title: In the wake of violence: enacting and witnessing hope among people.
abstract: In the territory of violence and despair, hope is rare. Recent work on hope has shifted attention from hope as a feeling to hope as a practice that people can do together. This case report of a family exposed to domestic violence highlights the role played by a South African police officer in the mother's actions to separate from the context of violence. As a witness to the violence, the police officer acted from an ethic of justice and an ethic of compassion. Outsider witnessing of a counseling session resulted in the recruiting of a community of acknowledgement for the mother, the police officer, and an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Listening carefully and doing hope together gave rise to alliances against practices of violence. As a step of accountability, the authors used reflexive practices to question their responses and to avoid colonizing practices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Counselling, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Elmarie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kotzé
authors.forename: Thérèse
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hulme
authors.forename: Tertius
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Geldenhuys
authors.forename: Kaethe
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weingarten
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000786:Anger; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003376:Counseling; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D004645:Empathy; D005104:Expert Testimony / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D005260:Female; D065026:Hope; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008297:Male; D062525:Narrative Therapy; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology; D016495:Police / Q000193:education; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012935:Social Justice / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012941:Social Responsibility; D012944:Social Support; D013019:South Africa; D014838:Volunteers
keywords: Doing Hope Together; Domestic Violence; Ethic of Justice and Compassion; Witnessing Practices