SEXUAL VIOLENCE RESEARCH “The Politics of Sexual Violence Research: Feminist Methods and Ethical Responsibilities”

In a social and political context characterised by high rates of sexual violence and interest in the responsibilities of the state towards rape survivors, a specialist enclave of research is developing and re-defining sexual violence research in South Africa. Pressures to understand the extent, frequency and nature of sexual offences in light of current legal reforms by the state have resulted in a national panic to “quantify” the problem. The tendency has thus been to focus on the aims and objectives of sexual offence’s research rather than the complex methodological issues in executing research about ‘human subjects’ (survivors and service providers), their experiences with rape and the invasive nature of research. It is therefore the intention of this paper to provide some reflections on feminist research methodology, epistemological issues, and the ethics of sexual violence research.