Influence of Domestic Violence on Family Relationship Among Couples

Influence of Domestic Violence on Family Relationship Among Couples

Abstract of Influence of Domestic Violence on Family Relationship Among Couples

The study examined the influence of domestic violence on family relationship among couples in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State. Descriptive research survey design was used, while a self-designed questionnaire was used as the major instrument.

A total of 102 respondents were sampled. Four null hypotheses were formulated and tested using the independent t-test statistical tool at 0.05 level of significance.

At the end of the analyses, the result shows that:

1.      There is a significant difference between domestic violence and family relationship among new couples and the aged ones.

2.      There is a significant difference between domestic violence and family relationship among Christian and Muslim families in Oshodi/Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State.

3.      There is a significant difference between the emotional stability of children of parents who engaged in domestic violence and those who do not.

4.      There is no significant difference in the prevalent rate of domestic violence among male and female spouses in the area.

Chapter One of Influence of Domestic Violence on Family Relationship Among Couples

INTRODUCTION

Background to the Study

Domestic abuse is a problem that is entrenched in many society across the globe and Nigeria is not exception. Research in this area has shown that this type of violence has touched the lives of many Nigerian couples. Although societal awareness and condemnation of the issue has increased in recent years. Domestic violence remain a hidden and persistent problem because of the power and control held by the abuser, the fear, intimidation and humiliation suffered by the victim of this crime.

The oldest and most prevalent institution in the world today is the marriage institution. In all culture, 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.

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 that person misuse of power, control and authority. If the abuse between intimate partners in which one person tries to control the other person through violence. Domestic violence is other wise called spousal abuse.

The role of spouse in family relationship is significant, such that some people have acclaimed it to the power of 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.

Domestic violence occurs in traditional heterosexual marriages, as well as in some sexual partnership. The abuse may occur during a relationship, while the couple is breakup, 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 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.

Bakare (1986) identified marital conflict to exist along a particular continuum which are:

1.           Occasional verbal quarrels

2.           Frequent verbal quarrels

3.           Occasional physiological quarrel

4.           Frequent physical quarrel

5.           Psychological separation

6.           Physical separation

7.           Divorce

A close look at this shows that a particular couple is expected to go through the whole stages, but it is not necessarily so in all situations. Some couples get to the divorce stage without going through physical quarrels and physical separation, while some resolve the conflict completely before it gets to divorce stage.

Researchers indicated domestic violence, through prevalent in Nigeria is still largely under reported, if reported at all. The causes of domestic violence can be seen in two broad categories.

The traditional causes are those factors that are commonly seen and discussed as leading to fighting among couples. They are immediate causes that can be pin pointed as leading to violence in the home. These include, among others, sex role, sexual dissatisfaction and infidelity, ego message, feeling of staying control, income petibility, religion conflict, alcohol consumption, money matters, childlessness, influence of inlaws etc.

Secondly contemporary causes of domestic violence are those underlying remote factors that are not easily seen or implicated, yet they influence violence behaviour in marital relationship.

Domestic violence has now become a common phenomenon. It should be noted here that as husbands abuse their wives so also wives abuse their husbands (Steinmetz, 1977). It is only the degree that varies.

The question then is how well has domestic violence or abuse has been able to achieve its end going by the high rate of family discord, divorce, separation etc experienced today?

Base on the above picture, the study is to determine the influence domestic violence on family relationship among couple in Oshodi Local Government Area of Lagos State.