Challenges and Achievements with Regard to Woman and Child Abuse Prevention by the South African Police Services

Mothibi A Kholofelo

doi:10.13189/sa.2016.040102

Abstract

The purpose of the paper is to explore the South African Police Services (SAPS) measures in fighting against woman and child abuse in South Africa since 1994. The challenges and successes within the campaigns against abuse are also highlighted. Police crime statistics released in September 2012 state that in 2011/2012 there were a total of 9 193 sexual offences reported to the SAPS in the Western Cape. The SAPS has recently re-introduced the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) units throughout the country to ensure that crimes against women and children are adequately addressed by the police. Legislation includes amongst: The Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, the Protection from Harassment Act 17 of 2011, and Children's Act No. 38 of 2005. The findings further revealed that the SAPS face challenges when fighting against abuse. Amongst the challenges are the unreported cases of abuse and victims withdrawing their cases because of financial dependency on the offender. Sixteen Days of Activism on No Violence against Women and Children it is a major campaign that is used by SAPS to address abuse. The paper used secondary data, collected from various scholarly documents on woman and child abuse. The paper draws conclusion from the findings obtained in the existing literature and makes recommendations on how SAPS can improve in the prevention of women and child abuse in South Africa.

Highlights

Violence is widespread in South African society to the extent that the country has been described as having the highest prevalence of violence and violence-related injury in the world among countries where this is measured
South Africa ranks extremely high internationally for reported incidents of sexual violence. With such high rates of violence occurring in society, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [1], argues that it is no surprise that violence against children is common
Contributing social drivers of these high levels of violence include factors such as: poverty, patriarchal notions of masculinity, weak parenting and toxic childhoods, alcohol abuse and weakness in the law enforcement system, all resulting in child sexual abuse being a persistent problem

Summary

Introduction

Violence is widespread in South African society to the extent that the country has been described as having the highest prevalence of violence and violence-related injury in the world among countries where this is measured. South Africa ranks extremely high internationally for reported incidents of sexual violence. With such high rates of violence occurring in society, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) [1], argues that it is no surprise that violence against children is common. Contributing social drivers of these high levels of violence include factors such as: poverty, patriarchal notions of masculinity, weak parenting and toxic childhoods, alcohol abuse and weakness in the law enforcement system, all resulting in child sexual abuse being a persistent problem. The social context of child sexual abuse in South Africa hinges on inequality and patriarchal constructions of masculinities which reinforces male dominance over women and girls, thereby increasing their vulnerability. Mathews [2] further writes that the unequal power relations promote notions of male sexual entitlement and often lead to abuse without fear of its consequences

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Conclusion