Narratives of resilience and coping strategies among home invasion robbery victims in South Africa
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22110498 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Sarika Kader (0000-0002-4354-8557, University of South Africa, corresponding author), Shandré Kim Jansen Van Rensburg (0000-0002-2433-7746, University of South Africa) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Publication date | 2025-12-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cogent Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2331-1886 • E-ISSN: 2331-1886 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23311886.2025.2588452 |
| OpenAlex | W4416298643 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 22 |
Home invasion is regarded as a violent crime. Given its invasive nature, it frequently results in psychological and emotional consequences for victims. This article explores the coping strategies and resilience among South African victims of home invasion. It draws on qualitative data from 21 narrative interviews with victims of home invasion. The findings show a multifaceted interaction of coping mechanisms, including emotional expression, rationalisation, religious coping, behavioural adjustments, social support, and therapeutic interventions. These strategies reflect problem- and emotion-focused coping, as conceptualised in Lazarus and Folkman’s transactional model of stress and coping. Although several participants demonstrated adaptive coping and resilience, some reflected on maladaptive consequences such as substance use and persistent hypervigilance, highlighting the need for accessible and culturally responsive support services. This article contributes to victimological research by offering context-specific insights into how individuals navigate the aftermath of a home invasion robbery and provides recommendations for enhancing resilience and coping strategies
Narrative · Psychological resilience · Qualitative research · Transactional analysis · Transactional leadership · Migration, Health and Trauma · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Resilience and Mental Health
Conservation of Resources Theory
How and When Does Emotional Expression Help?
Loss, Trauma, and Human Resilience
Addressing mental health stigma in low-income and middle-income countries
Psychological Distress Among Domestic Burglary Victims
Adversity, religious change and mental wellbeing
A New Approach for Researching Victims
Assessing coping strategies
Effects of talking about a stressful event on arousal
Patterns of Positive and Negative Religious Coping with Major Life Stressors
Critical Narrative Inquiry
Lugones's Metaphor of "World Travelling" in Narrative Inquiry
Coping Strategies for Victims of Crime
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |