Thesis (PhD (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT:
Domestic violence crosses all boundaries and is regarded as a universal challenge affecting
women of all spheres of life. Domestic violence is seen as a serious social problem in South
Africa. It is regarded by many researchers as a leading cause of female injury. Domestic
violence can be described as an act by a member of a family against another member with
intent to do physical injury, psychological or emotional harm, or an assault or a threat that
reasonably places that member in fear of imminent physical injury or emotional harm. It has
major consequences, not only for the abused woman, but also for her children and society at
large. Many low-income women cannot escape their abusive circumstances due to a lack of
resources. Despite the fact that they cannot leave their situation, many women display certain
strengths, helping them to deal with their difficult situation. These women can be viewed as
heroic, assertive and persistent. They are not victims, but active survivors. The social work
profession could benefit from greater insight into the strengths and coping mechanisms of
low-income female survivors of domestic violence.
The goal of the study is to gain an understanding of low-income female survivors’ experience
of domestic violence, focusing on their environmental resources (including family, friends and
community) and on their coping mechanisms (inner resources/strengths). To achieve this goal,
the objectives are: to present a theoretical overview of the nature and extent of domestic
violence; to describe the environmental resources (such as family, friends and community) of
low-income abused women from the ecological perspective; to explore the coping
mechanisms (inner resources) of these women in terms of the principles of the strengths
perspective; and to analyse and interpret the data obtained from the study. The research
utilises an exploratory and descriptive design. The research question is, “What are the
experience (environmental resources) and coping mechanisms (inner resources) of lowincome
female survivors of domestic violence?”
This question was addressed by means of qualitative research. Twenty participants took part in
the study. Purposive and snowball sampling were used to select the participants. They were
interviewed by the researcher, and the data obtained from the interviews were organised into
themes. Five themes namely, the experience of domestic violence, low-income, resources, coping mechanisms and statutory intervention were identified. These themes were further
divided into sub-themes and categories.
Conclusions derived from the data included: domestic violence is a phenomenon that cuts
across all racial, marital status or age boundaries; some low-income female survivors of
domestic violence experience their situation as stressful; low-income is one of the determining
factors preventing some abused women to leave their situation; resources play a significant
part in the lives of some low-income abused women; certain strengths from some low-income
battered women help them cope; and some abused low-income women do not find an Interim
Protection Order (IPO) or the police to be helpful.
The recommendations are that social workers should assess primary, secondary and tertiary
intervention in dealing with domestic violence; the ecological and strengths perspectives
combined would be helpful in assessing resources and coping mechanisms in low-income
abused women and collaboration between social workers, the court and the police could help
low-income abused women to use statutory services effectively. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:
Gesinsgeweld ken geen grense nie en word beskou as ’n universele bedreiging vir vroue uit
alle sektore van die samelewing. Gesinsgeweld word beskou as ’n ernstige maatskaplike
probleem in Suid-Afrika. Dit word deur baie navorsers beskou as ’n hoofoorsaak van
vrouebeserings. Gesinsgeweld kan beskou word as ’n daad deur een lid van die gesin teen ’n
ander wat gemik is op fisieke skade, sielkundige of emosionele teistering, of ’n aanval of ’n
dreigement wat die lid van die gesin laat vrees vir fisieke beserings of emosionele skade. Dit
het grootskaalse gevolge, nie net vir die mishandelde vrou nie, maar ook vir haar kinders en
vir die breër gemeenskap. Baie lae-inkomste vroue kan nie uit hulle gewelddadige situasie
ontsnap nie, vanweë beperkte bronne. Nieteenstaande die feit dat baie vroue nie hul huidige
omstandighede kan ontkom nie, toon hulle sekere sterktes wat hulle help in hulle moeilike
omstandighede. Hierdie vroue kan beskou word as heldinne wat nie tou opgooi nie. Hulle is
nie slagoffers nie, maar oorleef aktief [Engels: “active survivors”]. Die maatskaplikewerkprofessie
kan baat by groter insig in die sterktes en hanteringsvaardighede van lae-inkomste
vroue wat gesinsgeweld oorleef.
Die doel van die studie is om groter insig te verkry in lae-inkomste vroue se ervaring van
gesinsgeweld, veral hulle omgewingsfaktore (insluitende familie, vriende en gemeenskap) en
van hulle hanteringsmeganismes (innerlike bronne/sterktes). Om hierdie doel te bereik, is die
doelwitte: om ’n teoretiese aanbieding van die aard en omvang van gesinsgeweld te gee; om
die omgewingsbronne (soos familie, vriende en gemeenskap) van lae-inkomste mishandelde
vroue te verduidelik; om die hanteringsmeganismes (innerlike bronne) van hierdie vroue te
eksploreer in terme van die beginsels van die sterkte perspektief; en om die data van die studie
te analiseer en te interpreteer. Die navorsingsontwerp is eksploratief-beskrywend van aard.
Die navorsingsvraag lui soos volg: “Wat is die ervaring (omgewingsfaktore) en
hanteringsmeganismes (innerlike bronne) van lae-inkomste vroue wat gesinsgeweld te bowe
kom?”
Die vraag is aangespreek deur middel van kwalitatiewe navorsing. Twintig deelnemers het
deelgeneem aan die studie. Doelgerigte- en sneeubal steekproeftegnieke is gebruik om die
deelnemers te verkry. Die navorser het met hulle onderhoude gevoer en die data wat verkry is, is georganiseer in temas. Vyf temas, naamlik die ervaring van gesinsgeweld; lae inkomste;
bronne; hanteringsmeganismes; en statutêre intervensie is geïdentifiseer. Die temas is in
subtemas en kategorieë onderverdeel.
Gevolgtrekkings wat gemaak is uit die data is: gesinsgeweld is ’n verskynsel wat alle ras-,
huwelikstatus- of ouderdomsgrense oorskry; sekere lae-inkomste vroulike oorwinnaars van
gesinsgeweld ervaar hulle situasie as stresvol; hulpbronne speel ’n betekenisvolle rol in die
lewens van sommige lae-inkomste mishandelde vroue; sekere sterktes van lae-inkomste
mishandelde vroue help hulle om die situasie te hanteer; en sekere lae-inkomste, mishandelde
vroue vind nie ’n Interim Beskermingsbevel (IB) of die polisie as hulpvaardig nie.
Die aanbevelings is dat maatskaplike werkers primêre, sekondêre en tersiêre intervensie
behoort te assesseer by gesinsgeweld; die ekologiese en sterktes perspektiewe behoort saam
aangewend te word om die omgewingsbronne en hanteringsmeganismes van lae-inkomste
mishandelde vroue te ondersoek; en samewerking tussen maatskaplike werkers, die hof en
polisie kan lae-inkomste mishandelde vroue help om statutêre dienste beter te benut.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/5233 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Slabbert, Ilse |
| Contributors | Green, Sulina, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Arts and Social Science. Dept. of Social Work. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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