The lived experience of male intimate partners of female rape victims in Cape Town, South Africa

The primary purpose of the study was to explore, analyse and interpret the lived experiences of male intimate partners of female rape victims and the meaning of such experiences within six months of the rape. A secondary purpose was to formulate a framework grounded in the data gathered from the intimate partners to understand and conceptualise their experiences. The research question that guided the study was the following: What are the lived experiences of intimate partners of female rape victims during the six months following the rape? Selection of study participants involved purposeful sampling. After providing informed consent, nine intimate partners of female rape victims living in Cape Town, South Africa, participated in four separate face-to-face, semi-structured interviews: (a) within 14 days of, (b) a month after, (c) three months after and(d) six months after the rape.The hermeneutic-phenomenological approach of Paul Ricoeur formed the framework for the analysis and interpretation of the findings to ensure congruence between the present study‘s philosophical underpinnings and the research method. Colaizzi‘s procedural steps and the within-case and acrosscase approach, as suggested by Ayres, Kavanaugh and Knafl (2003:873), functioned to supplement Ricoeur‘s method (Speziale & Carpenter, 2003:58-64).

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Van Wijk, Evalina

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Duma, Sinegugu ; Mayers, Pat

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13440

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13440