The Relationship Between Shame And Violence Among Male Perpetrators In The Windhoek Central Prison – An Exploratory Study

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at shedding light on shame and its relationship to violence, especially among offenders who repeatedly commit violent crimes. Questions revolving around the type of relationships or bonds offenders had with their caretakers as a child and its possible consequences were answered, leading to interpretations regarding the relationship between shame and with violence. The Social Bond Theory served as the theoretical framework for the sample. Subjects were chosen on the basis of predefined characteristics that included male perpetrators between the ages of 21 and 39 years; having committed several physical violent crimes; and being imprisoned for these crimes; are regularly in conflict with other prison inmates or staff; have continuous difficulties resolving conflicts; show characteristics of a low self-esteem; and were at the Windhoek Central Prison for these crimes, at the time of conducting the study. The study was of a qualitative nature and data were generated by conducting individual, video-recorded, semi-structured interviews with three offenders at the offices of the Windhoek Central Prison. Each interview lasted approximately one hour