Description
To come to terms with crime and violence in South Africa, we must get behind the masks of both the criminal and society itself - the hidden social processes that give rise to crime and violence. We must be proactive to prevent crime and violence before it occurs. Crime is embedded in the social structure, in the disintegration of families and communities, in the breakdown of authority and social trust, and in inequalities that breed hostility and disempowerment. These are linked to recent developments in the field of social capital, and to links between violence, economic inequality and the breakdown of social cohesion.

This book presents a number of strategic case studies of crime and injury prevention projects in South Africa, including community responses to crime. From these and recent local and international research findings, a range of strategic principles relating to crime and violence prevention are drawn, and a model developed to design integrated crime and injury prevention strategies in South Africa. By applying the methods and insights of the public health approach, Behind the Mask argues for a radical reconceptualisation of crime and crime prevention that challenges some of our most firmly held beliefs and preconceptions.


Contents

I INTRODUCTION TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH APPROACH

Chapter 1: Crime, violence and public health
Alex Butchart and Tony Emmett
Chapter 2: Violence and violence prevention in South Africa: A sociological and historical perspective
Alex Butchart, Martin Terre Blanche, Brandon Hamber and Mohamed Seedat

II CASE STUDIES

Chapter 3: Trauma epidemiology data: Application in the prevention of injury and crime
J.W. van der Spuy and S. Marais
Chapter 4: Soul City
Lee Rocha-Silva and Graeme Hendricks
Chapter 5: Centre for Peace Action
Mariana Steyn and Graeme Hendricks
Chapter 6: The Parent Centre
Alex Butchart and Graeme Hendricks
Chapter 7: Metrorail: Commuter Safety Project
Alex Butchart
Chapter 8: Kwazulu-Natal Programme for Survivors of Violence
Tony Emmett and Craig Higson-Smith

III AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO CRIME AND VIOLENCE PREVENTION IN SOUTH AFRICA

Chapter 9: Community responses to crime
Tony Emmett, Alex Butchart, Gina Saayman and Royal Lekoba
Chapter 10: Developing a model for crime and injury prevention in South Africa
Tony Emmett
Chapter 11: Addressing the underlying causes of crime and violence in South Africa
Tony Emmett