Understanding the roots of Intimate Partner Violence in South Africa

Alcohol abuse, jealousy, experiencing childhood abuse, and anger of having absent fathers are some of the issues that are driving South African men to commit intimate partner violence (IPV), a University of the Western Cape (UWC) study conducted among male offenders has found.

The research that has been conducted by Dr Mpho Motseki from the Department of Women and Gender Studies, focused on the experiences and perspectives of incarcerated men convicted of IPV across correctional centres in the country.

Through interviews with 20 offenders, the study found that anger, romantic insecurity driven by suspicions of infidelity, exposure to abuse at a young age, and lack of positive male role models or father figures, often played a role in their violent behaviour later in life.

Dr Motseki, a lecturer at the University of Mpumalanga, who conducted the research as part of her PhD, said most studies focused on women’s experiences of abuse, while little attention is paid to why men become perpetrators of IPV. Her study examined the complex social, emotional and personal factors that contribute to abusive behaviour.She found that although the men acknowledged that violence against women is wrong, many felt threatened by gender equality, which they viewed as a challenge to their masculinity.

Persuaded by the pervasiveness of femicide, especially IPV in South Africa, Dr Motseki wanted to know what drove perpetrators to commit violence against their partners.

 “I have realised that many studies focused on female IPV survivors in getting their accounts, but I thought it is important to shift the focus to perpetrators in getting answers to why they perpetrate violence against their intimate partners. This is not to invalidate the voices of female victims and survivors, but to avoid revictimisation and directly engaging perpetrators to understand their thought process and what causes them to act violently towards their intimate partners,” she said.

While childhood trauma and substance abuse played a role in perpetrators’ behaviour, Dr Motseki said societal norms seemed to play a huge role in influencing these men, “due to socialisation that is rooted in hetero patriarchy”.

“Men in this study did not regard their partners as equals but as their servers and objectified them, as well as feeling they own and control them. According to them, women do not have agency,” she said.

 The study found that cultural and religious beliefs often reinforced men’s sense of dominance by positioning them as natural leaders within relationships. It also revealed differences in attitudes based on age and time spent in prison. Older participants, particularly those who had been incarcerated for longer periods and those who were repeat offenders, showed noticeably less remorse for their actions.

In contrast, younger participants were more likely to express regret and acknowledge the harm they had caused. The youngest study participant was 29 and the oldest was 55, sentenced to between six months and 25 years.

Dr Motseki said the findings highlight the importance of looking beyond offenders’ lives before and during the commission of the offence, and paying closer attention to their experiences of rehabilitation while in prison. She noted that while some men viewed rehabilitation programmes as helpful, others experienced incarceration as something that worsened violent attitudes rather than reducing them.

While the Department of Correctional Services has introduced initiatives such as education, vocational training, and mental health support, the study shows that these efforts need to be strengthened and implemented more consistently.

Ongoing prison challenges, such as overcrowding, violence, staff shortages, high re-offending rates and poor facilities, often undermine rehabilitation and, in some cases, may even worsen violent attitudes.

Improving the quality of rehabilitation programmes could help reduce intimate partner violence by tackling its root causes and supporting long-term behavioural change among offenders. She said prisons should provide tailored counselling and mental health services to help reduce violence, with a focus on trauma healing and building resilience to support rehabilitation and reintegration.

Dr Motseki, who graduated from UWC in December 2025, dedicated her PhD to her late brother, Prof Morero Moses Motseki, a former lecturer at the Vaal University of Technology and the Tshwane University of Technology, in recognition of his love for academia and the inspiration he gave her to pursue her ambitions. In 2022 she had to pause her studies after being overcome with grief, and restarted in 2024.

On her graduation she paid tribute to him, along with several family members that she had lost during her PhD journey, through a custom-made gown that carried the printed faces of herself and the relatives that she lost. These include her late parents, siblings, nieces and nephews.

Reflecting on her brother’s influence on her studies, she recalled his words of encouragement: “He used to say to me, ‘Geskenk, to whom much is given, much is expected, but don’t forget that the dream is bigger, and no one can achieve it alone.'