In 2016 a study on the psychosocial factors that influence GBV among men in KZN was conducted in 2016 and this is what they found.

A thread.

Stats

1. 1 out of every 3 women will face GBV at some point in their lives.

2. Another study cited in this paper reported that up to 76% of their male participants reported perpetrating GBV at some point in their lives.

Potential drivers of GBV

1. A relationship between GBV and HIV was found. They stated that women who experience GBV are usually scared to suggest the use of condoms to perpetrators thus becoming vulnerable to HIV infection.

2. Men who were perpetrators of GBV had high levels of Depression and Anxiety which seemed to be chronic.

*Of course this is not an excuse for their behavior and there are many depressed men who don't kill their women but it is important to note.

3. Men who were perpetrators of GBV also had multiple concurrent sex partners, were less likely to use condoms with all of them and were more likely to test positive for at least one STD in their lifetime.

4. Others studies cited in this paper reported that male perpetrators of GBV depression and anxiety caused them to have reduced emotional self regulation, which then caused them to have uncontrollable flare ups of anger.

*Again not an excuse

5. Other studies also found a strong link between GBV and alcohol/drug abuse. Most of these incidents of killing and rape occur when the perpetrator is under the influence of substances. #AlcoholMustFall

6. Therefore, the higher levels of depression and anxiety (untreated) a man has, the higher the chance that he might perpetrate GBV.

Interestingly, on the contrary, they found that men with high self esteem and good social support systems were less likely to perpetrate GBV. Women with good social support were also safer from GBV than those who were isolated.

My opinion

Of course more studies need to be done on the interaction between GBV and mental health, but it is alarming to note that none of these studies conclusions have been taken into account and put to use in the fight against GBV in this country.

Instead most of our government's/society's responses are reactive and emotional but highly ineffective because they give little priority to progressive direct/indirect prevention through the use of mental health facilities.

I believe that each time a woman opens a case against an abusive man, the court must make a compulsory referral of that man to a psychologist for comprehensive intervention on him whether found guilty or not.

What other ways of referral do you think we can use to channel abusive men toward psychologists? #GBVmustfall

Here is the receipt if you want to read for yourself:

http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0256-95742016001200021

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