PYC4814
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
FINAL P ORTFOLIO
SOUTH AFR ICAN FARM ATTACKS: THE COMMUNITY OF SURVIVORS
STUDENT NUMBE R
########
OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER EXAMINATIONS
2019
, 1
PLAGIARISM DECLARATIO N
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Pl agiarism is using another’s work
and pret ending that i t is one’s own work
2. I have used the American Psychologi cal Association (AP A) as t he
convention for cit ati on and referencing. Each signi ficant contribution
to, and quotation in, this assignm ent from the work, or works of other
peopl e has been attri buted and has been cited and referenced
3. This assignment i s my own work
4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone, t o copy my work with
the intention of passing it off a s his or her own work
5. I acknowledge that copying som eone else's assignment or part thereof
is wrong and decl are that this assignm ent is my own work.
Name: ???????
Student Number: #######
Date: October 2019
, 2
CONTENTS PAGE
1.MY COMMUNITY PAGE ..................................................................... 3
Overview ............................................................................................ 4
Becoming a community ........................................................................ 4
Who's Community is it Anyway ............................................................. 9
Media and the Government ................................................................. 10
Statistics of Farm At tacks ................................................................... 15
The Driving Force B ehind Farm Attacks .............................................. 17
The Attackers .................................................................................... 18
Farm Att ack Survivors ....................................................................... 18
Life Aft er a Farm At tack .................................................................... 21
Coming together as a comm unity ......................................................... 23
Socio-Economi c Impact of Farm Att acks .............................................. 24
Re-imagining the Community .............................................................. 27
About the Aut hor ............................................................................... 28
Communities I Am Following ................................................................ 29
3. MY CONVERS ATIONS ..................................................................... 30
4. MY REFLECTIONS .......................................................................... 32
5. WHO INSP IRED YOU? ..................................................................... 34
6.MY ADVICE TO NEXT YEAR’S STUDENTS ...................................... 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 36
, 3
1. 1. MY COMMUNITY PAGE
SOUTH AFRICAN FARM
ATTACKS
-The Community of Survivors -
“He forced me to my bedroom and raped me there. There
was blood everywhere as I had already been shot. I could do
nothing as my hands were tied behind my back."
, 4
OVERVIEW
Thes e words describe only a sm all portion of the horror experienced by a white
South Afri can by the name of Nicky during a farm attack in 2017. However,
such a traumati c experi ence is not uni que with hundreds of farm attacks
occurri ng every year. Despite t his, farm attacks have received very little m edi a
exposure and awareness until now. The severity of the problem is finally being
acknowl edged by m any South Africans as well as gaining t he attention of a
worldwide audience. The political history of South Af rica is mostly to bl ame
however, such barbari c behaviour from South African ci tizens cannot be
justified. The issue of Farm attacks will be outlined, and various sources of
res earch will be combined to create a comprehensive understanding of t hes e
crimes. Statistics reveal the target population that forms t he majority of this
community and, the main mem bers of thi s community ' farm attack survivors'
share their st ories and give a voice to the voi cel ess.
The community of farm attack survivors is the focal area of this Discussion.
Their t raum atic experi ences, the aft erm ath and the future of this community
will be discussed. I beli eve insight int o the li fe of a survivor is just as
important as research statisti cs and investigations i nto farm attacks. The farm
attack its elf l asts no more than a couple hours compared to the lifelong effects
that it has on t he survivors.
BECOMING A COMMUNITY
The communit y of white farm ers in South Afri ca has exist ed for centuries.
Farm att acks are also nothing new and date back to the pre -aparthei d era.
However, the comm unity of farm att ack survivors has onl y expanded and
becom e known by t h e broader S.A. community since the increase in farm
attacks i n 2010. It i s import ant at this point to define exactly what a farm
attack constitut es. According to the National Priority Committee for Rural
Safety, A farm attack is an act of violence towards a farm or person working
or living on a farm. The aim of the attack is eit her to rape, murder, rob, harm
or intimidat e m embers on the farm. However, the perpetrator is not a relative
COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY
FINAL P ORTFOLIO
SOUTH AFR ICAN FARM ATTACKS: THE COMMUNITY OF SURVIVORS
STUDENT NUMBE R
########
OCTOBER/ NOVEMBER EXAMINATIONS
2019
, 1
PLAGIARISM DECLARATIO N
1. I know that plagiarism is wrong. Pl agiarism is using another’s work
and pret ending that i t is one’s own work
2. I have used the American Psychologi cal Association (AP A) as t he
convention for cit ati on and referencing. Each signi ficant contribution
to, and quotation in, this assignm ent from the work, or works of other
peopl e has been attri buted and has been cited and referenced
3. This assignment i s my own work
4. I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone, t o copy my work with
the intention of passing it off a s his or her own work
5. I acknowledge that copying som eone else's assignment or part thereof
is wrong and decl are that this assignm ent is my own work.
Name: ???????
Student Number: #######
Date: October 2019
, 2
CONTENTS PAGE
1.MY COMMUNITY PAGE ..................................................................... 3
Overview ............................................................................................ 4
Becoming a community ........................................................................ 4
Who's Community is it Anyway ............................................................. 9
Media and the Government ................................................................. 10
Statistics of Farm At tacks ................................................................... 15
The Driving Force B ehind Farm Attacks .............................................. 17
The Attackers .................................................................................... 18
Farm Att ack Survivors ....................................................................... 18
Life Aft er a Farm At tack .................................................................... 21
Coming together as a comm unity ......................................................... 23
Socio-Economi c Impact of Farm Att acks .............................................. 24
Re-imagining the Community .............................................................. 27
About the Aut hor ............................................................................... 28
Communities I Am Following ................................................................ 29
3. MY CONVERS ATIONS ..................................................................... 30
4. MY REFLECTIONS .......................................................................... 32
5. WHO INSP IRED YOU? ..................................................................... 34
6.MY ADVICE TO NEXT YEAR’S STUDENTS ...................................... 34
BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................. 36
, 3
1. 1. MY COMMUNITY PAGE
SOUTH AFRICAN FARM
ATTACKS
-The Community of Survivors -
“He forced me to my bedroom and raped me there. There
was blood everywhere as I had already been shot. I could do
nothing as my hands were tied behind my back."
, 4
OVERVIEW
Thes e words describe only a sm all portion of the horror experienced by a white
South Afri can by the name of Nicky during a farm attack in 2017. However,
such a traumati c experi ence is not uni que with hundreds of farm attacks
occurri ng every year. Despite t his, farm attacks have received very little m edi a
exposure and awareness until now. The severity of the problem is finally being
acknowl edged by m any South Africans as well as gaining t he attention of a
worldwide audience. The political history of South Af rica is mostly to bl ame
however, such barbari c behaviour from South African ci tizens cannot be
justified. The issue of Farm attacks will be outlined, and various sources of
res earch will be combined to create a comprehensive understanding of t hes e
crimes. Statistics reveal the target population that forms t he majority of this
community and, the main mem bers of thi s community ' farm attack survivors'
share their st ories and give a voice to the voi cel ess.
The community of farm attack survivors is the focal area of this Discussion.
Their t raum atic experi ences, the aft erm ath and the future of this community
will be discussed. I beli eve insight int o the li fe of a survivor is just as
important as research statisti cs and investigations i nto farm attacks. The farm
attack its elf l asts no more than a couple hours compared to the lifelong effects
that it has on t he survivors.
BECOMING A COMMUNITY
The communit y of white farm ers in South Afri ca has exist ed for centuries.
Farm att acks are also nothing new and date back to the pre -aparthei d era.
However, the comm unity of farm att ack survivors has onl y expanded and
becom e known by t h e broader S.A. community since the increase in farm
attacks i n 2010. It i s import ant at this point to define exactly what a farm
attack constitut es. According to the National Priority Committee for Rural
Safety, A farm attack is an act of violence towards a farm or person working
or living on a farm. The aim of the attack is eit her to rape, murder, rob, harm
or intimidat e m embers on the farm. However, the perpetrator is not a relative
