WHY IS SOUTH AFRICAN CRIME SO VIOLENT?

"A violent offender who engages in armed violence presents the danger to others, and is what gives the current epidemic of violent crime in SA its most malevolent edge."

The South African 2014/2015 crime statistics were released on 29 September 2015 by the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Murder, as defined by the South African law as the unlawful and intentional killing of another human being, had increased yet again. There were a total of 17805 murders over the period 1 April 2014 and 31 March 2015. This translates to almost 49 murders per day. 

Furthermore, there were almost as many attempted murder cases (17537), the unlawful act with the intention of killing another human being but which does not result in the death of that human being, which in turn works out to 48 people per day.

To put it into perspective with the rest of the world, the murder rate per 100 000 was 33, five times higher than the 2013 global average of 6,2 murders per 100 000. In 2012, the South African murder rate per 100 000 was 31. 

For other countries, the murder rates indicators are (as per the World Banks's 2012 data) as follows:

- Australia (1,1)

- Brazil (25,2)

- UK (1)

- New Zealand (0.9)

- SIngaore (0.2)

- USA (4.7)

The reason this murder rate indicator is so important is that the murder number reported is probably close to the actual number committed and is an indicator of a country’s stability – the higher it is, the less stable a country is likely to be.

This high murder rate and attempted murder rate is an indication of the deadly violence used in SA crime.

But why is this so?

In February 2007 the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation was asked by the South African government to carry out a study on the violent nature of crime in South Africa. The study resulted in the production of seven reports completed over the period June 2007 to April 2009. Out of those reports, 5 main reasons were established:

1. A problem of armed violence linked to a subculture of violence and criminality. 

Many young men in South Africa have resorted to a "criminal career" that ranges from individual rapists and robbers, to being part of a larger crime syndicate or groups. Furthermore, in order to maintain credibility in this "profession", they have to resort to using extreme violence when carrying out their crime, very often with a weapon of sort (a knife and/or gun).

2. Inequality, poverty, unemployment, social exclusion and marginalisation. 

Unfortunately, many of these social issues are still very prominent within the South African society. Research has shown that societies with high levels of inequality tend to have high levels of violence, and hence directly increases the rate of crime.

3. Vulnerability of young people linked to inadequate child rearing and poor youth socialization. 

The childhood experiences of many children and young people in South Africa involve multiple levels of adversity including poverty, unstable living arrangements, absent, indifferent or violent fathers and alcohol or other substance abusive parents or relatives. Research has shown that these conditions could increase a child's probability of become involved in criminality and violence later on in life.

4. Perceptions and values related to violence and crime. 

Over the years, due to political and social issues, South African's have become very ambivalent towards crime and the law. Furthermore, perhaps due to the frequency of violence in our communities, a belief has come about that violence is a necessary and justified means of resolving conflict or other difficulties.

5. Reliance on the Criminal Justice System (CJS). 

There has been a heavy reliance on the CSJ, which has unfortunately become plagued with inefficiency and corruption. Because of this, the SA prisons are not conducive for criminal rehabilitation; they worsen the behaviour of the inmates and consolidate their place in a criminal network.

On point 4, Dr Chandre Gould, a senior researcher at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), further clarifies that because of the South African political history, there was little reason prior to 1994 that South Africans would respect the law. This was because the law were unjust and intended to entrench white domination. In addition, the security forces, particularly the police, were used by the state to ensure that all South Africans lived in in fear of the state, regardless of their race.

Dr Goud further states that while our laws have substantially changed for the better post 1994 as our Constitution protects the rights of all South Africans and establishes the principle that all are treated equally before the law, in practice this has been very difficult to achieve. It would seem that those with access to wealth and power have greater privileges in a court of law than those who don't.

Unfortunately, violence and crime in South Africa seem to go hand in hand and is one of those reasons that many South Africans have fled to other less violent and crime-infested countries.

As a South African living in South Africa, I feel it is our responsibility to take the necessary precautions to ensure we safeguard ourselves and our loved ones against this violence and crime. Many will do so by employing additional security at their homes and business such as high-walls, electric fences, CCTV cameras, armed-response, and so on - it is the South African way. However, should someone ask me what security measure they should implement for themselves, I would recommend training in some practical self-defence system, so that should anything happens, they would be able to take care of themselves and their loved ones.

Given all that has been written so far - crime stats, research and precautionary advice - it is very easy to become extremely fearful or frustrated with the current situation and could even lead to paranoia. 

This is why self-defence training is so vital. Self-defence training gives one the ability to manage those fears and frustrations. Furthermore, with consistent training and application, it builds 3 vital characteristics in the practitioner, namely, self-confidence, resilience and discipline. All this training provides a foundation for one to be able to live their life to the fullest. For South African's who want to make a difference in this country despite its crime issues, they cannot afford to let their potential be wasted because of it. Hence, this foundation that self-defence training can provide is vitally important to help them move forward in their mission.

For a more comprehensive look at the 2014/2015 SA Crime Statistics, download the FREE REPORT by clicking HERE.

Till next time.

Get EDUCATED. Feel EMPOWERED. Live a FULLY-ENGAGED life.

Reference:

 https://africacheck.org/2014/09/17/comment-why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-south-africa-2/

 http://www.sapeople.com/2015/09/29/eish-south-african-crime-stats-are-not-looking-fab/

 https://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/SA-Crime-Stats%E2%80%932015-Murder-and-robbery-fact-sheetV2.pdf.

 https://www.saps.org.za 

https://www.issafrica.org/crimehub/uploads/CSVRstatement091110.pdf
https://africacheck.org/2014/09/17/comment-why-is-crime-and-violence-so-high-in-south-africa-2/

Do You Think You Need Self-Defence Training?

Before you answer that question, to illustrate some of the crime problems in South Africa, here are a few highlights from the last crime statistics:

• There were almost 47 murders each day, or approximately 2 murders an hour.
• There were 171 sexual crimes each day, or approximately  5 sexual crimes an hour.
• There were almost 500 assaults to inflict grievous bodily harm each DAY, or approximately 21 every hour!  

These stats sends shiver down my spine!

However, this isn’t an isolated problem in South Africa. Unfortunately, crime around the world has been on the increases. There is more crime and violence in this modern era than there has ever been in the history of man.

For some people, the fear of crime has led them to live a very secluded, paranoid and non-fulling life. For others, the perceived ineffective of the government and police force to combat crime has left them with a lot of built-up frustrations and a feeling of helplessness.

Perhaps you are one of those people. And even if you think you are not, subconsciously there would have been some impact directly or indirectly on your life.

But let’s look at a life that is free from these fears or frustrations of crime. Without those barriers, you will be able to explore your full potential to live a happier, more fulfilling and a more active life. This is what I call a fully-engaged life? Don't you think living a fully-engaged life sounds appealing?

So how do you get from this life of fear and frustration of crime, to a position where you can be living a fully-engaged life?

The answer is training, and specifically self-defence training.  Besides the obvious hard, physical skill that a self-defence practitioner will gain, they will also gain softer traits such as self-confidence, resilience, and discipline, traits that form part of what I call the ‘self-defence attitude’.

Self-defence training, in my opinion, has become a vital life skill, and is one that I believe everyone should have in order to function in this modern society.

You may feel that you are too old, not fit enough, or not strong enough to do self-fence, However, let me leave you with this very simple response – crime does not discriminate. It does not care about your age, gender, athletic abilities, your race or even your economic status.  It affects us all, and more so for those who feel they are too old, very unfit and physically weak. Like a predator in the wild, criminals will always look for a weakened prey to make a meal out of.

Now is the time to take action and learn self-defence and take back control of your life to ensure the safety of yourself, your spouse, your children and the subsequent generations that will come after you.  In doing so, not only does it benefit you and your loved ones, but it contributes to making society a safer place.  Edmund Burke, a 18^th century Irish political philosopher said it best, “Evil will prevail when good men fail to act.”

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey entitled, “Do you need self-defence training?” Besides providing some valuable feedback, it will also provide some insight as to whether you think you need some self-defence training that is effective and relevant for this modern society.

Click here to do the survey now: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JJN3YLV

Remember to share this survey with as many people as you like.

Please feel free to comment below!

Until next time, get EDUCATED, feel EMPOWERED and live a fully-ENGAGED life!  

How Are You Building Your Self-Defence Skills?

Self-defence training is a life-skill that is vital for any person to learn and practise continuously. Some might say that in this day and age of civilisation and technology, there is no longer a need for it. However, the reality is that we need it now more than ever. Never in the history of mankind have we been faced with the human threats that we have now. From terrorist organizations threatening global warfare;  to organised crimes such as shopping malls shootouts and cash-in-transit heists; to increases in home invasions, murders, rapes and other hideous and violent crimes. Combine this with the global recession that still looms in the air, forcing more and more once-decent people to descend to a more barbaric survival means of stealing and plundering, it only fuels this vicious circle of crime and fear.

Many people have also become frustrated of crime and have resorted to throwing their hands up in the air and remark that that their tax money is supposed to be paying those law enforcement official to protect them from criminal elements; or they have gone to the other extreme of becoming apathetic towards crime by just pretending that it does not matter anymore because there is nothing that can be done anyway and are just prepared to become victims.

The truth is, most victims of crime are victims because they let themselves to be. They have not prepared adequately or rely on others to protect them.  As a life-skill, self-defence educates the individual on how to minimise the possibility of an attack, as well as empower themselves with relevant and effective physical skills. Although the physical skills are important, they are but a mere drop in the ocean of mental skills and preparedness one must undergo - It is fundamentally about developing the correct self-defence attitude.

I read an enlightened quote recently that said, "Many victims are victims not because they lack the capacity to fight, but because they have never had any exposure to the violence, and training to deal with that violence". How true is that statement! In my many years of traditional martial arts training, nothing could have prepared me more than the combative training I have undergone. Some of the highlights include: being hit in the face, groins, legs, chest and arms, just to see what the most effective combinations would be to elicit an incapacitation; being shot at with paintballs, airsoft pellets, and blank bullets filled with play-dough, to feel the fear of when someone is shooting at me; having being stabbed at with FULL-FORCE with rubber knives, leaving behind bruised ribs, to see if I really could catch a knife that was moving at that speed and being wielded with that intent to stab me to death;  having had attack-dogs set on me, dealing with them, and still having to accessing my weapon to deal with another human opponent;  bare-knuckle sparring with bigger and stronger opponents who just want to knock-out the little Asian guy; grappling with someone twice my size to emulate what it would be like to ground-fight with someone who knew what they were doing and would be willing to choke me to death or break a few bones; to trying to free myself from my opponent’s grip, while being held under-water in the sea to see if I could still fight in this oxygen-deprived, fear-inducing environment.

I admit -  I do put myself through some rather extreme training methods.  And yes, some people might call me a sadist (as I do actually enjoy the training)! However, I will be the first one to admit that each time I do combative training, I am scared $h!tless! Not because of the training methods, but because of the pain that I might (and inevitably do) incur. It is this fear of pain that makes me train harder so that I can minimise the pain. This fear gives me the edge above many of my opponents, because I am willing to do WHATEVER it takes to not feel that pain. I manage that fear of pain by training as hard as I possibly can to ensure that I don't get hurt. This is my self-defence training.

To take it to a higher and broader level, there is also a greater pain than my own pain, which is the pain I will feel if anything bad were to ever happen to my loved ones. THAT alone makes me train even harder so that I, should I have the opportunity to, will be able to prevent those bad elements from reaching them. However, I do still insist that they also undergo some self-defence training. After all, there is only so much I can do.

At the end of the day, it’s all about the choices I make. As I have said to many of my students, there is no right or wrong choices when it comes to self-defence decisions. The only proviso is that you need to live with the consequences of those choices.

So let me ask you again, how are you building this essential life-skill?

Get EDUCATED and EMPOWERED. Live a positive and fully ENGAGED life. 

* Just random news clippings while paging through a newspaper yesterday.