“And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa

dc.contributor.advisorMoult, Kelley
dc.contributor.authorLopes, Claudia
dc.date.accessioned2025-12-03T06:30:53Z
dc.date.available2025-12-03T06:30:53Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-12-03T06:28:51Z
dc.description.abstractAs those entrusted with the duties of safety, security, care and protection, police officers play a significant role in responding to the crisis of domestic violence in South Africa. Paradoxically, they are capable of perpetrating the very crime they are sworn to prevent and equally capable of failing to hold those who do accountable. Police-perpetrated domestic violence (PPDV) is a globally prevalent yet largely understudied phenomenon, particularly in the South African context. Drawing on literature, police oversight monitoring reports, quantitative data and interviews with South African Police Service (SAPS) Station Commanders and Domestic Violence coordinators, this dissertation sheds light on this largely underexplored phenomenon providing a more contextualised understanding of PPDV in South Africa with a more selective focus on the Western Cape where its rates are disproportionally high. Research findings illustrate the complexity of PPDV, revealing an interplay of multiple influences and factors that contribute to its emergence and undermine state efforts to address it. Its findings emphasise the need for targeted reforms to take the issue of PPDV and the wellness of police officers in South Africa far more seriously than is currently the case.
dc.identifier.apacitationLopes, C. (2025). <i>“And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationLopes, Claudia. <i>"“And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationLopes, C. 2025. “And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Lopes, Claudia AB - As those entrusted with the duties of safety, security, care and protection, police officers play a significant role in responding to the crisis of domestic violence in South Africa. Paradoxically, they are capable of perpetrating the very crime they are sworn to prevent and equally capable of failing to hold those who do accountable. Police-perpetrated domestic violence (PPDV) is a globally prevalent yet largely understudied phenomenon, particularly in the South African context. Drawing on literature, police oversight monitoring reports, quantitative data and interviews with South African Police Service (SAPS) Station Commanders and Domestic Violence coordinators, this dissertation sheds light on this largely underexplored phenomenon providing a more contextualised understanding of PPDV in South Africa with a more selective focus on the Western Cape where its rates are disproportionally high. Research findings illustrate the complexity of PPDV, revealing an interplay of multiple influences and factors that contribute to its emergence and undermine state efforts to address it. Its findings emphasise the need for targeted reforms to take the issue of PPDV and the wellness of police officers in South Africa far more seriously than is currently the case. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Police-perpetrated domestic violence LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - “And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa TI - “And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationLopes C. “And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Law ,Department of Public Law, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42381en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Public Law
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Law
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectPolice-perpetrated domestic violence
dc.title“And then you go home having anger issues”: investigating Police-perpetrated domestic violence in South Africa
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
thesis_law_2025_lopes claudia.pdf
Size:
2.18 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.72 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Collections