Summary.-This study examined the relationship between exposure to domestic violence and identity development in a sample of 108 undergraduate students with an average age of 18.7 yr. from University of Limpopo in South Africa. There were more women (n=64; 58.7%) in the study than men (n=45; 41.3%). Adolescents were classified into high and low domestic violence exposure groups on the basis of a median split in physical violence scores from the Child Exposure to Domestic Violence Scale (CEDV). Exposure was then compared with identity development as measured by the Ochse and Plug Erikson scale. The results indicated a significant mean difference between the two groups on identity development. Furthermore, exposure to domestic violence was significantly associated with lower scores for identity development as represented by subscales measuring trust, autonomy, initiative and other Eriksonian constructs. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT 3South Africa is a violent society, characterised by a history of brutal crimes and racial conflicts (Dawes, Kafaar, des Sas Kropiwnicki, Pather & Richter, 2004;Kubeka, 2008).Nonetheless, an often underestimated form of violence is that of domestic abuse characterised by physical, sexual and psychological abuse (Dissel & Ngubeni, 2003;Vetten & Bhana, 2001).Available indicators of children's well-being, in the form of the high incidence of child mortality rates and physical and sexual abuse, suggest that South Africa remains a hostile environment for its children and that violence is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the country (Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, 2005; Human Rights Watch, 2005;Ward, Martin, Theron & Distiller, 2007; WHO, 2002). The effects of exposure to violence committed against a family member by another member are quite disturbing and vary widely among children and specifically, children of different developmental stages (Dawes, et al., 2004;Sternberg, Lamb, Guterman & Abbott, 2006). Brooks (1985) suggested a focus on two phenomena-Fairbairn's (1952) "intrapsychic identification of bad objects" occurring as a consequence of trauma, and Erikson's (1968) "the search for Truth" epitomising adolescent identity formation-that come into conflict during the adolescent stage. Fairbairn's structural theory of personality, thus identity, emphasises the importance of the environment in forming inner ego structures and that there can be disastrous consequences for infants who are confronted by a non-nurturing environment (Celani, 1999). Fairbairn (1952) attributed intrapsychic resistance to the resurgence and exploration of traumatic childhood memories and suggested that recognising the child's identification with his/her "bad objects" (which, in Fairbairn's terms, means unsatisfying and depriving) is central to understanding the child's reluctance to give any account of the traumatic experience and memory. That is, "if the child's objects present themselves as bad, he/she himself feels bad. The DOMESTIC VIO...