“They Say A Woman Has to Be Beaten Up in Order to Show That You Love Her,But I Don’t See It That Way”: South African Adolescent Males’ Experiences of Household Violence and Their Perpetration of Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

There is a documented relationship between adolescent males’ experience of childhood violence and later perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV); however, less is known about how this connection occurs. Analysis of 38 in-depth interviews with male adolescents from Soweto, South Africa was conducted to understand how they made sense of their experiences of household violence, IPV, and the link between the two. Framework analysis was used to compare experiences and perceptions within and among participants. Participants in this study described a range of violence from their caregivers, including being neglected, regularly insulted, and beaten with a belt. Despite many having experienced some violence in their childhood homes, most participants reported not having been physically violent toward or yelling regularly at their girlfriends; instead, they described efforts to keep themselves calm when their girlfriends were verbally or physically aggressive. The main reasons cited for avoiding the use of violence were a conscious decision to act differently than the caregivers who had hurt them and a strong sense of their moral duty as men to take care of their partners. While not recognized as IPV by the participants, elements of emotional abuse and controlling behavior emerged in their accounts of interactions with their girlfriends, the explanations for which were based in experiences of emotional volatility and beliefs about masculinity learned in the home. Findings suggest possible avenues for primary prevention of IPV with male adolescents, such as programs focused on building skills in conflict de-escalation and emotional regulation and/or on creating more positive norms around masculinity.