Abused Women in South Africa who Kill their Intimate Male Partners: A Psychological Exploration

The aim of this study was to explore psychological risk factors that may precipitate the murder of a partner by an abused woman. In this article, the authors use multiple case studies and interviews with three women incarcerated for the murder of their partners. Four themes relating to intimate partner violence emerged from the interviews: 1) post-traumatic stress disorder, 2) coercive control, 3) substance abuse and 4) interrelational conflict. The study indicates psychological factors that may precipitate the murder of an intimate partner that should be taken into account when counselling abused women.     

Perceptions of sugar mommy practices in South Africa

The study sought to explore sugar mommy practices regarding their occurrence, acceptability as well as perceived reasons why older women and younger men enter into sugar mommy relationships. An exploratory qualitative study involving 135 participants from 11 diverse focus groups in terms of age, gender (females=27%) and geotype throughout the nine South African provinces was conducted. Data on the participants’ views, opinions and experiences of sugar mommy practices were collected using focus group interviews. The data were thematically analyzed. The study found that sugar mommy practices were prevalent in South Africa. The perceived reasons for acceptability were: love, survival, and correctness. Perceived reasons why older women have sexual relationships with younger men included: sexual fulfilment, domination, reduction of stress, physical attraction, procreation, lack of self-control, youthful feeling, migrancy, difficulty in finding partners of compatible age and young men being seen as not demanding. Perceived reasons why younger men have sexual relationships with older women included: material gain, reduction of stress, being enticed, rejection by women of compatible age, peer influence and belief that older women are purer. Given the increase in sugar mommy practices, which may have significant implications for the prevalence of HIV/AIDS, it is necessary to understand the underlying perceptions of these practices, in order to develop culturally relevant and socially acceptable intervention programmes.     

Predictors of mental distress and poor physical health among homeless women

Abstract

We tested a latent variable path model in which situational, personal, and social resources predicted several mediators and the key health outcomes of mental distress and poor physical health among 871 homeless women. Mental distress was predicted by risky sexual behavior, less social support, avoidant coping, less self-esteem, client abuse history, social support from deviant sources, less drug self-efficacy and health care utilization. Poor physical health was predicted by a client abuse history, less drug self-efficacy, fewer perceived rewards for drug use, higher perceived costs for drug use, and a doctor visit. Current risky sexual behavior was predicted by a parent drug abuse history, less drug self-efficacy, and more social support from deviant sources. Current drug use was predicted by parent drug abuse history, less drug self-efficacy, more social support from deviant sources and by high perceived costs for drug use. Implications of results for intervention and theory are discussed.     

Sexism as a Predictor of Attitudes Toward Women in the Military and in Combat

This study examined four forms of sexist beliefs as predictors of attitudes toward women in the military and in combat. Survey data revealed that military-affiliated college students (n = 62) held more negative attitudes than civilian students (n = 254) toward women in combat, but the groups did not differ on attitudes toward women in the military. All forms of sexism contributed uniquely to the prediction of attitudes toward women in the military, and 3 forms were associated with approval of women in combat. Sexist beliefs mediated the relationship between military-affiliation status and approval of women in combat.     

Gender differences in stress reactions: Women filling the gaps

Abstract

Competing hypotheses explaining gender differences in depression were compared in a one-year longitudinal study of parents of ill children in Israel. Women were found to have more depressed mood than men when their children were ill or well, but both men and women responded with increased depression when their child was ill. Women were more likely than men to be with an ill child at the hospital, even if employed, suggesting role overload. Women did not report fewer personal or social resources than men, indicating that poverty of resources could not explain sex differences on depression. Nor did women use their resources less effectively than did men. Women were less depressed the greater their intimacy with their spouse and friends, but at all levels of intimacy were more depressed than men. Men, in contrast, isolated themselves from social support at the time of their child's illness and it was argued that men might be avoiding stress contagion. The importance of examining differential responding of men and women to stressors that have common meaning for both sexes was discussed.     

Talking About a Gracious God: Speaking of God out of Experience

Talking about a gracious God in a meaningful way calls for a recognition of one's experience. Discovering a gracious God changed Luther's way of doing theology, and demonstrates how Luther's theology was shaped by his experience. Feminist theologians have made a conscious appeal to women's experience, particularly their experience of violence within a patriarchal social structure. This particular experience has to shape how we talk about a gracious God to victims/survivors of violence against women.     

Étude de validation de la version française de l’Échelle d’Estime Corporelle (Body Esteem Scale) chez les adolescentes et les jeunes adultes

IntroductionThe literature of body image suggests that many women and young women suffer from body dissatisfaction and this dissatisfaction is an important risk factor for the development of eating disorders.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to validate the French female version of the Body Esteem Scale (BES; Mendelson et al., 2001).MethodThis self-administered questionnaire assesses body esteem and includes three subscales: “Weight”, “Appearance” and “Attribution”. The questionnaire was given to a sample of 835 adolescent girls and young adults (mean age = 16.62 ± 1.50).ResultsExploratory factorial analysis yielded three factors “Weight”, “Appearance” and “Desire to modify and negative affect associated with the general appearance”, somewhat similar to those of the original validation study. The goodness-of-fit of the three factors model was satisfactory. Correlations were found between the three subscales of the BES, BMI and general self-esteem.ConclusionThe French version of the BES shows satisfactory psychometric properties and provides a useful tool for better understanding the psychological aspects of attitudes towards one's body. In France, very few questionnaires are available to measure body attitudes, despite the fact that the body dissatisfaction affects many adolescent girls and represents a risk factor for the development of eating disorders.