Victims' Perception of Attacks on Farms and Smallholdings in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

• NCJ Number: 217059
• Journal: Acta Criminologica Volume: 19 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 115-126
• Author(s): J. Olivier; P. Cunningham
• Date Published: 2006
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa
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Annotation

This study analyzed victims’ perceptions of farm and smallholding attacks in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

Abstract

It is clear that attacks aimed against the farming community cannot be attributed to a single causal factor. A large number of elements come into play as contributors to farm attacks. Nevertheless, the study showed that, from the perspective of the victim of such attacks, robbery was a main contributing factor. An alarming finding was the high rate of violence used during these attacks. A total of 57 victims were killed and 200 were injured during the attack. It was interesting to note that age and gender did not exclude or increase one’s likelihood of becoming a victim of an attack on a farm or smallholding. Attacks on farms and smallholdings are one of the many categories of crime which are generating problems for the government and law enforcement agencies in South Africa. This study sought to describe attacks on farms and smallholdings in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa using statistics compiled by the Crime Information Analysis Center. The study investigated 105 of a total of 527 victims on their perceptions of these attacks and of the reasons why the attacks took place. References