abstract: In spite of numerous legal interventions and a fairly strong legal capacity compared to other neighboring countries, Zimbabwean law enforcement and judiciary have failed to overcome Intimate Partner Violence (IPV). This research examines the role of customary law in the continued prevalence of IPV among Zimbabwean women, particularly, the subtle ways in which customary law legitimates the ideals of patriarchal domination in the communal and legal handling of IPV cases. The study utilized qualitative methodology in the form of structured interviews as well as pre-interview questionnaires. Eighteen women who identified as IPV survivors or victims were recruited using snowball sampling method whereby each person interviewed was asked to suggest additional people who were either present victims or survivors of IPV. Five lawyers from Chinhoyi, ten lawyers from Harare, ten police officers from Chinhoyi and ten police officers from Harare were identified using judgement or purposive sampling where subjects are chosen due to availability. The research established that IPV is a way in which abusers exercise their assumed patriarchal rights over women. Likewise, police officers are also influenced by attitudes and mentalities acquired from customary law in the way they handle IPV cases which resultantly leads to secondary victimization of IPV victims. The research concluded that much work still needs to be done by the judiciary, law enforcement and the community to combat the prevalence of IPV in Zimbabwe. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Social Justice and Human Rights 2019

The purpose of this study was to explore women's dual experiences of IPV to examine whether their motivations fit the current framework on four types of intimate partner violence (IPV) in light of Johnson's typology, which includes: violent resistance (VR), situational couple violence (SCV), mutual violent combat (MVC), and intimate terrorism (IT) (Kelly and Johnson 2008). I applied these types of IPV to describe women's physical aggression, control, and emotional responses experienced and performed during IPV. Johnson's typology classified six of 10 participant experiences; to describe the remaining four, I applied blended types of IPV. Findings in this study indicated that VR and SCV overlooked women's use of controlling physical aggression; this study identified alternative concepts and additional dimensions of control and resistance, and introduced tempered violence resistance (TVR), a new IPV type to describe women's use of controlling physical aggression during protective violence. Correspondingly, findings also indicated that interpretations of physical aggression and control in MVC and IT did not consider wide-ranging degrees of control such as self-control, situational control, and partner control. Hence, distinctions between SCV or MVC and MVC or IT were limited by vague interpretations of control. Furthermore, VR, MVC, and IT did not fully describe women's emotional responses. These types of violence focused solely on the context of physical aggression and control, which minimized perceptions of conflict and omitted reported samples of motivations. Forthcoming studies applying Johnson's typology should include external contexts of relationship conflict and consider multiple types control and dimensions of resistance. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze IntimatePartner Violence (IPV). How does contemporary science illustrate men as victimsand women as perpetrators in these relationships? Ten articles were presentedand analyzed in a systematic literature study. The results show that men beingabused by their female intimate partner, do exist and that they in many ways doconform to abused women. There are many underlying causes to the violence inclose relationships. There are also many shapes and degrees in violence and inIntimate Partner Violence (IPV). Furthermore, Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) exhibitssymmetry in socio-demographic characteristics, such as gender and ethnicity. Thefindings also points out that Common Couple Violence (CCV) are a much morecommon form of violence than Intimate Terrorism (IT) and that both forms areused by men and women. Finally, violence is ambiguous, includes many aspectsand is not easy to explain among cultural values, norms and social contexts.Still, violence is a universal human issue which demands social interventions.

Cela fait près de 50 ans que les études criminologiques se penchent sur l’étude des violences conjugales. Au cours de ces décennies, de nombreuses avancées ont fait évoluer notre compréhension de ce phénomène : entre autres, les études féministes ont conduit à concevoir ces violences comme un problème social important. À travers cette perspective, les violences conjugales ne sont plus conçues comme un conflit entre deux partenaires, mais plutôt comme un moyen utilisé par un partenaire pour contrôler et dominer l’autre. L’arrivée relativement récente des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TICs) a grandement modifié l’expérience des femmes victimes de violences conjugales : plusieurs études montrent que les TICs sont utilisées en contexte de violence conjugale et de séparation. Alors que les violences conjugales ont été beaucoup documentées, force est de constater que très peu d’études sur le sujet intègrent les cyberviolences dans leurs analyses. Par conséquent, les cyberviolences, leurs impacts émotionnels perçus et les stratégies d’adaptation et de recherche d’aide mobilisées par les femmes à l’ère du numérique sont encore relativement peu connus. Pour pallier ces limites, le présent mémoire explore les liens entre les violences conjugales traditionnelles et les cyberviolences perpétrées par un partenaire ou ex-partenaire intime. Trois objectifs spécifiques sont visés, soit de 1) documenter les expériences de violences conjugales traditionnelles et de cyberviolences auprès de femmes victimes de cyberviolences, 2) préciser les impacts psychologiques perçus, ainsi que les stratégies d’adaptation et de recherche d’aide mobilisées par les femmes victimes de cyberviolences et 3) évaluer la contribution des violences perçues et des stratégies d’adaptation à la prédiction de la détresse psychologique. Pour ce faire, un échantillon de 419 femmes âgées de 18 à 29 ans a rempli un questionnaire portant sur leurs expériences de cyberviolences perpétrées par un partenaire ou ex-partenaire intime dans les 12 mois précédant l’étude. Des analyses descriptives et des analyses de régression linéaire multiple ont été effectuées. Les résultats suggèrent que les violences conjugales et les cyberviolences conjugales sont cooccurrentes et que les cyberviolences ont un impact important sur la santé émotionnelle des femmes qui en sont victimes. Par ailleurs, contrairement aux attentes, les stratégies d’adaptation et de recherche d’aide n’ont pas été associées à une diminution de la détresse psychologique perçue. Les résultats de ce mémoire font état de l’importance de poursuivre la recherche sur le phénomène des cyberviolences et particulièrement sur l’efficacité perçue à moyen et long termes des stratégies d’adaptation et de recherche d’aide. Aussi, considérant la cooccurrence des cyberviolences et des violences conjugales traditionnelles, il apparaît nécessaire de poursuivre les efforts de sensibilisation auprès des différents intervenants et intervenantes œuvrant auprès des victimes de violences conjugales sur les cyberviolences. Une meilleure connaissance de ce phénomène leur permettrait de promouvoir des stratégies efficaces auprès des victimes afin d’y faire face. / For almost half a century now, criminology studies have addressed the problem of intimate partner violence (IPV). Although many perspectives have contributed to the study of IPV, it was feminists who brought IPV into the social sphere. Indeed, feminists no longer refer to IPV as a dispute between two partners, but rather as a means of domination and control. The relatively recent creation of new technologies, such as smartphones and social media, are known to be used in context of IPV (Dimond et al., 2011; Marganski et Melander, 2018; Stanley et al., 2018; Woodlock, 2017). While we know a lot about IPV, it is surprising that very few studies include cyberviolence in their analysis. To date, we know very little about cyberviolence in intimate relationship, its emotional consequences and its specific coping and help-seeking strategies. In order to bring insight into this phenomenon, the present study explores the links between intimate partner violence and cyberviolence. Precisely, the study aims to (1) document the experiences of intimate partner violence and cyberviolences of women victim of cyberviolences, (2) define the perceived psychological consequences and coping strategies used by women victims of cyberviolences and (3) explore the incidence of violence and coping strategies on perceived psychological distress. To do so, a sample of 419 women aged 18 to 29 completed an online questionnaire on their experiences of cyberviolence in their intimate relationship in the past 12 months. Descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis have been conducted. The results suggest a co-occurrence of intimate partner violence and cyberviolence. Cyberviolence also have a significant impact on women’s emotional well-being. Surprisingly, none of the coping or help-seeking strategies were associated with a reduction in perceived psychological distress. The results of this study highlight the importance of studying medium- and long-term effectiveness of coping and help-seeking strategies in the context of cyberviolence. Moreover, considering the co-occurrence of cyberviolence and IPV, it seems relevant to raise awareness about cyberviolence among social workers working with victims of IPV. A better understanding of cyberviolence could help promote effective coping strategies among victims.