Sanmari Steenkamp

The Relationship Between Shame and Violence Among Male Perpetrators: an Exploratory Study in the Windhoek Central Prison Sanmari Steenkamp

The aim of the study was investigating the relationship between shame and violence in violent offenders. It is the notion that shame could be the main underlying factor leading to violence. Shame in general has received very little attention in research globally. Yet, some researchers state that shame could be considered the most powerful of all emotions, calling it the master emotion. Because of common misunderstandings between shame and guilt, thorough attention is given to distinguish these two concepts. Guilt can be seen as being more about an unsuccessful action whereas shame have more to do with a failed self. The Social Bond Theory of Thomas Scheff (1997) forms the basis of the research. This theory distinguishes between healthy and unhealthy shame. A healthy social bond between child and caretaker leads to healthy shame and an unhealthy social bond to damaged social bonds and toxic shame. The research shows the states of the social bond and how it relates to shame and violence. Analysis took place on verbal as well as nonverbal information gathered. The results and strong link between shame and violence are discussed in detail.