A 2009 research study conducted by Deinera Exner-Cortens and Wilfreda Thurston titled “Understanding ‘Passion Killings’ in Botswana: An Investigation of Media Framing” acknowledges that intimate partner violence (IPV) is widespread, and in part stems from the patriarchal gender role system of traditional Tswana culture, where hitherto the violence was considered “acceptable and commonplace”.
Although no another known study has since been undertaken after the Exner-Cortens research which sought to understand the unique label ‘passion killings’ found that generally, there appears to be a “persistent association of these crimes with love”.
The study used the local news media and outlets that had documented the prevalence of so called ‘passion killings’; and without benefit of previous research studies that had been undertaken to interrogate the intimate partner homicides.
According to the study, IPV is not limited to violent acts or threats – intimate partner homicide (IPH) comprises a subset of this violence. In Botswana, “these homicides are locally referred to as ‘passion killings’, and are increasingly prevalent” states the study adding that “despite their brutal nature, little attention has been paid to the so-called passion killings in the research literature”.
Past Botswana cultural norms have been used to understand the current situation of women in Botswana. For example, under Batswana customary law, “women were considered a minor and under their husband’s sole guardianship. Though this law no longer stands, it has consequently continued to entrench women’s subordination to men”, and must be considered when investigating the prevalence of IPV.
Professor Zibani Maundeni postulated in a 2002 study on wife abuse in Botswana that “among other things, cultural factors not only play a key role in ongoing IPV, but are also primary reasons why women stay in abusive relationships; that is, women are socialized to accept their inferior status in society and their subordination to men”.
Several authors have also emphasized the importance of recognizing the impact of “conservative gender norms on cultural acceptability of partner abuse in patriarchal societies; in Botswana, as in other Sub-Saharan African countries, women’s violation of these norms is seen as justification for the perpetration of IPV”.
A 2006 study found that passion killings are “viewed as a sign patriarchal crisis” and are “directed at females, where either a husband or boyfriend decides to kill the female partner”. Again, the role of patriarchy is emphasized. From this definition it appears that the importance of the term ‘passion killings’ may lie in its social, as opposed to definitional significance.
The study, premised on media news accounts recognizes that the media frames stories so “as to provide central organizing thoughts and the central organized thoughts serve to “promote a particular problem, definitional, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and or treatment recommendation”.
The framing involves selecting some aspects of the perceived reality and making them more salient in a communicating text. Through this process of framing, the media influence the issues citizens are concerned about, and how urgent they view the problem to be.
Several studies that have examined media framing of domestic gender violence are all generally agreed that “women, like the probable victims, are being portrayed as being at fault for the violence” and the media is further accused of “encouraging the continuation of IPV by maintaining the idea of male supremacy”.
Of the interrogated newspaper reports, all of the cases involved female victims (one by suicide, and all but one perpetrator was male; thus, victim and perpetrator blaming appeared to represent blaming of females and males respectively.
As such, it was felt that the victim and perpetrator blaming most appropriately fell within the gender frame. Victims were explicitly blamed for terminating the relationship, or ‘ditching’ their partners, and implicitly for causing an argument or misunderstanding that led to the murder.
Finally, several articles used a frame that blamed outside factors, and not any particular person, group, institution or system, for the occurrence of IPH. These factors include witchcraft, alcohol and mental illness. Of these, alcohol was blamed most often.
According to the research article, in terms of IPH in Botswana, the analysis of specific cases suggested that they generally occur between current, or recently separated, non-married intimate partners, and are perpetrated by the male.
Many of the partners were cited as living together at the time of the killing, but further study would be required to determine if this is a serious correlation. The finding that most IPH occur between non-married partners was also interesting, but again, cannot be determined as significant here as it is possible that a husband killing a wife (or vice versa) is less likely to gain media attention due to stigma.
“In the future, police records of all reported crimes could be looked at to determine if either of these findings is significant. Contrary to the common and strongly held Batswana social belief that perpetrators of IPH commit suicide following the murder, the majority of perpetrators in the case specific articles were reported to have committed suicide. Due to the social stigma surrounding suicide, it is possible that cases involving a suicide are less likely to be reported, or that media reports would mask this trend within their reporting of cases.
This represents an important topic fur future study, as the occurrence of perpetrator suicide may be a defining characteristic that may keep ‘passion killing’ and a reason for the use of this label, while also a characteristic that may keep passion killings out of publi9c documents”, asserts the study.
The study noted that one or two killings occur each week; however, the majority of these cases are not reported in the media. “The under-reporting of IPH in Botswana newspaper is significant. Due to lack of information typically given about perpetrators and victims in the articles, it cannot be validly discerned why some cases are reported, while others are not; however, based on common themes found in the analysis, it is likely that the overall lack of reporting revolves around stigma, patriarchy and social silence” argues the research study.
According WHO, globally the victims of IPH are women, and the perpetrators men; as was shown by cases of IPH in the analyzed articles, this trend is no different in Botswana. Since, in “traditional patriarchal Botswana culture, men are the dominant sex, violence against women may not be considered especially newsworthy”.
The emphasis on gendered blaming further affirmed the key role of gender in understanding these killings. Several articles cited changing gender roles, stemming from an increased emphasis on gender equality, a shift from patriarchal beliefs, and increased socioeconomic freedom and opportunities for women, as reason for the increase of IPH in Botswana.
“From this theory, it can be hypothesized that changing roles, and women becoming more central in society, may leave men feeling that their authority is threatened; in response this threat, violence is used to regain power and control. While this idea represents an overly simplified explanation for the killings that are a result of the complex and interacting issues, it should nonetheless be explored in future research as a key component of IPH in Botswana,” implores the research study.
