Say My Name

“Say my name … honouring women and children lost to GBV and femicide in South Africa”
with Lynnette Francis-Puren

This morning’s panel discussion on Amplify with Lynette was passionate, and packed with justified anger and frustration. When we look at the South African statistics, the picture is bleak:

• More than 50,000 sexual offences are reported annually, and more than 40,000 of these are rape cases
• It is estimated that only 1 in 3 (to 7) cases are reported due to perceptions, stigma, giving up, lack of evidence, etc.
• Only about 8% of reported crimes lead to convictions because the police close cases, or there is a lack of forensic evidence, and because of negative gender or rape stereotyping, etc.
• One in five women in relationships have experienced physical violence by a partner, and many more have suffered other forms of violence by men they know and by strangers

Living in constant fear of violence can result in:

• Chronic stress and anxiety: the constant worry about personal safety can lead to heightened levels of stress and anxiety. This can affect daily functioning, making it difficult to concentrate, sleep, or engage in regular activities.
• Hypervigilance: women may become hypervigilant, always on guard and scanning their environment for potential threats. This heightened state of alertness can be exhausting and contribute to mental fatigue.
• Depression and trauma: experiencing or even just fearing violence can lead to symptoms of depression, including feelings of helplessness, sadness, and a loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. For those who have experienced trauma, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) such as flashbacks, nightmares, and emotional numbness may also occur.
• Lowered self-esteem: constant fear and societal messages about women’s vulnerability can erode self-esteem and self-worth. Women may internalise these fears, feeling powerless or inferior.
• Social isolation: to avoid potential danger, women might limit their social interactions and activities. This isolation can lead to loneliness and further exacerbate mental health issues.
• Physical health issues: chronic stress and anxiety can also lead to physical health problems, such as headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and a weakened immune system.
• Impact on daily life: the constant threat can lead to changes in behaviour, such as avoiding certain places or activities, which can restrict personal freedom and impact quality of life.

Responses to danger and living with constant fear include:

Fight = movement towards
Flight = movement away
Freeze = immobility/helplessness
Please/appease = compliant
Attach/cry for help = needy
Collapse/submit = no push back/hopelessness

These responses can become habitual in the face of unhealed trauma. And it is not right that the onus of dealing with the impact of violence against women and children rests with the survivors themselves. Somehow, survivors must find the strength not to stay, the means to walk away, the power to change things for themselves, and for others. It helps to draw a clear distinction between people’s intentions (I), their behaviour (B), and the impact their behaviour has (I).

Intention: In South Africa, evidence of a crime requires proof that the perpetrator intended to act unlawfully. Underlying the legal requirement of intent is the assumption that intentions become visible when someone does something with them (to paraphrase Frank Sonnenberg). But: it is near-impossible to determine, with a fair amount of objectivity and certainty, if someone’s intentions were honourable or wicked, irrespective of whether their behaviour was good or bad. Can we connect intent with behaviour, beyond a reasonable doubt? Even when behaviour is virtuous, judging intent is mostly guesswork. And if someone treats you badly, does it really matter what their intentions are?

Behaviour: There is a complex interplay of psychological, cultural, and social factors that drive violence against women and children. Even though there are global and national norms for acceptable and unacceptable behaviour, we have not had difficult conversations at an individual level where people define good and bad behaviour in many ways, and so we haven’t actually agreed what behaviour is good or bad. Societal norms that condone violence and the cyclical nature of abuse are risk factors.

Impact: Asking how and why someone’s actions affect us in a particular way is important. However, perpetrators of violence often use gaslighting and victim-blaming to excuse their abusive behaviour or argue away its impact. Let me be clear: the impact of violence cannot exist without the presence of violence, but the reverse (violence doesn’t exist in the absence of it having an impact) is simply not true.

Why don’t we tackle the source of the violence? Maybe we don’t want to face our perpetrators, or we don’t want to spend time and effort on them. But we are going to have to do this. What do we know about perpetrators? Not much, actually.

Some recent research about perpetrators of violence against women and children has highlighted some critical findings:

• Profile and motivations: Perpetrators often engage in violence due to deeply rooted issues like gender role strain. This concept suggests that men who feel they do not meet their own or societal expectations of masculinity may resort to violence to cope with feelings of inadequacy. This violence is often a misguided attempt to assert control or maintain a distorted self-image.
• Intersectionality in violence: Violence against women and children often intersects, meaning that in many cases, those who commit violence against women may also be perpetrators of violence against children within the same household. This intersectionality has been increasingly recognised in global research agendas, which stress the need for collaborative efforts between fields addressing violence against women and violence against children. This collaboration is crucial for developing more effective prevention and intervention strategies.
• Global and cultural differences: The definition and acceptability of what constitutes violence can vary significantly across different cultures and contexts. Acts considered disciplinary in some regions might be classified as abuse or violence in others. This variability underscores the importance of culturally sensitive approaches in both research and intervention programs. A comprehensive study analysing data from multiple international sources has shown that exposure to various forms of violence—physical, sexual, or emotional—has adverse health outcomes for victims, regardless of cultural context.
• Effectiveness of interventions: Research suggests that traditional methods like “naming and shaming” domestic violence perpetrators may not be effective in reducing violence or enhancing safety for women and children. Instead, approaches that focus on holding perpetrators accountable in a way that encourages rehabilitation and offers alternative, non-violent models of masculinity are seen as more promising. Such methods aim to reintegrate perpetrators into the community with a commitment to non-violence, rather than isolating them, which can exacerbate feelings of worthlessness and lead to further violence. Shaming can reinforce negative self-perceptions and perpetuate violent behaviour.

Prevention is ineffective and research about prevention is inadequate. The Sexual Violence Research Initiative (SVRI) advances research on violence prevention, especially in low- and middle-income countries. We need more of that. Current research about effective prevention highlights:

• Multi-sectoral approaches, community involvement, and long-term strategies
• Addressing underlying social drivers like gender inequality, harmful societal norms, and patriarchal values
• Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), parenting programmes (for perpetrators), and reducing reoffending
• Policy changes, systemic thinking, and system-wide interventions

Some practical steps we can take immediately, individually:

1. Learn to recognise when I respond in unhealthy ways
2. Share my experience in safe spaces and connect with others
3. Make sure I am safe and make safe choices

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO DO SOMETHING, AND IT IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING

https://www.youtube.com/@AmplifywithLynette

Leonie Vorster represents the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) in the End GBVF Collective. She is an Executive Committee Member of the Trauma and Violence Division (TVD) of PsySSA, and chairs the PsySSA Division for Research and methodology (DRM).

The End GBVF Collective is a group of stakeholders implementing the National Strategic Plan for GBVF. The main purpose of PsySSA’s participation in the End GBVF Collective, or Movement, is to observe and communicate about the implementation of the National Strategic Plan for GBVF through the End GBVF Collective, provide input as a stakeholder, and refer implementors if they need psychological support (working with GBV survivors can be traumatic).

The NSP has six pillars
Pillar 1: Accountability, Coordination & Leadership
Pillar 2: Prevention and Rebuilding Social Cohesion
Pillar 3: Justice Safety & Protection
Pillar 4: Response Care Support and Healing
Pillar 5: Economic Power
Pillar 6: Research and Information Management Systems

There are pockets of impact through 100-day challenges. Applications for the 2025 End GBVF 100-Day Challenge will open in September 2024. The National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide Bill was signed into law on 24 May 2024, to coordinate and provide strategic leadership to the fight against GBV and femicide, and be multi-sectoral, drawing on the expertise of all stakeholders, including civil society, labour and business.

The PsySSA Trauma and Violence Division

The Trauma and Violence Division of PsySSA promotes the minimisation of violence in society and psychological harm due to exposure to potentially traumatic events by a) advancing and disseminating scientific research that informs practice and b) implementing specific initiatives that address needs related to the prevention of violence or treatment of trauma.