Understanding the roots of intimate partner violence

SIPOKAZI FOKAZI

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UWC study reveals roots of intimate partner abuse.

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ALCOHOL abuse, jealousy, childhood abuse, and anger of having absent fathers are some of the issues that are driving South African men to commit intimate partner violence (IPV), a University of the Western Cape (UWC) study conducted among male offenders has found.

The research that has been conducted by Dr Mpho Motseki from the Department of Women and Gender Studies, focused on the experiences and perspectives of incarcerated men convicted of IPV across correctional centres in the country.

Through interviews with 20 offenders, the study found that anger, romantic insecurity driven by suspicions of infidelity, exposure to abuse at a young age, and lack of positive male role models or father figures, often played a role in their violent behaviour later in life.

Dr Motseki, a lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, who conducted the research as part of her PhD, said most studies focused on women’s experiences of abuse, while little attention is paid to why men become perpetrators of IPV. Her study examined the complex social, emotional and personal factors that contribute to abusive behaviour.She found that although the men acknowledged that violence against women is wrong, many felt threatened by gender equality, which they viewed as a challenge to their masculinity.

Persuaded by the pervasiveness of femicide, especially IPV in South Africa, Dr Motseki wanted to know what drove perpetrators to commit violence against their partners.