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Domestic Violence in South Africa: Problems and Prospects

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Global Responses to Domestic Violence

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Abstract

South Africa’s responsiveness to women’s issues, promotion of women in leadership positions, and entrenchment of women’s rights has yet to impact substantially on domestic violence (DV). The main barrier to such impact is the lack of funding preventing the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) 116, which provides wide measures of relief, to be fully implemented. Cultural beliefs and misinterpretation of cultural practices, such as the bride price paid to the wife’s family, also contribute to domestic violence. Customary marriages are, however, decreasing dramatically with only 3498 being recorded in 2013. The police and institutions charged with implementing the Domestic Violence Act (DVA) experience high workloads and do not implement the provisions of the DVA effectively. Women complain that they are not fully informed of their rights and are not taken seriously, perpetrators are not arrested, and victims are not assisted to find a place of safety. The incidence of DV is reducing and many efforts are under way to further reduce DV. DV in South Africa is multi-causal and requires multiple strategies for its elimination.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Community Engagement Unit, Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa

    Priscilla Daniels & Tracey-Ann Adonis

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  1. Priscilla Daniels
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  2. Tracey-Ann Adonis
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Correspondence to Priscilla Daniels .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Massachusetts – Lowell, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

    Eve S. Buzawa

  2. Textron Systems Corporation, Bonita Springs, Florida, USA

    Carl G. Buzawa

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Daniels, P., Adonis, TA. (2017). Domestic Violence in South Africa: Problems and Prospects. In: Buzawa, E., Buzawa, C. (eds) Global Responses to Domestic Violence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56721-1_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56721-1_8

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