Counter-narratives in context: The role of the organisation and broader culture in psychic splitting among South African survivors of intimate partner violence

Understanding the Body and Embodiment in the Context of Women’s Resistance to Intimate Partner Violence: A Scoping Review

“…Another recurring idea appearing in these articles was the “inner strength” of individuals navigating violent relationships. Study participants in the sampled articles repeatedly describe themselves as being assertive or firm, using an embodied rhetoric that intertwines the concepts of physical capacity and emotional resilience (see Figure 2; van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014). In some cases, women engage in violent physical resistance against abusive partners or fantasize about doing so (Cavanagh, 2003; Muftic et al, 2007; Rajah, 2006; van Schalkwyk et al, 2014).…”

Understanding Formal Responses to Intimate Partner Violence and Women’s Resistance Processes: A Scoping Review

“…Positive institutional responses described in the articles facilitated women’s resistance to violence in three main ways. First is by creating a supportive “buffer” that protects against negative or victim-blaming rhetoric and promotes personal growth (van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014). For example, one article described service providers as serving as “an organisational defense against destructive cultural forces” that “sponged up” both women’s individual traumas and the wider societal messages that cause IPV survivors to internalize blame for their own victimization (van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014, p. 197).…”

“…First is by creating a supportive “buffer” that protects against negative or victim-blaming rhetoric and promotes personal growth (van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014). For example, one article described service providers as serving as “an organisational defense against destructive cultural forces” that “sponged up” both women’s individual traumas and the wider societal messages that cause IPV survivors to internalize blame for their own victimization (van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014, p. 197). In these situations, organizations promoted counternarratives of empowerment and agency that bolstered women’s senses of self-worth and allowed them to continue resisting violence.…”

“…These included both formal support groups devoted to discussing violence and trauma recovery and informal opportunities to engage with other women who came from similar situations (Chantler, 2006; K. Davis & Taylor, 2006; Goodman et al, 2005; Ostrowski, 1996; Pyles et al, 2012; van der Merwe & Swartz, 2014). The combination of positive socialization and communal activity made it easier for survivors to envision possible futures for themselves where they were free of violence and felt cared for by their peers.…”

“…Instead of recognizing that these women are in particularly vulnerable situations where they may need to draw on external support, this “too much, too soon” approach imposes an additional burden. Similarly, van der Merwe and Swartz (2014), who examined IPV resistance narratives in a sample of South African women, note that while participants overtly asserted that their experiences at a shelter had made them stronger and more resilient, they still displayed high levels of anxiety, fear, and shame. The authors speculate that the interventions offered by the shelter served to impose a shallow “survivor” narrative on these clients without comprehensively addressing their underlying problems.…”