Thesis (DPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation looks at husbands as victims of family violence at the hands of their spouses. Four white Afrikaans speaking persons from Pretoria were interviewed in case studies focusing on the problem of husband abuse. During the interviews use was made of an interview schedule based on contemporary theoretical explanations for the phenomenon. Three of the participants were white males who elaborated on their own experiences as victims of marital violence. A fourth participant was a white female who elaborated on her father’s experiences as a victim of marital violence. The taped recordings of the interviews were transcribed and a data set developed by using AtlasTi. The data set was used to construct the social worlds of men as victims of marital violence by focusing on eight categories: definitions of violence, frequency of violence, causes of violence, violent insidents, effects of violence, disintegration of the relationship, remaining in a violent relationship and men and women’s propensity for violence. The data set was further used to examine the contemporary theoretical explanations for family violence at the micro, meso and macro levels. Regarding the micro level constructs, there seems to be application value for the psychobiological and psychodynamic perspectives. The victim theory does not seem to have much apllication value. With regard to the meso level constructs, it seems as if stress theory and traumatic bonding theory, exchange/social control theory and social learning theory may be useful in explaining marital violence. Power theory and resource theory, in an amended form, may also be of value. The application of conflict theory seems problematic since it is not clear whether violence leads to isolation or vice versa. Regarding the macro level analysis, it seems as though the culture of violence theory and the subculture of violence theory have strong application value. General systems theory is difficult to apply, but theoretically specific questions to the participants brought to light that support networks for male victims are inadequate or even absent. The patriarchal feminist theory seems to have no apllication value seeing that three of the main assumptions of this theory collapsed. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie proefskrif kyk na getroude mans as slagoffers van gesinsgeweld aan die hand van hul vroue. Onderhoude is gevoer met vier wit Afrikaanssprekende persone van Pretoria in gevallestudies met die fokus op die probleem van eggenoot-misbruik. Gedurende die onderhoude is gebruik gemaak van ‘n onderhoudskedule wat gebaseer is op kontemporêre teoretiese verduidelikings vir die verskynsel. Drie van die deelnemers was blanke mans wat uitgebrei het oor hul eie ervarings as slagoffers van huweliksgeweld. ‘n Vierde deelnemer was ‘n blanke vrou wat uitgebrei het op haar vader se ondervindings van huweliksgeweld. Die bandopnames van die onderhoude is getranskribeer en ‘n datastel ontwikkel deur gebruik te maak van AtlasTi. Die datastel is gebruik om die sosiale wêrelde van mans, as slagoffers van huweliksgeweld, te konstrueer deur te fokus op agt kategorieë: geweldsomskrywings, geweldsfrekwensie, geweldsoorsake, geweldsinsidente, geweldseffek, verhoudingsdisintegrasie, aanbly in die geweldsverhouding en mans en vroue se geneigdheid tot geweld. Die data is verder gebruik om die kontemporêre teoretiese verduidelikings vir gesinsgeweld op die mikro-, meso- en makrovlakke mee te eksamineer. Onder die mikrovlak-konstrukte skyn daar sterk toepassingsmoontlikhede te wees vtr die psigo-biologiese en psigodinamiese perspektiewe. Die blameer-die -slagoffer-perspektief skyn nie veel toepassingswaarde te hê nie. Onder die mesovlak-konstrukte blyk stresteorie en traumatiese bindingsteorie, ruil-/sosiale beheerteorie en sosiale leerteorie bruikbaar te wees in die verklaring van huweliksgeweld. Magsteorie en hulpbronteorie kan ook van waarde wees. Die toepassing van konflikteorie skyn problematies te wees, want dit is nie seker of die geweld lei tot isolasie van die gesin of omgekeerd nie. Wat die makrovlak-konstrukte aanbetref blyk geweldskultuurteorie en die subkultuur van geweldsteorie ook sterk toepassingsmoontlikhede te hê. Algemene sisteemteorie is moeilik toepasbaar, maar teoreties-spesifieke vrae aan die deelnemers het aan die lig gebring dat ondersteuningsnetwerke vir manslagoffers gebrekkig of selfs afwesig is. Die patriargale feministiese teorie skyn geen toepassingswaarde te hê nie aangesien die drie hoofaannames van hierdie teorie platval.