title: Finding solid ground: law enforcement, key populations and their health and rights in South Africa.
abstract: Sex workers, people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, women who have sex with women and transgender people in South Africa frequently experience high levels of stigma, abuse and discrimination. Evidence suggests that such abuse is sometimes committed by police officers, meaning that those charged with protection are perpetrators. This reinforces cycles of violence, increases the risk of HIV infection, undermines HIV prevention and treatment interventions and violates the constitutional prescriptions that the police are mandated to protect. This paper explores how relationship building can create positive outcomes while taking into account the challenges associated with reforming police strategies in relation to key populations, and vice versa.
  
  
  
  We argue that relationships between law enforcement agencies and key populations need to be re-examined and reconstituted to enable appropriate responses and services. The antagonistic positioning, "othering" and blame assignment frequently seen in interactions between law enforcement officials and key populations can negatively influence both, albeit for different reasons. In addressing these concerns, we argue that mediation based on consensual dialogue is required, and can be harnessed through a process that highlights points of familiarity that are often shared, but not understood, by both parties. Rather than laying blame, we argue that substantive changes need to be owned and executed by all role-players, informed by a common language that is cognisant of differing perspectives.
  
  
  
  Relational approaches can be used to identify programmes that align goals that are part of law enforcement, human rights and public health despite not always being seen as such. Law enforcement champions and representatives of key populations need to be identified and supported to promote interventions that are mutually reinforcing, and address perceived differences by highlighting commonality. Creating opportunities to share experiences in mediation can be beneficial to all role-players. While training is important, it is not a primary mechanism to change behaviour and attitudes.
authors.affiliation: Independent Consultant, Cape Town, South Africa.|Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine and Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Andrew.scheibe@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scheibe
authors.affiliation: Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.affiliation: Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, Division of Forensic Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: COC Netherlands, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Munyaradzi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Katumba
authors.affiliation: COC Netherlands, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bram
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langen
authors.affiliation: Gender, Health and Justice Research Unit, Division of Forensic Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Artz
authors.affiliation: Urban Futures Centre, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa.
authors.forename: Monique
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marks
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D055030:Drug Users / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D006806:Human Rights; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016495:Police; D011634:Public Health; D060386:Sex Workers / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D057545:Social Stigma; D013019:South Africa / Q000453:epidemiology; D063106:Transgender Persons / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D014754:Violence; D000078329:Workforce; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: HIV; South Africa; key populations; law enforcement; policing; relationships