Managing in the Contemporary World: Rape Victims' and Supporters' Experiences of Barriers Within the Police and the Health Care System in Tanzania

• NCJ Number: 241805
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 16 Dated: November 2011 Pages: 3187-3209
• Author(s): Projestine S. Muganyizi, MMed; Lennarth Nyström, Ph.D.; Pia Axemo, Ph.D.; Maria Emmelin, Ph.D.
• Date Published: November 2011
• Length: 23 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Umeå Centre for Global Health Research; Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Grounded theory guided the analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with raped women and community members who had supported raped women in their contact with the police and health care services in Tanzania.

Abstract

Grounded theory guided the analysis of 30 in-depth interviews with raped women and community members who had supported raped women in their contact with the police and health care services in Tanzania. The aim of this study was to understand and conceptualize the experiences of the informants by creating a theoretical model focusing on barriers, strategies, and responses during the help seeking process. The results illustrate a process of managing in the contemporary world characterized as walking a path of anger and humiliation. The barriers are illustrated by painful experiences of realizing it's all about money, meeting unprofessionalism and irresponsibility, subjected to unreliable services, and by being caught in a messed-up system. Negotiating truths and knowing what to do capture the informants' coping strategies. The study indicates an urgent need for improvement in the formal procedures of handling rape cases, improved collaboration between the police and the health care system, as well as specific training for professionals to improve their communication and caring skills. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.