Community Counsellors' Experiences of Trauma and Resilience in a Low-Income Community

Community Counsellors' Experiences of Trauma and Resilience in a Low-Income Community

Psychology

Arlene Benjamin

2014

Stellenbosch University

Dissertation

English

South Africa

Restricted Access

Violence is considered a global mental health problem. The rate of violence in South Africa is amongst the highest in the world and much of this violence is disproportionately skewed towards the poorer and historically disadvantaged communities. Low-income communities continue to bear the brunt of historical legacies of violence which are perpetuated through current ongoing cycles of interpersonal and community violence. While much has been documented about trauma and resilience in environments where the violence or traumatic event has ceased, there is a dearth of literature conceptualising trauma and resilience in contexts where the violence persists. Furthermore, even fewer studies have captured how trauma and resilience are conceptualised from the perspectives of the voices who experience this violence daily.

Kristen Walker