FAMILY VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE

Transcription

1 FAMILY VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE MAJOR ADRIAN D. VAN BREDA (M SOC SC, WITH DISTINCTION, UCT) Manager: Military Health Research Centre Military Psychological Institute Private Bag X02 Gezina 0031 South Africa Paper presented at the 34 th International Congress on Military Medicine, Sun City, South Africa, September Adrian Van Breda received his Masters Degree in Clinical Social Work with distinction from the University of Cape Town in He is currently reading for a Doctoral Degree in multicultural scale development in social work at the Rand Afrikaans University. He practised as a social worker in the SA Navy from He established and ran the Social Work Research & Development department of the Military Psychological Institute for five years and is now the head of the Military Health Research Centre of the South African National Defence Force. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 1

2 FAMILY VIOLENCE IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE MAJOR ADRIAN D. VAN BREDA Based on instruction from the President of South Africa, the South African National Defence Force initiated a study, under guidance of the Director Social Work, into family violence in the military community. A large, representative sample was drawn from the entire military community, stratified into three sub-samples: male employees (1769 respondents), female employees (977 respondents) and military wives (462 respondents). Parallel measuring instruments were used for the three sub-samples. The results indicate the broad prevalence of family violence in the military and identify a number of risk factors. Of special note are the coincidence between different forms of family violence, notably wife battering and child abuse by one or both parents. Also of interest are those variables that did not increase the risk of family violence, such as deployments. Recommendations emerging from this study are presented and a number of issues for social work practise will be emphasised. Keywords: military social work, violence, abuse, patriarchy INTRODUCTION On 14 September 1998, at a summit in Mauritius, the heads of the SADC states signed an Addendum to the 1997 Declaration on Gender and Development. As a result, the South African government called on all state departments, including the Department of Defence (DOD), to each make a commitment to prevent violence towards women and children. In response, the DOD committed itself to adopting the following five measures over the next five years: Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 2

3 To conduct a DOD-wide campaign to eliminate violence against women and children who are dependents of members of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) and employees of the DOD. To formulate and rigorously enforce a policy on the prevention of sexual harassment for the DOD. To formulate a policy to prevent violence against women and children during armed conflict. To ensure that women are affirmed into positions of decision-making and to facilitate their leadership skills. To ensure strict adherence to all conventions and treaties, including international customary law and tradition, with reference to the treatment of women and children during armed conflict. The South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), under the guidance of Brig Gen Ntsiki Motumi, Director Social Work, was identified to take responsibility for the first commitment. In order to plan such a campaign, Brig Gen Motumi tasked her Social Work R&D department to conduct a national survey to determine the nature, extent and perceptions of violence against women and children within the DOD in the latter months of METHODOLOGY The DOD population was stratified into three groups, each of which was sampled separately. Male military employees comprised one group and submitted 1769 questionnaires, constituting a 77.1% response rate. Female employees comprised a second group, submitting 977 questions, yielding a 70% response rate. Military wives comprised a third group, returning 462 questionnaires, giving a 70% response rate. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 3

4 Data were collected through parallel form questionnaires. The direction of the questions differed for male and female respondents, with men being asked if they had been abusive and women being asked if they had experienced abuse. Questionnaires for military wives were verbally administered to avoid literacy problems. Male respondents completed an additional section that tapped into patriarchal beliefs about men and women. RESULTS The study generated masses of information, which will be summarised into five main themes here. Prevalence of Family Violence. Family violence appears to be prevalent in the SANDF, with high percentages of people knowing others who are violent or reporting past or current family violence. The incidence of current child abuse ranges from 10-22% of the sample. The incidence of current wife abuse ranges from 12-27% of the sample. There is also distortion of what constitutes violence in the family. Over 50% of male and female employees report knowing at least one man who abuses his partner and at least one woman who is abused by her partner. An additional 20% of employees report knowing more than ten men who abuse their partners and more than ten women who are abused by their partners. About half the male and female employees know at least one man who abuses his child and one woman who abuses her child. When presented with a list of 21 behaviours, including a man chocking his wife, breaking one or more of her bones, stabbing her with a knife, biting or kicking her, and punching her in the face with his fist, 14-21% of all respondents did not believe that any of these behaviours were abusive and 7-16% did not consider any of them to be violent. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 4

5 28% of male employees report that they had been violent or abusive towards a partner in the past, and 12% report that they are currently abusive or violent towards their partner. 37% of female employees report that they were in violent or abusive relationships in the past, and 17% report currently being in an abusive or violent relationship. 30% of military wives report experiencing abuse or violence in the past, and 27% report that their partners are currently abusive or violent towards them. 10% of female employees, 14% of military wives and 8% of male employees report that they are currently abusive or violent towards their children. 13% of female employees, 22% of military wives and 10% of male employees report that their partners are currently abusive or violent towards their children. Coincidence of Forms of Family Violence. One of the striking findings of this study is the high coincidence between various forms of family violence. In particular, wife abuse and child abuse seem to coexist in approximately 50% of cases of family violence. When a family thus presents with one form of family violence (such as the wife being abused by her husband), there is a 50/50 chance that someone else in the family (such as a child) is also being abused. Men who report that they are currently abusing their partners are more than 24 times more likely to report that they are also abusing their children. Women who are currently being abused by their partners are about ten times more likely to report abusing their children as well. Women who are being abused are about times more likely to report that their partners are also abusing their children. A child who is being abused by one parent is 8-14 times more likely to be abused by the other parent as well. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 5

6 Patriarchy. Patriarchal belief systems among men seem to be fairly prevalent in the SANDF, with significant percentages of men endorsing beliefs that women are inferior or that men are naturally more dominant than women. These beliefs are highest among men who are most violent. 24.7% of men believe men are better than women. 36.8% of men believe men should be in charge of women. 27.1% of men would hate to have a female boss. 41.1% of men believe that wives should do what their husbands tell them to do. 46.5% of men believe it is natural for men to have control over others. 54.4% of men believe that men are naturally more violent than women. 41.1% of men believe that what men do in the privacy of their own homes is nobody else s business. 39.8% of men believe that a man must do whatever he needs to do to ensure that his wife behaves properly. Role of the Military. There is fairly extensive support in this study for a large role to be played by the military in dealing with family violence. Beyond merely educating people about family violence, most of the respondents in the study (excluding men) support the notion that the military should place pressure on men who abuse their families, including disciplinary actions. 66.5% of female employees and 65% of military wives believe disciplinary action should be taken against abusive men, compared with 38.8% of men. 65.6% of female employees and 63.5% of military wives believe the SANDF should assist women in taking legal action against abusive partners, compared with 38.9% of men. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 6

7 87.1% of female employees, 81.6% of military wives, and 68.5% of men believe the SANDF should establish safe houses for women and children whose lives are in danger. 95.2% of female employees, 92.2% of military wives and 82.8% of men believe the SANDF should give a clear message that violence towards women and children will not be tolerated. 92.3% of female employees, 90.6% of military wives and 75.5% of men believe the SANDF needs to do more to promote respect for women in the workplace. 9.9% of female employees, 11.9% of military wives and 13.6% of men believe that no prevention of family violence is necessary, because it is okay for men to hit or physically hurt their wives or partners. Work-Related Factors. Only a handful of work-related factors were considered in the study as possibly exacerbating or causing family violence. None of these factors was, however, found to significantly increase the risk for family violence. Being in a deployable post, duration away from home over the previous year, and frequency of trips away from home during the previous year were almost all found to be nonsignificantly related to the violence variables. This was surprising, given the hypothesis based on clinical experience that deployments introduce gender-role conflict in military families that often manifests in men being violent towards women. Only one significant relationship was found. Women who are in deployable posts are twice as likely to report that they or their partners abuse their children. The prevalence of child abuse increases from % among women who are not deployed, to % among women who are deployed. Perhaps women who deploy experience role overload a demanding job, marriage and childcare. This stress may spill over into violence towards their children. Further research on this is required. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 7

8 RECOMMENDATIONS A set of 18 recommendations emanate from this study, all of which were endorsed by the Defence Staff Council of the SANDF. Key recommendations, with particular reference to military social work, will be provided here. Multidimensional Prevention Strategies. The prevention of violence towards women and children, in the broader context of preventing family violence, requires multidimensional strategies. No single strategy is sufficient. Such strategies should include the following: A policy of zero tolerance being advocated by senior management. Awareness of family violence in military and civilian communities. Publication of research on family violence in various forums so that the issue is no longer hidden. Education and empowerment of community members on how to respond proactively to family violence. Economic development of women so that they are able to leave abusive relationships. Promotion of respect for women in the workplace, so that both men and women are influenced to demonstrate respect for women in other contexts. Challenging patriarchal belief systems among men through education and role modelling by senior management. Marriage and couple development interventions that promote communication, intimacy and conflict resolution. Early intervention with adolescents and new recruits. Community Service System with Multiple Entry Points. People who are in abusive relationships (either as abuser or abused) should be able to access a service Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 8

9 system through multiple entry points. This requires many role players to be familiar with the dynamics of family violence as well as the resources that can be accessed to treat cases of family violence. These role players include health care workers, commanders, personnel officers, regimental sergeant majors and other warrant officers, labour law or union representatives, chaplains, family support groups, etc. Interventions with Perpetrators. Interventions with perpetrators of family violence should be part of larger, coordinated networks of criminal justice responses and community services, should address the safety and well-being of both child and adult victims, and should hold perpetrators accountable for stopping violent and threatening behaviour. We believe such programmes should incorporate four main approaches to working with violent men: A focus on power and control, in which violence is seen as the man s attempt to assert power and control over a woman. Anger management, in which violence is seen as a result of men s inability to manage anger and other aversive emotions in any way other than with violence. A systems approach, in which violence is seen as a function of the marriage and/or family system, serving a function for all members of the system. Safety planning for perpetrators, in which violence is seen as something which oppresses both perpetrator and victim, and in which men are helped to ensure the whole family s safety (including their own) through use of safety plans such as time-outs. Coincidence of Family Violence. Given the high rate of coincidence between forms of family violence, especially wife and child abuse, social workers should ensure that they conduct a comprehensive assessment of the entire family when presented with Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 9

10 an abused individual in a family. This may require individual assessments of each family member as well as a family assessment of the system as a whole. CONCLUSION Family violence is clearly prevalent in the SANDF. Certain risk factors have been identified that, if addressed, may well reduce the incidence of family violence. Studies such as these serve a dual purpose of collecting baseline and follow-up data regarding patterns of family violence, as well as serving to raise organisational and community awareness regarding the issue. Active effort by social workers and senior military management is required to create a community in which women and children can live without fear of violence or abuse. Van Breda: Family Violence in the South African National Defence Force Page 10