Adolescent experiences of sense of self in the context of family violence in a South African community

Abstract

This study explored the self-identity constructions of South African adolescents with a history of family violence Twelve school learners were purposively selected for the study (11 females, ages 15-18 years) They completed semi-structured individual interviews The data were thematically analysed The findings suggest that the adolescents’ self-identities in the context of family violence seem to be characterised by polarities of love versus hate, protect versus blame, and compassion versus anger and resentment The adolescents also self-defined in terms of coping and resilience despite elevated risks of self-harm behaviour