Thesis (M Social Work)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Intimate partner violence is world wide and in South Africa an increasing social problem that
leads to life-threatening history of injuries and psychosocial problems. Intimate partner violence
is a global phenomenon prevalent in all socio-economic, race, religion, cultural and geographical
boundaries. Although women with a lack or low income is more at risk of intimate partner
violence and this reinforces their dependency of the intimate partner violence relationship. The
largest percentage of South Africa’s poor population lives in rural areas that make them more
vulnerable for social problems because of their lack of adequate resources. Women in rural areas
involved with intimate partner violence are physically isolated from a supportive social network
and must travel far distances to gain access to formal support resources.
The goal of the study is to gain an understanding of the support needs of women in rural areas
that are involved in intimate partner violence from an ecological perspective. To achieve this
goal, the objectives are: to explain the nature, extent and origin of intimate partner violence as a
social problem; to discuss the relevance of the ecological perspective as a theoretical framework
regarding the analyses of intimate partner violence; to describe the support needs of women in
rural areas that is involved in intimate partner violence; to investigate the experience of women
in rural areas that is involved in intimate partner violence regarding the availability of support;
and to offer recommendations regarding the promotion of the support needs for women in rural
areas that is expose to intimate partner violence.
Combinations of a quantitative and qualitative research approach were used in the study. The
study further assumed an exploratory and descriptive research design due to the lack of
information on support that is available to women in rural areas that are involved in intimate
partner violence. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. Data was
gathered by means of a semi-structured questionnaire, which was administered during 20
individual interviews. This allowed for a holistic view of the participants beliefs about, or
perceptions of the topic. The design of the questionnaire was based on the information obtained
from the literature review.
The findings of the empirical investigation mainly confirmed the findings of the literature study
that those women in rural areas that are involved in intimate partner violence support needs, from multiple levels of the ecological perspective. This support entails both informal and formal
support resources which vary from concrete, informational to emotional support in order to cope
with stressful life situations.
The most important recommendations resulting from the study indicate that social workers must
use an ecological approach during service rendered to women in rural areas that are involved in
intimate partner violence. This approach can be used to identify and strengthen support resources
on a micro, meso, exo and macro system level.
The study further indicate that social workers must collaborate with different government sectors
such as health care, police and law enforcement in order to create a multi professional team that
focus on the social functioning of families and the community as a entity. Social workers that
render intervention services to women in rural areas that are exposed to intimate partner violence
should focus on all levels of social work intervention. The recommendation emphasises the
importance of women and the communities’ awareness regarding intimate partner violence to
promote women independency and to promote and facilitate support groups. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Intiemepaargeweld is wêreldwyd asook in Suid-Afrika ‘n toenemende sosiale probleem wat ‘n
geskiedenis van ernstige beserings en psigososiale probleme vir vroue tot gevolg het. Die
universele gebeurtenisse van intiemepaargeweld vind plaas binne alle sosio-ekonomiese, ras-,
geloofs-, kulturele en geografiese grense. Alhoewel vroue met gebrekkige of lae inkomste hulle
‘n groter risiko vir intiemepaargeweld maak, versterk dit ook vroue se afhanklikheid van die
intiemepaargeweldverhouding. Die meerderheid van Suid-Afrika se arm populasie woon in
landelike gebiede, wat hulle meer kwesbaar maak vir maatskaplike probleme weens die gebrek
aan genoegsame hulpbronne. Vroue in landelike gebiede wat by intiemepaargeweld betrokke is,
is fisies geïsoleerd van ‘n ondersteunende sosiale netwerk en moet ver afstande reis om toegang
tot formele ondersteuningshulpbronne te kry.
Die doel van hierdie studie is om met behulp van die ekologiese perspektief die behoefte aan
ondersteuning van vroue wat by intiemepaargeweld betrokke is, beter te verstaan. Om hierdie
doel te bereik, is die doelwitte: om die aard, omvang en oorsprong van intiemepaargeweld as ‘n
maatskaplike probleem te verduidelik; om die relevansie van die ekologiese perspektief as
teoretiese raamwerk vir die ontleding van intiemepaargeweld te bespreek; om die ondersteuning
wat nodig is vir vroue in landelike gebiede wat by intiemepaargeweld betrokke is, te omskryf;
om ondersoek in te stel na die ervaring van vroue in landelike gebiede wat by intiemepaargeweld
betrokke is, ten opsigte van die beskikbaarheid van ondersteuning; en om aanbevelings te maak
ten opsigte van die bevordering van die ondersteuning vir vroue in landelike gebiede wat aan
intiemepaargeweld blootgestel word.
‘n Kombinasie van kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings is in hierdie studie
gebruik. Tydens hierdie ondersoek is ook beide ‘n verkennende en beskrywende
navorsingsontwerp benut, aangesien die beskikbare literatuur ‘n gebrek aan inligting aangaande
ondersteuning wat beskikbaar is aan vroue in landelike gebiede wat by intiemepaargeweld
betrokke is, toon. ‘n Doelbewuste streekproefmetode is geselekteer om deelnemers te verkry. Die
data is ingevorder deur die gebruik van ‘n semi-gestruktureerde vraelys tydens 20 afsonderlike
individuele onderhoude. Sodoende kon ‘n geheelbeeld van die deelnemers se oortuigings en
persepsies aangaande die onderwerp van die studie verkry word. Die samestelling van die
vraelys berus op inligting wat uit die literatuurstudie verkry is.
Die resultate van die ondersoek het hoofsaaklik die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie bevestig
dat vroue in landelike gebiede wat by intiemepaargeweld betrokke is, ‘n behoefte aan
ondersteuning op veelvoudige vlakke van die ekologiese perspektief het. Hierdie ondersteuning
behels beide informele en formele ondersteuningsbronne en varieer vanaf konkrete,
informatiewe tot emosionele ondersteuning ten einde stresvolle lewensituasies te kan hanteer.
Die belangrikste aanbevelings van hierdie studie dui daarop dat maatskaplike werkers die
ekologiese perspektief moet gebruik tydens dienste wat aan vroue in landelike gebiede wat by
intiemepaargeweld betrokke is, gelewer word. Hierdie perspektief kan die nodige
ondersteuningshulpbronne identifiseer en versterk om die nodige ondersteuning aan hierdie
vroue op ‘n mikro-, meso-, ekso- en makrosisteemvlak te bied.
Die aanbevelings dui ook aan dat maatskaplike werkers saam met verskeie regeringsektore,
naamlik gesondheidsorg-, polisie- en wetstoepassingsdienste, ‘n multi-professionele span vorm
sodat daar op die sosiale funksionering van gesinne en gemeenskap as ‘n geheel gefokus word.
Maatskaplike werkers wat intervensiedienste lewer aan vroue in landelike gebiede wat aan
intiemepaargeweld blootgestel word, moet op alle maatskaplikewerk-intervensievlakke fokus.
Die aanbevelings beklemtoon die noodsaaklikheid van vroue en die gemeenskappe se
bewustheid rakende intiemepaargeweld om sodoende vroue se onafhanklikheid te bevorder en
ondersteuningsgroepe te bevorder en te fasiliteer.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20163 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Van Breda, Edna Elizabeth |
| Contributors | Green, Sulina, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Social Work. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | af_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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