Coping With the Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence Among South African Women: Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis

Abstract

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) continues to be a serious problem worldwide. South Africa has a high prevalence of women experiencing IPV. Although much research reports on the prevalence rates, risk factors, and consequences of IPV, fewer studies report on how women deal with the experiences of IPV.Objective: This systematic review of the empirical literature aimed to identify and synthesize the best available evidence on women's experiences of coping with IPV in South Africa.Methods: A four-level search and retrieval strategy using PRISMA and JBI guidelines was conducted, which included critical appraisal, study selection, data extraction, and data synthesis. Ten studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. They were assessed to meet a set threshold (7/10) based on the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. All studies were conducted between 2010 and 2020, conducted in South Africa, and used qualitative methodologies to accomplish the overall aim of investigating IPV experiences of women and their responses to it.Results: The total number of women included in the studies was 159. The data extraction yielded 49 findings of which 47 were aggregated into 14 categories and three themes: (1) help- and support-seeking coping, (2) emotional regulation coping, and (3) problem avoidance and distraction coping. Help- and support-seeking coping refers to women's responses when they seek instrumental aid, advice, comfort, and/or understanding from others. Emotional regulation includes responses of women in which their emotions were expressed or regulated. Problem avoidance and distraction coping represent responses of women in which they take efforts to avoid thinking about the problem situation and rather reshift their focus.Conclusion: Overall, this review found that a variety of coping responses are used by South African women experiencing IPV. The findings point to the need for understanding IPV and responses to it within a broader social context rather than just at the personal level. Approaching IPV at many levels may lead to a change in societal norms, better access to and delivery of services to IPV survivors, more functional family affairs, and personal well-being and improved quality of life.

Integrating intimate partner violence prevention content into a digital parenting chatbot intervention during COVID-19: Intervention development and remote data collection

“…The intervention development was carried out globally in consultation with researchers and practitioners in five LMICs (South Africa, Jamaica, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka) to account for variations in contexts in preparation for scaling up the intervention in the future. These countries were purposefully selected because of pre-existing partnerships with research institutions and organisations in the locations, and because of the high rates of IPV reported in these countries [ 43 – 47 ].The formative evaluation was carried out in Kingston, Jamaica in order to assess engagement with the chatbot and the intervention content. Jamaica was selected as the location for the formative evaluation due to the high levels of IPV reported in the country and because existing collaborations with research partners and community organisations in the country made rollout more feasible.…”

“I’ve accepted it because at the end of the day there is nothing, I can do about it”: A qualitative study exploring the experiences of women living with the HIV, intimate partner violence and mental health syndemic in Mpumalanga, South Africa

“…Furthermore, the reliance of social support to cope was found in the groups who did not experience IPV. Research focusing on coping strategies among women dealing with IPV revealed that victims found their families, friends, and neighbours to be supportive and reliable resources for assistance [ 25 ]. Our study, however, did not find that participants experiencing IPV relied on family and social support structures as a way of coping, in such situations.…”

“…In the IPV context, coping strategies are more diverse, according to a systematic review of US studies, it was found that religious or spiritual reliance and active abuse resistance were common whilst self-criticism and substance misuse were less common [ 24 ]. Contrary to this, a systematic review of South African studies found that many of the women who had experienced IPV used avoidance and distraction as a way to cope and this included substance abuse/misuse [ 25 ]. Seeking help has also been found to be a coping strategy among some IPV survivors, however this varies and is dependent on the severity of the victimization as well as resources available to the woman [ 24 ].…”

Gender-based Violence: Its Prevalence, Forms, Causes and Consequences

“…Domestic abuse affects 1.6 million women and 757,000 men in the United Kingdom in 2019 (ONS, 2020), while 43.3 percent of women in developing countries reported physical abuse, according to a study in India (ICRW, 2000, p.9). Intimate partner violence (IPV) is prevalent in South Africa, with 20% to 50% of women experiencing violence at some point in their lives (Sere et al, 2001). In Ghana, the prevalence of intimate partner violence is high, with 43 percent of women with partners or spouses reporting experiencing at least one type of IPV in the previous year (ISSER et al, 2019, p.18).…”