The development of psychotherapeutic interventions for female rape trauma clients: an African perspective

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.