Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This study explored the consequences of passion killing (PK) on the academic wellbeing of undergraduates in Botswana and Namibia. The study is motivated by the alarming rate of intimate partner femicide popularly referred to as passion killings in both countries; where dozens of young women are being killed by their jilted and angry boyfriends (who most times commit suicide after the murder). The victims and perpetrators are the future generation youths; and noticeably, this monstrous crime had permeated awfully into the universities in some African countries. However, to date, there is paucity of information on the influence of such occurrence on the academic wellbeing of undergraduates. The study employed qualitative research approach, with intrinsic case study design. It was grounded in interpretative paradigm. The participants were purposefully selected given the nature of the study as well as the site; the study used snowball purposive sampling. The samples were of six participants and the data was obtained through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The data were coded and thematic analysis was used to analyse the content. Member checking procedures were also employed to assess the credibility and trustworthiness of the study as well as the suitability of the subjects in order to ensure that the results of the study were dependable and could be confirmed. The study adhered to the professional research ethical considerations like voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, anonymity and avoidance of harm. The study found that incidence of PK is still burgeoning in the locations of study and very rampant among the young people; the victims are largely women. It is established from the data collected during in depth interviews with the students that passion killing has negative influence on the academic wellbeing of students in tertiary institutions in Botswana and Namibia. It causes social shock which leaves students in disconnected and disenchanted relationships; causes psychological trauma leading to feelings of insecurity and instability which affects their learning and concentration.

One incidence of intimate partner non-fatal strangulation (NFS) significantly increases the risk of homicide by asphyxiation (i.e., deprivation of oxygen resulting in death). The implications of NFS are well examined but the prevalence and dyadic influences of asphyxiation are less understood. This study examined various relationship types to determine if those defined by longevity and intimacy (e.g., dating and spousal) demonstrated the highest risk for NFS/asphyxiation, and evaluated the prevalence of other types of force at the time of the assault (e.g., firearms, personal weapons). Data for this project were obtained from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation’s online incident-based reporting system. There were 34,448 reported cases of intimate partner violence (IPV) in 2019 included in the analysis. Independent variables included the survivor-offender relationship, (dating, marital, acquaintance) the force involved at the time of the assault, including the use of a firearm, NFS, asphyxiation, dangerous weapons (knife/cutting instrument, blunt object), or personal weapons, (hands, fist, feet, arms, teeth) and the location of the assault. The dependent variable was classified by the offense type (aggravated assault, simple assault, homicide, and forcible rape). Data were first cleaned using KuTools for Excel, 23.00 and then analyzed in SPSS Version 25. Regarding homicide, the most lethal type of force involved was not asphyxiation (6.5%; n = 3), but instead the use of a firearm (56.5%; n = 26), followed by dangerous weapons, (23.9%; n =11). The majority of NFS cases were classified as aggravated assaults (95.3%; n = 528) and mainly occurred at the survivor/victim’s residence (85.1%; n = 441). Regarding dyadic influences, the majority of incidents of NFS/asphyxiation occurred in dating (boyfriend/girlfriends; 63.9%; n = 354) and spousal (19.5%; n = 108;) relationships with homicides mainly occurring against spouses (50.0%; n = 21). A multinomial logistic regression model examining relationship type on the effect of force involved was significant, χ2(12, N =34,448) = 261.533, p < .001, Nagelkerke’s R2= .011. Only those in boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = .019; CI = .017-.021) and ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = .024; CI = .019-.031) relationships significantly increased the likelihood of experiencing NFS or asphyxiation compared to the use of personal weapons. Those in acquaintance (OR = 3.447; CI = 2.618-4.539) and ex-boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = 2.266; CI = 1.927-2.664) relationships demonstrated the highest likelihood of a firearm being used at the time of assault. Findings indicated that dating and spousal relationships demonstrated the highest risk and prevalence of NFS and asphyxiation, but most cases of homicide involved a firearm. Proper screening by clinicians and medical personnel should assess for the current relationship type, past instances of NFS, and the presence of a firearm within the home. Further options for screening will be presented.