Sex And Propinquity As Predictors Of Attitudes Towards Spouse Abuse Among South Africans

Abstract

This study examines the influence of sex and propinquity on attitudes towards spouse abuse among South Africans. It is hypothesized that females would have a more negative attitude than males and that people with a high degree of contact with the abused (relatives and professionals working with the abused) (high propinquity group) would have a more favourable therefore negative attitude toward spouse-abuser than those with low degree of personal contact (low propinquity group). Through in-depth interviews using a questionnaire, data were collected from 120 randomly selected participants in Gauteng and Limpopo provinces. Age of participants 18 to 50 years with a mean age of 32.2 (SD=8.27). Spouse-abuse as used in this study is defined “women and men who have been emotionally abused (nagging, sexual and emotion deprivation) and or physically beaten by their spouses with blows, slapped, kicked and have experienced these over three times in a single relationship
A 2 X 2 ANOVA of data collected from 120 participants reveals that females have a more negative attitude towards spouse abuse than males and the high propinquity participants have a more negative attitude than low propinquity group.
These findings have significant practical implications for intimate partner violence or Gender-based violence and the health and psychological outcomes for battered spouses. It is suggested that females should be encouraged to take up careers as caregivers and the need for culturally relevant programmes to help spouses particularly women in abusive relationships and in addition a need for more research in this direction to help deal with myths that have cultural relevance to factors maintaining battering.