A psychocriminological approach towards the male batterer

Abstract

English: The aim of this research was to gain insight into the life-world of the male batterer. A methodology which can be described as a phenomenological approach was employed. This is a psychodynamic and essence-directed descriptive study which relates specifically to the male batterer.

This research was prompted by the actuality of women battering. Another factor which also contributed towards this research was the fact that most of the knowledge on battering is construed from interviews with the victim. The researcher was therefore specifically interested in knowing how the batterer himself experienced and articulated the reality of battering. The research commenced by the embarkation upon a thorough literature

study of the subject, so as to identify carefully specific distinctive characteristics with regard to the male batterer. Emphasis was especially given

to the bio-psycho-sociocriminological factors which contributed to an elucidation of battering.

Anonymous telephone interviews were conducted with various male batterers in order to gather information with regard to their behaviour. This procedure was utilized because possible condemnation and stigmatization could deter the male batterer from participating in a more direct personal confrontation. The fear of identification and criminal prosecution could furthermore hinder

direct personal contact with the male batterer. This kind of telephone inter- view guarantees anonymity, and was therefore seen as a vehicle to encourage

the batterer to volunteer an explication of his experience of battering. Anonymous telephone interviews also allowed for a sample to be drawn from the

more broader normal population. Consequent to this methodology the batterers found in prison for rehabilitation, or in psychiatric hospitals for treatment were excluded. The sample is therefore more representative of the general population. Emanating from the research, it was apparent that a multi-dimensional or interdisciplinary orientation was necessary to· understand the experential and life-world of the male batterer. According to this approach the batterer could be regarded as a dynamic, multi-faceted, unique and complex being

with diverse potentialities, such as the ability to be "normal" and "abnormal". Re-occurring themes with regard to the male batterer's personality

were manifested during the research and indicated that the batterer experienced psychological maladjustment, yet that he was not necessarily mentally disturbed. The following are distinctive characteristics of the male batterer:

Emotional dependency, depression, aggression, guilt, low self-esteem, low frustration tolerance and impulsiveness. The actuality and complexity of the phenomenon of battering indicate the necessity for further research.

Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie navorsing was om meer insig te bekom ten opsigte van

die lewens-wereld van die vroueslaner. 'n Fenomenologiese metodologiese benaderingswyse is tydens die navorsing gevolg. Hierdie is 'n psigodinamiese

en essensie-gerigte beskrywende studie wat spesifiek handel oor die vroue-slaner.

Hierdie navorsing is geinisieer as gevolg van die aktualiteit van vrouemis- handeling. Nog 'n faktor wat tot hierdie navorsing gelei het, was die feit dat

die meeste navorsing wat beskikbaar is, gebaseer is op navorsingsdata van onderhoude wat met die slagoffer gevoer is. Die navorsing wou dus meer spesifiek bepaal hoe die vroueslaner self sy wereld beleef en weergee.

Die studie is begin deur 'n deeglike literatuurstudie ten opsigte van vroue- slanery te loots. Tydens die literatuurstudie is daar spesifieke kenmerkende

eienskappe van die vroueslaner bekom. Daar is veral klem gele op die bio- psigo-sosiokriminologiese faktore wat moontlik 'n veroorsakende bydrae tot

vroueslanery sou lewer. Anonieme telefoniese onderhoude is met verskeie vroueslaners gevoer om inligting omtrent hulle te bekom. Die anonieme telefoon onderhoudsvoering prosedure is gebruik omdat moontlike veroordeling en stigmatisering die

vroueslaner weerhou van meer direkte persoonlike kontak. Die moontlik- heid van persoonlike identifisering en kriminele vervolging kon direkte persoonlike kontak met die vroueslaner verder bemoeilik. Anonimiteit wat

naamlose telefoon onderhoud bied, het daartoe bygedra dat vroueslaners hulle ondervinding en belewenisse as vroueslaners met die navorser kon deel.

Anonieme telefoon onderhoudsvoering was gerig op die bree normale bevolking en het die verdere voordeel ingehou dat dit vroueslaners wat in gevangenisse en psigiatriese hospitale behandel word, uitgesluit het en dus is

die steekproef meer verteenwoordigend van die algemene bevolking.

Uit die navorsing was dit duidelik dat 'n multi-dimensionele of interdissiplinere benadering noodsaaklik is om die ondervinding en lewens-wereld van

die vroueslaner te begryp. Volgens hierdie benadering word die vroueslaner beskou as 'n dinamiese, multi-fasette, unieke en komplekse wese wat oor diverse potensiaal beskik, soos "normaliteit" en "abnormaliteit". Tydens die navorsing het daar herhaalde temas ten opsigte van die vroueslaner se

persoonlikheid na vore gekom wat daarop dui dat die vroueslaner sielkundige aanpassingsprobleme ervaar, maar nie noodwendig sielkundig versteurd

is nie. Die volgende is kenmerkende eienskappe van die vroueslaner: Emosionele afhanklikheid, depressie, aggressie, skuldgevoelens, lae self-esteem,

lae frustrasie toleransie en impulsiewe gedrag. Die aktualiteit en kompleksiteit van vroueslanery is aanduidend dat verdere navorsing op die gebied noodsaaklik is.