TYPES, PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG SELECTED COUPLES

TYPES, PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG SELECTED COUPLES

ABSTRACT

The study examined the types, prevalence and causes of domestic violence among selected couples in Mushin Local Government Area Of Lagos State. The study reviewed related literatures under some sub-headings. The descriptive research survey was used for the assessment of the opinions of the respondents, with the use of both the research questionnaire and the sampling technique. A total of 100 respondents were sampled. Four null hypotheses were formulated and tested using the ANOVA for hypothesis 1 and 2 and Pearson product moment correlation statistical tool for hypotheses 3 and 4 at 0.05 level of significance. At the end of the analyses, the following findings were obtained:

(1)         that a relationship exists between the years of marriage and couples’ domestic violence in the community,

(2)         that religion will significantly play an important role in the incidence of couple marital violence in the family,

(3)         that there is a significant relationship between domestic violence and newly wedded couples in the family and

(4)         that there is a significant relationship between domestic violence and old married couples in the study.

Based on the conclusions of this study, the following recommendations were made thus:Government should increase public awareness on domestic violence, by sensitizing individuals on their rights and laws guiding these rights. Also, social workers should ensure that victims of domestic violence and their children are safe-guided through a programme tagged “Save the children” programme, in which the children’s conditions in marriages rocked by domestic violence are taken care of.

CHAPTER ONE

1.1    Background to the Study

Domestic abuse is a problem that is entrenched in many societies across the globe and Nigeria is not an exception. Research in this area such as the one done by Eneh, et al. (2005) has shown that this type of violence has traumatised many Nigerian couples. Domestic violence remains a persistent problem because of the power and control held by the abuser; the fear, intimidation and humiliation suffered by the victim of this crime (Okere, 2000).

The oldest and most prevalent institution in the world today is the marriage institution. In all cultures, there is a particular sanctity attached to this institution, so much that it is particularly considered to be a building block of any society. The pivotal position of marriage has made domestic violence a subject of interest to various disciplines, government, religious sects and professional associations (Arldine, 1994).

American Psychological Association (APA) (1996) defined domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behaviour including a wide range of physical, sexual, and psychological maltreatment used by a person in an intimate relationship against another to gain power unfairly or to maintain the misuse of power, control and authority.

The role of spouse in family relationship is significant, such that some people have acclaimed it to be a surviving family adjustment. However, this role has its own problems. Some spouses have been found to be abused in various forms, ranging from sexual to financial abuse and communicative abuse. All these have implication on family relationship (Ayo, 2001).

Domestic violence occurs in traditional heterosexual marriages, as well as in some sexual partnership. The abuse may occur during a relationship  or after the relationship has ended. The key elements of domestic violence are: intimidation, humiliation and physical injury. Going by the definition of domestic violence, couples engage in it to control the other partner and keep him/her from departing or quitting the relationship.  A critical look at the definition of domestic violence will reveal that they assume the dimension of portraying women as the victims bearing the brunt, while men are seen as perpetrators.

This could be as a result of the widely held beliefs that women are the weaker sex while men are by right, the head of the family that must be obeyed. Nigeria as a country has her own fair share of domestic violence, which could be seen in the rate of divorce, separation and marital dishonesty in the country.

According to Ajila (2000) in his study on wife beating in western Nigeria, it was found that 32% of women indicated that they have experienced abuse, 21% believe strongly that wives should be beaten while 72% believe that wives should be beaten once in a while.

TYPES, PREVALENCE AND CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AMONG SELECTED COUPLES