Discourse analysis of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) of young people from Soweto, Johannesburg

Matamela Fulufhelo Beatrice Makongoza, University of the Witwatersrand
Mzikazi Nduna, University of the Witwatersrand
Janan Dietrich, Perinatal HIV Research Unit

South African study conducted in the Eastern Cape estimate that 31.8% of young men aged 15-26 years perpetrated sexual and physical violence against their intimate partner. A study conducted among 16-44 year women attending antenatal clinics in Soweto reported high incidents of IPV from adolescents at the age of 15 years old. These were quantitative surveys providing magnitude problem of IPV, an in-depth qualitative understanding of the phenomenon is needed to better understand the contextual and local drivers of IPV. Young people’s perceptions and experiences of intimate partner violence in Black South African townships are under-researched. The study aim is to explore how young people (15-20 years) perceive and experience IPV from Soweto, Johannesburg. A qualitative and convenience sampling approach is used to conduct in-depth interviews with 20 males and females. The study reports how young people’s perceptions and experiences of IPV are socially constructed and maintained through social discourses.