Browsing by Subject "Violence"

Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
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    Aggressive behaviour among drug-using women from Cape Town, South Africa: ethnicity, heavy alcohol use, methamphetamine and intimate partner violence
    (2017) Carney, Tara; Myers, Bronwyn; Kline, Tracy L; Johnson, Kim; Wechsberg, Wendee M
    BACKGROUND: Women have generally been found to be the victims of violence, but scant attention has been paid to the characteristics of women who perpetrate aggression and violence. In South Africa, violence is a prevalent societal issue, especially in the Western Cape. METHOD: This study aimed at identifying factors that were associated with aggression among a sample of 720 substance-using women. We conducted multivariate logistic regression to identify factors that are significantly associated with these behaviours. RESULTS: Ethnicity (Wald Χ2 = 17.07(2), p < 0.01) and heavy drinking (Wald Χ2 = 6.60 (2), p = 0.01) were significantly related to verbal aggression, methamphetamine use was significantly related to physical (Wald Χ2 = 2.73 (2), p = 0.01) and weapon aggression (Wald Χ2 = 7.94 (2), p < 0.01) and intimate partner violence was significantly related to verbal (Wald Χ2 = 12.43 (2), p < 0.01) and physical aggression (Wald Χ2 = 25.92 (2), p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The findings show high levels of aggression among this sample, and highlight the need for interventions that address methamphetamine, heavy drinking and intimate partner violence among vulnerable substance-using women.
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    Bayasibulala: #AmINext? an analysis of Instagram as a tool for activism against Sexual Gender-Based Violence in South Africa
    (2022) Mazana, Nandipha Nwabisa; Ndlovu, Musawenkosi
    Research over the years has shown that there is a global rise in hashtag activism, this type of activism has also inspired what scholars call - hashtag feminism. Hashtag feminism utilizes Social Networking Sites to raise awareness about issues that are often not covered in traditional news media outlets such as TV, newspapers, and Radio Stations. Through this paper, I seek to investigate how Instagram has become one of the Social Networking Sites that has recently started being used for online activism in South Africa. This is done by conducting a qualitative analysis of 700 posts from the hashtag #AmINext, with a period focus of 3 months during South Africa's COVID-19 Level-5 Lockdown. The findings suggest that activists follow similar lines of the hashtag and social media activism parameters such as those of the #MeToo and #BeenRapedNeverReported movements. The analysis found that activists use Instagram to participate in Citizen Journalism by sharing information, raising awareness, organizing, mobilizing, and advocating (Vegh, 2003). Furthermore, there is clear Civic Engagement and Citizen Journalism through things such as sharing information and having calls to action while utilizing hashtags as a way to gain momentum and attention. The findings suggest that these hashtags are able to cultivate a community of activists all around the country while also making sure to encourage more participation. The analysis also shows how there is an importance of such activism when movement is restricted due to national Lockdowns implemented to curb COVID-19, as many victims of SGBV found themselves at home and trapped with their abusers. In paying attention to this analysis, I conclude that perhaps through the exploration of new ways of activism, we can ensure that no voice is ever left behind. Furthermore, despite the possibilities of these new ways of raising awareness and activism, it is always important to see how we can apply the old with the new.
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    Early intervention: a foundation for lifelong violence prevention.
    (2015) Skeen, Sarah; Tomlinson, Mark; Ward, Catherine L; Cluver, Lucie; Lachman, Jamie M
    High levels of violence affect every family in South Africa. Exposure to violence starts early, in both the home and community. There are high levels of physical abuse of children,1 and the national under-five homicide rate is more than double that of other low- and middle-income countries.2 Rates of violence are particularly high in poorer communities in the country, and many children already made vulnerable by poverty are also at risk from increased exposure to violence
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    Experience of and factors associated with violence against sexual and gender minorities in nine African countries: a cross-sectional study
    (2021-02-15) Müller, Alex; Daskilewicz, Kristen; Kabwe, Mc L; Mmolai-Chalmers, Anna; Morroni, Chelsea; Muparamoto, Nelson; Muula, Adamson S; Odira, Vincent; Zimba, Martin
    Objective The objective of this research was to assess physical and sexual violence experienced by sexual and gender minorities in nine African countries, and to examine factors associated with violence. Methods We conducted an exploratory multi-country cross-sectional study among self-identifying sexual and gender minorities, using a survey tool available in paper and online. Participants were sampled through venue-based and web-based convenience sampling. We analysed data using descriptive statistics and logistic regression, with Stata15. Findings Of 3798 participants, 23% were gender minorities, 20% were living with HIV, and 18% had been coerced into marriage. Fifty-six per cent of all participants had experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, and 29% in the past year. Gender minorities had experienced significantly higher levels of violence compared to cisgender (sexual minority) participants. The variable most strongly associated with having experienced violence was being coerced into marriage (AOR, 3.02), followed by people living nearby knowing about one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity (AOR, 1.90) and living with HIV (AOR, 1.47). Conclusion Sexual and gender minorities in Eastern and Southern Africa experience high levels of violence. Sexual orientation and gender identity need to be recognised as risk factors for violence in national and regional law and policy frameworks. States should follow the African Commission Resolution 275 and provide protection against violence based on real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
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    Family Histories of Mental Illness and Violence in State Patients
    (2021) Vogts, Elizabeth; Roffey, M; Kaliski, Sean; Ramesar, S
    Background: It is known that both severe mental illness and violence have genetic components. Multiple genes play a role in the cause of violent behaviour. Violence is one of the leading causes of death for young people in South Africa and yet little is known about its prevalence in state patients and their family members. Aim: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of violence and mental illness in the families of state patients, to what extend these coincide and to compare schizophrenia and mood psychosis in that context. Setting: The study included 60 state patients' folders, all of whom were diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, in accordance with DSM5 criteria. The subjects were divided into two groups: those who have committed violence and those who have not committed violence. Method: Patients' folders were selected by purposive sampling. These folders were then reviewed by the researcher and a questionnaire was completed. Results: Violent patients had more first-generation relatives with violent convictions (68.2%), compared to 36.4% of non-violent patients. Only 3.3% of non-violent patients witnessed domestic violence, whereas 13.3% of violent patients witnessed domestic violence. A significantly higher proportion of patients with bipolar disorder had been convicted of physical assault (p=0.035). 17.6% of violent schizophrenia patients had a family history of violence and mental illness, compared to 18.2% of violent patients with mood psychoses which is not statistically significant. Conclusion: It was found that violence runs in families and that mental illness and violence was prevalent in the described group. Of further concern was that more violent patients witnessed domestic violence compared to non-violent patients, emphasising the idea that the cause of violence is multifactorial (genetic, environmental), and that identification of not only high-risk patients but also high-risk families need to be implemented.
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    Helping children recover from trauma
    (2016-10-01) Mathews, Shanaaz; Berry, Lizette; Lake, Lori
    Violence against children is widespread, and the impact of violence on children extends beyond the physical injuries to have lasting psychosocial consequences. The Children’s Act outlines government’s obligation to prevent violence against children, protect child victims from further harm, and support and treat children who have experienced violence to restore them to physical and psychological well-being. Early access to therapeutic support for traumatised children helps mitigate negative effects such as violence and riskybehaviour, depression, anxiety and suicide, and ensure better outcomes in the long term. But little is known about current models of therapeutic care for child sexual abuse (CSA) victims in South Africa, or their efficacy in facilitating psychological recovery. This research brief examines a local, innovative, therapeutic programme for sexually abused children living in rural areas, and considers what kind of therapeutic responses are appropriate in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC).
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    Out of Harm's Way? Tracking child abuse cases through the child protection system at five selected sites in South Africa - Research Report
    (Children's Institute, University of Cape Town, 2017-05-01) Jamieson, Lucy; Sambu, Winnie; Mathews, Shanaaz
    The study aims to document how the child protection system processes reported cases of child abuse, and make recommendations about how child protection services could be strengthened, to reduce the risk of trauma to children and breaking the inter-generational cycle of violence. In particular the study generates recommendations for the specificimprovement of child protection services within the local setting.
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    Paramedics, poetry, and film: health policy and systems research at the intersection of theory, art, and practice
    (2019-08-07) Brady, Leanne; De Vries, Shaheem; Gallow, Rushaana; George, Asha; Gilson, Lucy; Louw, Moira; Martin, Abdul W; Shamis, Khalid; Stuart, Toni
    Abstract Violence is a public health issue. It is the consequence of a complex set of interacting political, social, and economic factors firmly rooted in past and current injustice. South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world, and in some areas, the rates of violence are comparable to a country that is at war. Increasingly, paramedics working in high-risk areas of Cape Town are being caught in the crossfire, and in 2018, there was an attack on a paramedic crew nearly every week. These attacks are a symptom of much deeper, complex societal issues. Clearly, we require new approaches to better understand the complexity as we collectively find a way forward. It is in this context that we are collaborating with paramedics, poets, and filmmakers to tell human stories from the frontline thereby bringing the lived experiences of healthcare workers into policy making processes. In this commentary, we share a series of poems and a poetry-film that form part of a larger body of work focused on the safety of paramedics, to catalyze discussion about the possibilities that arts-based methods offer us as we seek to better understand and engage with complex social issues that have a direct impact on the health system.
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    Spare the rod and save the child: Assessing the impact of parenting on child behaviour and mental health
    (2015) Ward, Catherine L; Gould, Chandré; Kelly, Jane; Mauff, Katya
    Parenting has a considerable impact on children’s behaviour and mental health. Improving child health and behaviour requires an understanding of the relationship between parenting practices; contexual factors such as parental mental health, intimate partner violence, substance abuse and poverty; and children’s behaviour. In this article the authors report the findings of a survey of parenting and child behaviour in a small rural South African community. The findings show that corporal punishment, the stress of parenting and parental mental health are significantly associated with both children’s internalising (depression and anxiety) and externalising (rulebreaking and aggression) symptoms. Intimate partner violence in the home was also associated with children’s externalising symptoms. These findings imply that parent support and training, and an increase in services to address intimate partner violence and mental health problems, should be prioritised as part of a national violence reduction strategy.
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    “With every passing day I feel like a candle, melting little by little.” experiences of long-term displacement amongst Syrian refugees in Shatila, Lebanon
    (2019-10-10) Syam, Hanadi; Venables, Emilie; Sousse, Bernard; Severy, Nathalie; Saavedra, Luz; Kazour, Francois
    Abstract Background Long term displacement and exposure to challenging living conditions can influence family dynamics; gender roles; violence at home and in the community and mental well-being. This qualitative study explores these issues as perceived by Syrian refugees who have been living in Shatila, a Palestinian camp in South Beirut, Lebanon, for at least 2 years. Methods Twenty eight in-depth interviews with men and women were conducted between February and June 2018. Women were recipients of mental health services, and men were recruited from the local community. Interviews were conducted in Arabic, translated, transcribed, coded and analysed using thematic content analysis. Results Our results show patterns of harsh living conditions similar to those described earlier in the course of the Syrian refugee crisis. Lack of infrastructure, overcrowding, cramped rooms and violence were all reported. Participants also described a lack of social support, discrimination and harassment within the host community, as well as limited social support networks within their own Syrian refugee community. Family dynamics were affected by the increased responsibilities on men, women and children; with additional economic and employment demands on men, women assuming the roles of ‘mother and father’ and children having to work and contribute to the household. Participants discussed several types of violence, including parental violence against children and violence in the community. Violence against women was also reported. Reported mental health issues included depression, anxiety, sadness, frustration, hopelessness, self-neglect and a loss of sense of self and self-worth. Some participants expressed a wish to die. Conclusions This study describes experiences of changing gender roles, family dynamics, violence and mental health after long-term displacement in in Shatila camp, South Beirut as perceived by Syrian refugees. A lack of safety and security coupled with economic hardship rendered refugees even more susceptible to exploitation and harassment. Parental violence was the most commonly reported type of domestic violence.