Previous studies have found a relationship between attributions of blame and traumatic events such as crime, illness, and accidents/disasters, albeit inconclusive as to the benefits or detriments of self- and other-blame on adjustment outcome (e.g., Janoff-Bulman, 1979; Joseph, Brewin, Yule & Williams, 1991,1993; Derry & McLachlan, 1995; Frazier & Schauben, 1994). The effects of attributions of blame on the adjustment outcome of family members bereaved through murder has been neglected. Therefore, little is known about such benefits to adjustment in this population. In addition, no longitudinal research has been conducted so little is known about this process of adjustment. A retrospective longitudinal study investigated emotional state and event-related impact, attributions of blame, control and just world cognitions, revenge and disabling distress. Thirty-four family members, recruited from "Families of Murdered Children", were interviewed and completed four psychological measures. They were followed up six and twelve months later. On all three occasions, subjects showed high levels of negative emotional state and event-related impact, especially older, female and support seeking subjects. Self-blame and feelings of revenge were linked to higher levels of negative emotional state and event-related impact, especially in female subjects. Control and just world cognitions were not related to emotional state and event-related impact. Negative emotional state at Time 1 was predictive of poor overall adjustment at Time 2 and Time 3, while gender was predictive of poor overall adjustment at Time 2. Subjects suffering from distress that interfered with their daily lives at Time 3 had higher negative emotional state and event-related impact at Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3. In order to further investigate the effects of blame attributions on mood, a randomised between-subjects laboratory study was conducted. Eighty-seven undergraduates were assigned to one of three writing conditions (self-blame, other-blame and no blame/control) with mood being assessed before and after writing. Results showed that negative mood had been cognitively induced, however, no condition effects occurred. The mood effect was greater for women than men. Implications for theory, practice and future research in relation to the main findings are discussed.

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This research explores the effect of incest on adolescents, according to the person-centred approach. The researcher was prompted by her observation of the escalating rate of incest in South Africa, and thus decided that an exploratory study on this theme was essential for social work practitioners. The literature study indicated that little research has been conducted on black children who are exposed to incest in South Africa. Therefore this research was conducted with the intention of exploring the effects of incest on adolescents according to the person-centred approach, in order to fill the gap in knowledge. A qualitative method was used to collect data. Ten unstructured interviews were conducted with two respondents, who were purposefully selected. All ten sessions are reflected in this thesis in order to indicate how the person-¬centred approach can be implemented. Data was analysed according to the nineteen propositions of the person-centred approach. The literature study revealed that the occurrence of incest is not limited to certain geographic regions and social classes, but that it covers a broad spectrum of occupations, income and racial groups. It also showed that incest perpetrators are mostly males with deviant sexual patterns, low self-esteem and poor social skills, that mothers in families where incest is likely to occur possess personality traits that somehow warrant an incestuous assault on their daughters by the father, that children who are at risk of being incest victims are children with low self-esteem and lack self-confidence and also that incest is actually a symptom of severe family dysfunction. This study showed that, irrespective of the time frame from the occurrence of the abuse, incest affects the emotional functioning of the victims and until dealt with, the emotions do not just disappear with time. Incest was found to affect the individuals' self-image and their interpersonal relationships. Incest also causes depression in the victims. The person-centred approach in dealing with incest victims is recommended in this study. This approach gives clients full control over the therapeutic process, which makes them feel respected and empowered. It focuses on the individual rather than the problem and enables clients to discover themselves through realizing and dealing with symbolised and unsymbolised experiences in their lives. The researcher also recommends that further research be conducted to see how the person-centred approach could best assist in giving therapy to families or groups where incest was experienced. / Dissertation (MA (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

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This study was based on subjective attitudes towards wife rape of 85 women and detailed interviews with 20 of them. It aimed to measure the relation between traditionalism and use of the term wife rape, awareness of wife rape and of its criminalisation; and to understand women's experiences and subjective definitions of wife rape and their coping strategies. Once wife rape was problematised, definitions varied. Women holding more traditional attitudes (informal settlement women) were less likely to define the wife's experience in a vignette as wife rape than women holding less traditional (shelter women) and non-traditional attitudes (Network identified women). Additionally, women holding more non-traditional attitudes were more likely to define the event as wife rape than were other women. Similar intergroup differences in traditionalism on awareness of wife rape and its criminalisation emerged. The line between sexual violence and violent sexuality was a thin one at times. / M.A (Pshychology)

This thesis reports on a discourse analysis of thirteen qualitative interviews with male survivors of sexual abuse. My analysis focuses on participants' changing experiences and understandings of what it means to be 'masculine', and how they saw these having been influenced by the experience of being abused. An important finding was that many participants expressed concern regarding their invisibility as male survivors, noting that contemporary discourses on violence typically position men as its perpetrators, rather than its victims. I analyze the significance of the absence of a discourse of male victimization in terms both of its practical implications for male survivors and its theoretical implications for critical work on hegemonic masculinity. Based on the premise that hegemonic masculinity is a cornerstone of patriarchal systems, I conclude by using the experiences of my participants as a means of exploring the potential for men to experience 'oppression' under patriarchy.

This study investigated the impact of victim provocativeness and rape history upon male and female subjects' perceptions of attribution of blame toward the rape victim. One hundred and forty-four subjects (a) read one of 12 fictional case reports of a rape incident from a sexual abuse center which systematically varied level of victim provocativeness and rape history and (b) completed a nine-item Rape Questionnaire (RQ). Data were analyzed by a 2 (subject's sex) x 3 (level of provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) analysis of variance on the Rape Questionnaire total score. An ancillary multiple analysis of variance (MANOVA) was also performed on the nine Rape Questionnaire items to check for potential masking of individual item differences from the Rape Questionnaire score. In addition, the data were reanalyzed in the 2 x 3 x 2 design by substituting high versus low scorers on the Attitudes Towards Women Scale (AWS) based upon median splits of the AWS for subject sex. The 2 (subject sex) x 3 (provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) MANOVA resulted in a sex by provocativeness interaction with males, relative to females, attributing more blame as the victim's level of provocativeness increased. In addition, significant differences emerged for provocativeness, rape history, and sex of subject. In general, subjects attributed more blame as the victim's provocativeness increased. Similarly, victims with rape histories were assigned more blame than victims without rape histories. The 2 (AWS) x 3 (provocativeness) x 2 (rape history) MANOVA resulted in a main effect for all three independent variables. In general subjects attributed more blame as the victim's provocativeness increased. Also victims with rape histories were assigned more blame than victims without rape histories. Finally, profeminist individuals attributed less blame to the victim than did traditional individuals. Implications for training of professional counselors and other service-providers are discussed. Future research directions are also noted.

published_or_final_version / Criminology / Master / Master of Social Sciences