Ms Zindi Venter

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences and Social Services (University of South Africa, 2016, Cum Laude)
• Bachelor of Social Sciences Honours in Psychology (University of Pretoria, 2017)
• Master of Arts in Psychology (University of South Africa, 2021)

Fields of academic interests

•      Health Psychology studies- with a specific focus on plant-based eating in the South African context

•      Victimology: Crime and violence prevention/ trauma intervention- with a specific focus on the sexually and gender-diverse and other victims of hate; and Hate victimisation

Journal articles

Nel, J.A., Venter, Z. & Stratford, V. (2022). Advancing social justice: critical reflections on the design and implementation of the Hate Crime and Bias Monitoring Form. ACTA Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology and Victimology. Accepted for publication

Paper presentations

LOCAL CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS

Venter, Z., & Nel, J.A. (2023). Physical and psychological barriers limiting reporting of xenophobic violence to relevant authorities: A study In South Africa. Presented by the first author at the PsySSA Congress, Kempton Park, Gauteng, 4-6 October.

Venter. Z. (2023). Towards a Sustainable and Healthier Future: An Exploration of South African Citizens' Experiences with Plant-Based Foods Using a Mixed Methodology Approach. PsySSA Congress, Kempton Park, Gauteng, 4-6 October.

Z. Venter (aka Steenkamp) (2019). Potentially hurdling over the psychological barriers to reporting xenophobic incidents through a third-party reporting mechanism. Presented at the 26th National Conference of the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA). Kempton Park, South Africa, 13 October.

Z. Venter (aka Steenkamp) and M. Hasan (2019). Establishment of a Lesbian Women Safe Space Focusing on Well-being and Safety - A UNISA Collaboration with OUT and Fight With Insight. Kempton Park, South Africa, 13 October.

Projects

ONGOING PROJECTS

Towards LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex+) Health and Well-Being   2013 - (partook as an engaged scholar 2018-2020 and again 2022- ongoing)

Community-based civil society service organisations (CSOs) play a vital role in enhancing the well-being and psychological sense of ‘community’ among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI+) persons. There has been significant collaboration since 1998 between a CSO, OUT LGBT Well-being (OUT), and UNISA resulting in the development of comprehensive programmes for a much marginalised societal group (that is, LGBTI+ persons and communities) and the alignment of several academic and scientific outputs to the needs of this group. Examples include the first quantitative research studies on the experiences of LGBT+ persons in three provinces of South Africa (2002 – 2006); successful completion at UNISA of at least four related theses/ dissertations (2005 – 2012); being at the forefront of securing the right to same-sex marriage (2006), and using a UNISA Strategic Projects Fund and South African Netherlands Project on Alternatives in Development (SANPAD) research process and related findings to establish LGBTI+ services in the North-West province (2010/1). The general aim of this UNISA Community Engagement project, which received UNISA funding of R305 000-00 in 2013, R140 000-00 in 2014, and R80 000-00 in 2018, is to consolidate this long-standing relationship between OUT and UNISA in the interest of high-quality LGBTI+ research, and related teaching and learning, towards the advancement of LGBTI+ health and well-being through evidence-informed and sustainable community-based services, developing a body of knowledge and policy reforms.

The next steps include, in addition to the Gauteng-based, OUT LGBT Well-being, also targeting two other CSOs, one in Western Cape and another in KZN, to serve as community partners in the project. The intention is to have these three organisations serve as practicum placements for future UNISA research psychology interns and/ or BPsych students where they can get exposure to research opportunities and interventions aimed at LGBTI+ health and well-being, as well as intervention in hate victimisation.

Monitoring the nature and impact of Hate victimisation in South Africa 2010 – 2025 (partook as a research assistant in 2017 and again in 2020)

The UNISA Department of Psychology is a founder member of the Hate Crimes Working Group (HCWG), a multi-sector workgroup that was established in late 2009 with the common goal of lobbying for interventions to address hate crimes in South Africa. Guided by the objective of contributing to the full enactment of the Hate Crimes Act once legislated, the UNISA Department of Psychology, in 2010, initiated a project aimed at strengthening the advocacy efforts of the HCWG. The Hate and Bias Crimes Monitoring Project, which aims to determine and describe the nature and extent of hate victimisation in South Africa, is managed by the research sub-committee of the HCWG, led by the UNISA Department of Psychology with me as project leader, co-researcher and supervisor, and supported by local and international experts. The HCWG Hate & Bias Crime Monitoring Form and its accompanying User Guide is a rigorous research instrument developed by the research sub-committee, in consultation with the member organisations of the HCWG, and piloted across sectors and in different settings before its finalisation. The Monitoring Form was utilised by the HCWG, acting under the auspices of ethical clearance obtained from UNISA, in partnership with key CSOs in five provinces (Eastern Cape/ Gauteng/ KwaZulu-Natal/ Limpopo/ Western Cape) to provide a baseline record for a five year longitudinal study (2013 – 2017).

In 2012 the project was awarded R300 000-00 by the Open Society Foundation-South Africa (OSF-SA) and a further R90 000-00 from HIVOS MAGI (Multi-agency Grants Initiative) Fund. In 2013, OSF-SA awarded R250 000-00 to the project, with a further R260 000-00 awarded for 2014/5. In August 2016, OSF-SA awarded a further R455 000-00 to the Psychological Society of South Africa (PsySSA) – a member of the HCWG Steering Committee since 2016 - to conclude this study [grant numbers 03029, 2012; 03162, 2013; 03270, 2014; 03397, 2015; and 03559, 2016/7].

See Mitchell, Y., & Nel, J. A. (2017). The Hate and Bias Crimes Monitoring Form Project: January 2013 to September 2017. Johannesburg: The Hate Crimes Working Group.

Subject to securing further funding, the next steps include the:

i)  redesign the HCWG Hate & Bias Crime Monitoring Form as one tool in an international framework for the prevention and interruption of hate and bias-motivated behaviour, and

ii)  potential hosting of the biannual conference of the International Network for Hate Studies (INHS) in South Africa under the auspices of UNISA/ PsySSA/ HCWG.