Muslim women's experiences of domestic violence in the Nelson Mandela Metropole: a qualitative study: research

This article provides a reflection on the experiences of Muslim women with regard to domestic violence. A qualitative approach was utilised following an explorative, descriptive, phenomenological contextual research design, as the researchers sought to understand the lived experiences of Muslim women in abusive relationships. The method of data collection included semi-structured interviews, as this was most appropriate to the nature of the study. Data-analysis was done according to the steps for qualitative data-analysis as proposed by Tesch in Creswell (1994). Guba's model (in Krefting, 1991) was employed for assessing the trustworthiness of qualitative data and for data-verification. The research findings centred on the following six themes: 1) Types of abuse experienced by participants; 2) Feelings/emotional reactions experienced by participants as a result of the abuse; 3) Precipitating factors contributing to domestic violence experienced by participants; 4) Motivation for maintaining abuse relationships; 5) Coping mechanisms to remain in or leave the relationship; and 6) Advice from participants to others in abusive relationships. The recommendations resulting from this research project proposed inter alia that the Muslim community be sensitised to the reality of domestic violence in Muslim marriages, and that support structures and service networks be put in place to attend to the needs of the women falling prey to domestic violence. Hierdie artikel werp 'n blik op Moslemvroue se ervarings van huweliksgeweld. Binne die kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering is 'n verkennende, beskrywende, fenomenologies kontekstuele navorsingsontwerp gevolg om die navorsers te help om tot begrip te kom van die deurleefde ervaring van Moslemvroue in gewelddadige verhoudings. Data is aan die hand van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude ingesamel. Data-ontleding is uitgevoer volgens die stappe van kwalitatiewe data-ontleding soos voorgestel deur Tesch in Creswell (1994). Guba se model (in Krefting, 1991) is benut vir die assessering van die vertrouenswaardigheid van die kwalitatiewe data en vir dataverifi?ring. Die navorsingsbevindinge het rondom die volgende ses temas gesentreer: 1) Vorme van geweld ervaar deur die deelnemers; 2) Gevoelens/emosionele reaksies ervaar deur die deelnemers as 'n gevolg van die geweld; 3) Faktore wat aanleiding gegee het tot die huweliksgeweld; 4) Die motivering om die gewelddadige verhouding in stand te hou; 5) Hanteringsmeganismes om in die verhouding te bly of dit te verlaat; 6) Advies van die deelnemers aan andere in gewelddadige verhoudings. Voortspruitend uit die navorsing is die volgende aanbevelings gemaak: die Moslem-gemeenskap moet ingelig word oor die voorkoms van huweliksgeweld in Moslemhuwelike. Ondersteuningstrukture en -netwerke moet in plek gestel word wat aandag kan skenk aan die behoeftes van vroue wat slagoffers van huweliksgeweld kan raak. Keywords: Domestic violence, Experiences of Muslim women, Feelings, Precipitating factors, Coping mechanisms (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(4): 38-55