The development of psychotherapeutic interventions for female rape trauma clients: an African perspective
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Authors
Mahlangu, Palesa
Issue Date
2022-01
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Rape trauma , African perspective , Cultural intervention , Rape victims , Survivors , People involvement research , Ubuntu , Mahlatsipa a peto
Alternative Title
Abstract
Rape is a physical, emotional and spiritual violation of an individual by another. This study
focuses particularly on the rape of African females within the South African context. In the
African perspective, the rape abuse that is inflicted on African female survivors is not limited
to their physical being, but rather transcends to other multiple dimensions of their being;
including the spiritual, emotional, cultural and social levels of their be-ingness. The violation
extends to their past and current relations, as well as on their future ancestral lineages. Many
African female rape survivors undergo Western-based post-rape therapeutic interventions.
However, there is a high pervasive morbidity rate of ‘unhealed’ human dimensions that are
beyond the scope and competence of Western psychology and medical interventions. This
study aims to develop Afrocentric treatment modalities to provide culturally and spiritually
effective interventions for African female survivors of rape in South Africa. A qualitative
approach was adopted, and Kovach’s (2010) conversational method was used to source
knowledge and experiences of Bakoma, Baporofeta and Mahlatsipa.
The results of this study indicated that: Firstly, there was a lack of an appropriate African
conceived methodology for this culturally and spiritually orientated research. The researcher
conceptualised and adopted the People’s Involvement Research (PIR) methodology, which
is consistent with the African epistemology, to facilitate access to custodians of spiritually and
culturally classified knowledge. Secondly, it was found that repeated rape can be prevented
through wholistic cultural rituals that are conducted by Bakoma and Baporofeta to treat African
female rape survivors. Thirdly, the recidivism rate of rapists could be significantly reduced
through the collaboration between healthcare workers such as psychologists and
rehabilitation centers on one hand, and Bakoma on the other. Lastly, the conceptualization
and discovery of the Phekolo: Mahlatsipa a Peto Model, was found to be effective in facilitating
a transition into spiritual healing for ‘untreated’ spiritual dimension in African female rape
survivors.
This study recommends that Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) be incorporated into the
psychology training curricula in institutions of higher learning. The training should include
exposure for psychology students in healing contexts where Bakoma and Baporofeta work
with Mahlatsipa to create awareness and sensitivity on various alternative indigenous
treatment modalities.