Linking the circles of violence: Woman and child abuse in the same family system in South Africa

The co-occurrence of woman and child abuse in the same family system is not acknowledged and is poorly understood in South Africa. Exploratory, qualitative research findings indicate that the phenomenon is unknown and unrecognised locally. Diverse theoretical approaches informing social work practice as well as the mandates of their respective organisations have a bearing on why the phenomenon is not identified and addressed holistically. These issues are examined in this article and their implications for practice. A more integrative, generalist practice approach to guide assessment and intervention and pointers for further research are proposed.