Masters Degrees (Criminology and Forensic Studies)

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Analysis of Independent Police Investigative Directorate investigators’ experiences of the application of Section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate, torture and assault, by police officials in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
(2017) Hadebe, Philisiwe Nicole.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
The South African Police Service officers have informally incorporated the operational methods of torture and assault in the execution of their duties in the reformed police service of South Africa. This historical conversation of police torture and assault has generated a debate over what constitutes torture and what has caused the persistence of this blunder in the police service. This study went a step further by exploring accountability mechanisms that are in place to reduce incidences of torture and assault. The investigation entailed an analysis of the effectiveness of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) strategies and challenges encountered by investigating officers in addressing section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate. The analyses of the experiences of the selected IPID investigating officers strove to determine the nature of police torture and assault in this country’s democratic dispensation and to determine the stumbling blocks that exist in the SAPS and IPID organisations for the reduction of police torture and assault in KwaZulu-Natal. This study adopted a qualitative interpretive phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with ten (n=10) IPID investigating officers whose investigations were guided by section 28(1)(f) of the IPID mandate in the KwaZulu-Natal province. The participants were selected by means of the purposive sampling technique. Using a thematic analysis approach, the study revealed that assault in KwaZulu-Natal province includes slapping, kicking and punching a suspect whereas torture constituted strangulation, suffocation, electrocution and tubing and occurred predominantly when the police were searching for information about dagga, firearms and undetected suspects. The influx of cases of torture and assault is the outcome of several problems, namely public’s lack of understanding of the police procedures, public provoke the police, excessively volatile raids, inadequate police training as it does not address the challenges that the police experience in their occupational setting, and management pressure on the police to meet projected targets for firearm or drug retrieval. More specifically, the study also found that, in addressing the issue of police torture and assault, IPID investigating officers encountered various challenges such as a lack of evidence from complainants, lack of police cooperation, lack of complainants’ cooperation in the investigation, and lack of resources. The findings thus suggest that investigation strategies in terms of police brutality are ineffective due to investigative challenges. This in turn renders the disciplinary and criminal conviction strategies ineffective in ensuring police accountability. As a result, torture and assault by police officers are perpetuated.
An analysis of psychosocial factors of psychoactive illicit substance use in a select sample in Chatsworth.
(2018) Umra, Anira.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
“Drug addiction has reached epidemic levels across the globe with approximately 247 million drug users worldwide” (World Drug Report, 2016). Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) (2017) uncovered that approximately 15.3 million people have been diagnosed with drug use disorders caused by the use and abuse of psychoactive illicit substances. Psychoactive illicit substances directly affect pathways in the brain, thus causing changes in the moods, behaviour, consciousness and overall thought processes of individuals. The use of these illicit substances places substantial economic, mental and health-related burdens on societies all over the world (WHO, 2004:7-10). The South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Use report (Dada, Burnhams, Erasmus, Parry, Bhana, Timol, & Fourie, 2017:1-2) found that illicit psychoactive substance use is an ageless social phenomenon. Substance abuse problems have been found to affect the youth and people right into their eighties (South African Community Epidemiology Network on Drug Report, 2017). It was against this backdrop that the current research was constructed. With the aim of investigating psychological and social factors (psychosocial) related to illicit psychoactive substance use in Chatsworth near Durban, South Africa. Data were elicited from 62 respondents who were enrolled in addiction support and therapy programs at ADF. The research took cognizance of the location (i.e., the study area) when examining the psychosocial factors related to psychoactive substance use. Three main theories were used to inform the theoretical framework of this research and in the analysis of the results; Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, the social bond theory and the social disorganisation theory. Erikson stages of psychosocial development were used understand the psychological factors, social bond theory was use to understand the social factors and lastly the social disorganisation theory was used when trying to understand the role of the location in psychoactive illicit substance use. The combinations of theories were also used to understand different dimensions of psychoactive illicit substance use. Finding from the research showed that half of the respondents (50%) believed that members of the police were involved with local drug dealers. Key psychosocial findings included; the use of illicit substances in escapism, as a stress-related coping mechanism. In addition findings showed that there was a high percentage of awareness of local dealers. Respondents claimed knowledge of other users in the community as well as awareness of viii common psychoactive substances in the community. Respondents indicated that they were influenced to use illicit substances by either family members’ or friends’ use of illicit substances. This research offers recommendations that speak to the possible use of the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as a coping strategy that could reduce negative emotional responses associated with stress. A further recommendation is for Community organisations such as youth support groups, school counsellors, the community policing forums and community social workers to work collaboratively to provide awareness workshops and support programs.
Constructing crime online : representations of violent crime, perpetrators and victims on a South African news aggregator : News24.
(2014) Monyepao, Frederick Dikoetje.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
This study explores the representation of violent crime on an online news environment. The involvement of moral entrepreneurs within the news media in combating crime is also investigated. News media is the main source of information for national and international events. Policies tend to be influenced by what the media report on, so research into the new online platform of news production is important. The research design took on an interpretive paradigm, leading to a qualitative method of research. Discourse and linguistic analysis was used for the interpretation of the data collected from an online news aggregator News24. The data was in the form of online news articles. The literature showed that the commercial motives of news agencies outweigh the information providing services thereof. Profit is guaranteed by focusing on heinous crimes that are sensationalised. Results show the interplay between moral entrepreneurs and news media as unexplored in South Africa, hence the lack of inclusion criminal justice system agencies in news articles except when the journalist is furthering commercial agendas. Victims and perpetrators were clearly stereotyped, more so perpetrators who were portrayed as inherently evil and seeking to only to do harm to moral members of society. Law enforcement and the media can coexist while serving two similar yet different tasks. It is recommended that law enforcement agencies help bridge the gap by being more open to the media. Communication needs to be established between law enforcement agents and news agents in order to have a positive influence on crime policies and combat crime more effectively.
The effects of community violence on learners in a rural context.
(2012) Mkhize, Sazelo Michael.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.; Singh, Shanta Balgobind.
Much has been learned over the past decade about the way children respond to experiences of violence in their community. The goal of this study is to examine the effects of violence on the academic performance of learners, those who have been directly affected and those who have been witnessing violence being perpetrated either against close friends and relatives or against other people generally. The findings of the study suggest that both direct and indirect victims of crime are affected by violence which, in turn, has negative effects on their school performance. This research was conducted at Swayimana, a rural area in Pietermaritzburg under the Umshwathi municipality. In this area perpetrators of crime are young people against other young people, although occasionally senior members of the community have instigated violence.
An examination of the implementation of Khulisa Social Solutions' juvenile diversion programmes in KwaZulu-Natal.
Ntshangase, Nondumiso.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
The practice of diversion has grown and spread throughout South Africa. The Child Justice Act (75 of 2008) contributed considerably to the formal practice of diversion and has helped diversion service providers to better implement juvenile diversion. This study aimed at examining the implementation of Khulisa‟s juvenile diversion programmes in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The theories framing this study were: the theory of Differential Association by Edwin Sutherland and the labelling theory. The objectives of this study were to examine the implementation of the Positively Cool and the Silence the Violence programmes, and to determine the challenges faced by Khulisa in implementing these programmes. To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a qualitative research paradigm where purposive sampling was used to locate the files of divertees. Data was collected from the database and 32 case files of Khulisa divertees with the age range of 12-17 years. The sample contained divertees from different race groups including; Black (15), Indian (14), Coloured (2) and White (1). Data was analysed using the qualitative content analysis method. The findings of the study revealed that Khulisa implements their programmes in line with the Child Justice Act. Prevalent issues affecting the implementation of these programmes as identified from the case files were; reasons for juvenile offending which included peer pressure, individual factors, economic circumstances, social circumstances, catalysts for offending behaviour, drugs and alcohol use, circumstantial offending and stress and negative labels. Other factors impacting on the programmes were: family support, group work, diversion as a form of restorative justice and programme compliance with the Child Justice Act. Challenges encountered by Khulisa when implementing diversion programmes included issues of having to deal with the harsh socio-economic circumstances of divertees, lack of parental support, recidivism and challenges in facilitating group work. Furthermore, recommendations were made for the practice of diversion programmes, policy and legislation, and future research.
An exploratory study of women’s perceptions of safety as Automated Teller Machine (ATM) users: a select sample in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)
(2018) Roopnarain, Jessica.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
Women as active and equal citizens of South Africa enjoy equal access to South African banking facilities. Banks mobilise, allocate and invest much of the savings of a society and therefore, their ability to provide a safe banking environment has substantive repercussions on its expansion and sustainability. A banking facility that necessitates safety is the Automated Teller Machines (ATM) environment. Safety of ATM users (customers) is a human right and that makes it a necessity, user confidence and continued user participation. Against this landscape, the current study sought to explore women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users in the eThekwini Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. Thus, the aim of the study was to explore a select sample of women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users. The objectives of the study were to understand women’s perceptions of safety as ATM users in the eThekwini municipality by making use of a quantitative research design. A survey instrument, the questionnaire was constructed and used as the data gathering tool for the study. 100 survey questionnaires were administered to participants using snowball sampling. This sampling technique was most appropriate given the sensitive nature of the study namely seeking perceptions on ATM safety. The participants were all women from the four main race groups in KwaZulu-Natal namely African, Indian, White and coloured. They represented six age categories namely from 18 to 65 years of age. Participants were recruited from ABSA, Standard, First National, Nedbank and Capitec banks. Findings show that participants were aware of precautions to take irrespective of age, race or banking institution. First National and Standard Bank participants scored the highest in terms of agreeing with their level of awareness. In terms of feeling safe using ATM’s where a security guard is present the 42 to 49 year old women had the highest responses. Further findings show that the responses in the disagree and neutral scales were particularly interesting when participants were posed with the question: “My banking institution does not need any more ATM safety measures”. In the 42 to 49 year age category 17.2 % of participants believed that their banking institutions actually need more ATM safety measures followed by 15.2 % of the 34 to 41 category. The lowest response to this statement was generated from the 18-25 year category of participants. Findings also show that when participants were asked to respond to the statement “I am not afraid to use ATM's at a well-lit, open, high traffic area” the majority responses were in the neutral and agree scales. Findings of the study revealed that women across all race groups are equally vulnerable to ATM crime or feelings of insecurity when using ATM’s. Although the study makes a variety of recommendations for future research in the area, one critical recommendation is for a mixed method research design that could also inquire from participants what they consider suitable remedies for women victims of ATM crime. Here the focus should be on indirect costs of ATM crime including pain, suffering, psychological impact and the trauma experienced by the victim.
Exploring why some youth are engaged in criminal activities to achieve their goals in life: a study of incarcerated male offenders in the Youth Correctional Facility, Westville.
(2019) Magwaza, Sibonelo Humphrey.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
South Africans are plagued by criminal activities which are perpetrated mostly by youth each day. A number of youths tend to deviate from socially accepted behaviours which could be due to lack of legitimate opportunities for them to develop in life. Some of the youth would pursue criminal activities for monetary or material gain, while others would conduct crime for mere prestige. Some of them are shaped by social and political circumstances which tend to inhibit them from exploring their capacities. The mere fact of being raised in socially disadvantaged communities could be the prime cause of youth crime as they are raised in the very communities which are the breeding soil for potential offenders as they try to make ends meet. Youth who cannot bear to live under poverty opt for shortcut means to achieve success in their lives as they develop envy and greed when observing other youth of a similar age being given legitimate opportunities to showcase their talents. However such criminal means of achieving success in life are detrimental to the victims of crime and the community in general. Those who are caught and found guilty of crime spend their valuable times incarcerated and could choose to continue with criminal careers or desist from crime if they learned their lesson when they were confined in correctional facilities. However, some studies have identified failures of preventive measures to counteract youth crime. Farrington and colleagues (2016), when they did a systematic review, found that a measure of community-based interventions involving individual, family and school-based interventions produced a mere five percent reduction in the manifestation of youth criminal behaviour. Not even the institutions like prisons are winning the battle to reduce crime to satisfactory level, especially in South Africa. McCarthy, Schiraldi, and Shark (2016: 2) state that regardless whether the benefits and costs of youth prisons are measured on magnitude of public money spent, they are putting the very people they are suppose to help and put them in a detrimental position irrespective of the fact that prisons and other crime prevention measures have been there for generations. The institutional failure to address the problem of crime however does not inhibit other attempts like this study to establish other motives for some people to engage in criminal activities. This is why the aim of this study was to explore why some youth decided to engage in criminal activities, to identify factors in their environments that influence criminal behaviour, and to recommend preventative measures against future youth criminal behaviour.
Investigating Nigerian foreign nationals’ experiences of violence, safety and security on 'Point Road', Durban, South Africa.
(2022) Ikyoive, Joseph Tertsea.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
The purpose of the study was to explore the experiences of Nigerian foreign nationals on inter- ethnic violence, safety, and security on Point Road in the Durban area of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study intended to understand the nuances of Nigerian foreign nationals in Durban and how it provides a catalyst for violent confrontations subsequently undermining their rights to a safe climate. Added to this, the study intended to understand factors that create conditions for inter-ethnic rivalry and violence between Nigerian foreign nationals. The study was located appropriately within the interpretive paradigm that views reality as subjective and built from an individual’s lived experiences. Besides, the case study as a research method was used to understand the experiences of participants for the study. The researcher generated data for the study using semi-structured interviews from 10 participants. The interview process was done through tape recordings and the data analyzed using the thematic method of analysis. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s Theory of Practice and Merton’s Strain theory, the generated data show that nuances between Nigerians through ethnicity instigate various forms of violence. Data also showed that Nigerian foreign nationals involved in altercations often take advantage of the economic vulnerability of South African street urchins commonly referred to as “izigebengu” or “Paras” who accept small amounts of money to carry out most of the violent confrontations. The data also showed that, the lack of response and the discriminatory attitudes posed by law enforcement officers in attending to the internal safety and security of Nigerian foreign nationals’ act against international humanitarian best practices and lends credence to other prevailing odds such as under-reported violent experiences. The study recommended that further research can be done to explore and understand how Nigerian foreign nationals’ victims of violent attacks cope with the situation of insecurity they encounter in their daily lives, including the recovery of their goods or property damaged if not stolen throughout the attacks. Whether they orchestrate these attacks, the government and different stakeholders must come together and implement policies that render security at the primary site of the study and deter potential attackers from committing similar or the same inhuman activities.
A quantitative analysis of juvenile delinquency trends among school going adolescents in a select sample of secondary schools in Chatsworth, Durban.
(2014) Marimuthu, Bonita Adele.; Gopal, Nirmala Devi.
This quantitative study explores juvenile delinquency trends among school going adolescents in a select sample of schools. The study conducted in Chatsworth, Durban (Kwa Zulu-Natal) was developed as an exclusively Indian Township in the 1960‘s but since the 1990s more and more Africans moved into the area. Nonetheless Chatsworth remains predominantly ‗Indian‘ in terms of its demography and character. Permission and ethical approval for this study were obtained from the Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee of the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal- Howard College Campus. The study consisted of a sample of 750 respondents randomly selected from two secondary schools in Chatsworth. A non-probability sampling method was followed. The main aim of this exploratory study was to understand trends in juvenile delinquency among adolescents in the area of Chatsworth through a quantitative lens. The study was carried out through coded self-administered questionnaires, administered to Grade 8,9,10, and 11 learners with the assistance of the educators at the identified schools during the Life-Orientation class periods. This study revealed that there were significant correlations between gender (male and female) and modes of punishment; norm violations; regulation violations; and malicious damage to property, followed by age (13-18 years) and modes of punishment; norm violations, and regulation violations, race (African, Indian, Coloured, White, Other) and modes of punishment; norm violations and regulation violations, and lastly religion (Christian, Hindu, Islam and Nazareth) and modes of punishment; regulation violations and malicious damage to property. The findings in this study forms a critical empirical study for future research in the field of juvenile delinquency/offending.

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Criminology and Forensic Studies) by Author "Gopal, Nirmala Devi."