One out of every six women in South Africa is regularly assaulted by their partners and, in 46 per cent of the cases, the men abuse the children as well.
This according to Dr Lerato Dikobe-Kalane, a Psychiatry Management Group board member in light of the 16 Days of Activism of No Violence Against Women and Children from 25 November until 10 December.
Dr Dikobe-Kalane said, “Social services and the general community needs to actively address the situation and protect those vulnerable to such abuse and violence.”
She added that the statistics show that one in every three young South Africans has experienced some sort of sexual abuse by the age of 17. “Unfortunately, many cases go unreported hindering a comprehensive understanding of the full extent of abusive and violent episodes.
“Women are still unaware of their rights; while others are afraid of further violence from the perpetrator if they attempt legal action.
“This is compounded more by the introduction of the new Domestic Violence Act, which a lot of women do not fully understand, and the widespread non-compliance [with] the Act at police station level, where domestic violence cases are not being recorded as they should be.”
Dikobe-Kalane stated that domestic violence can lead to several mental and physical illnesses such as depression, PTSD, sleep difficulties, substance abuse, back pain and abdominal pain.
“There is unfortunately not one tangible reason which can be highlighted as the main factor driving abuse and violence,” she said.
She added that there is still a prevalence of unequal positioning of women relative to men, and the norm is to use violence to resolve conflict.
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“Acts of violence [are] usually due to lower levels of education, unemployment, exposure as a child to maltreatment, witnessing family violence, antisocial personality disorder, harmful use of alcohol, having multiple partners or suspected by their partners of infidelity and attitudes that are accepting of violence and gender inequality,” Dikobe-Kalane explained.
Victims of abuse can safely approach organisations such as People Against Woman Abuse (Powa), Hlayisani White Door Centre, Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children (SBCWC), Vukuzenzele and Mercy House
There are different types of abuse:
- Sexual abuse (whether you are married to the other person or not)
- Physical abuse or assault (for example, slapping, biting, kicking, and threats of physical violence)
- Damage to property or anything you value
- Stalking (when the other person follows or approaches you or your children repeatedly)
- Economic abuse, that is when the other person keeps money to which you are legally entitled from you in an unreasonable manner by refusing to pay or share the rent or mortgage bond for the home you share, or disposing of any property (household goods) in which you have an interest, without your permission
- Emotional abuse (that is, degrading or humiliating behaviour, including repeated insults, belittling, cursing and threats)
- Any other controlling or abusive behaviour which poses a threat to your safety, health or well-being.
Details: Powa 011 642 4345; Hlayisani White Door Centre 0800 428 428; SBCWC 021 633 5287.
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