the study showed that children who witnessed family violence benefited from group therapy as a treatment approach. Children's post-test responses showed a significant improvement when compared to pre-test responses. This was also affirmed by mothers' post-test responses. These findings suggest a critical need for provision of group therapy to children who witnessed family violence.

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Volunteerism is a commonly researched topic however, much scarcer is research into the factors or motivations behind volunteering at domestic violence emergency shelters. Knowing the motivating factors that lead people to dedicate their time to different organizations is important because it gives us an understanding of what can be done in order to get other people involved in pro-social activities that benefit society as a whole. Just as there are different types of individuals who volunteer their time, there are different factors and motivators that compel those individuals to do so. Research to date has identified some common motivators. One of these is altruism. Altruism is essentially a motivation or drive to help another solely for that person's benefit or for the benefit of society as a whole. Other motivators that have been identified include: to gain understanding about a particular social issue, to strengthen social relationships and satisfy normative expectations; to aid in career advancement or to develop job prospects; to reduce negative feelings about oneself or address personal problems; and, to grow and develop psychologically and increase self-esteem. My research specifically examines the motivations among volunteers of local domestic violence emergency shelters. In my review of literature to date, I have been unable to find any research involving volunteers of domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, victim advocacy organizations, or anything along these lines. Only one study was found that has examined motivations among the volunteers for these organizations. This study was a very small (n=8), qualitative investigation with volunteers who occupied a specific position within an organization. This study examines motivations quantitatively of a larger sample of volunteers from two area domestic violence emergency shelters. To acquire this sample, all volunteers in the agency databases were emailed a link to the survey and asked to participate. The survey questionnaire included questions about the factors influencing their decision to volunteer and also why they chose to volunteer specifically at a domestic violence shelter. Demographic differences in motivations among the sample are also statistically determined. This study is important as it is the first to quantitatively assess the motivations of volunteers at a domestic violence agency. Motivations for volunteering at such an agency can differ significantly from motivations for volunteering at other types of organizations (like soup kitchens, day care centers, hospices and the like). The role of personal experience as well as knowing someone who has been personally impacted by domestic violence is measured as a unique motivation for this population. These findings are useful in providing domestic violence agencies with information that can assist in identifying potential volunteers from the larger community as well as a better understanding of their current volunteers. In addition, it contributes to the larger literature by examining a volunteer group that has largely been absent from the literature to date.

This study examined about 500 mock juror perceptions in a murder trial in which the defendant claims to have killed her abusive husband in self-defense. The defendant’s psychological diagnosis, the husband’s alcohol abuse history, and documentation of domestic violence were varied across conditions. Results showed that medical evidence of domestic violence had a significant effect on guilt ratings and on perceptions of blame for the husband’s death. History of alcohol use of the husband influenced mock jurors’ perceptions of the credibility of the defendant. Juror gender effects were also found on verdict ratings. In contrast, no main effect was found for the defendant’s diagnosis.

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