NATURE, CAUSES, CHALLENGES AND SOLUTION OF WIFE BATTERING AMONG COUPLES IN SOKOTO METROPOLIS

1.1 Introduction

Wife Battering among Couples refers to interpersonal violence which takes place in domestic settings, family relationships and intimate relationships. It is also known as family violence or spousal abuse. Any one (men or women) can become a domestic violence offender or victim. Domestic violence is destructive behavior in an intimate relationship where one person tries to dominate and control the other in a dating or marital relationship or in cohabitation, which causes physical, psychological or sexual harm to those in that relationship. It includes acts of physical aggression like slapping, hitting, kicking or beating, psychological abuse such as intimidation, constant belittling or humiliation, forces sexual intercourse or any other controlling behavior (Krug et. al. 2002).

As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.

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1.2 Background of Study

Wife battering among couples has been a long-standing problem in Nigeria, particularly in rural areas. A study conducted in 2003 explored the factors associated with physical and sexual abuse, on a sample of 4,876 married women aged 15-49 years in the Nigeria demographic survey. The results indicated that almost half of the married women interviewed reported at least one type of violence 36% was physical and 13 % were sexual (FIDA Nigeria 2009).

In a survey conducted in 2010 by a district education office in Nigeria obtained information on the incidence of domestic violence in Nigeria. The survey indicated that violence against women is widespread and occurs among all social economic groups. There is however lack of information on accurate estimates of domestic violence against women due to largely unreported cases. In America, a national survey conducted among 6000 families concluded that a significant number of men assaulted their spouses (FIDA Nigeria 2010).

Various factors contribute to high occurrence of domestic violence against women. This includes economic factors that render women sorely dependent on their husband. Economic dependency diminishes a woman's ability to have a say in a relationship or take action in the occurrence of domestic abuse. Cultural factors also contribute to the marginalization of women making it more acceptable for domestic violence to exist in the society. Lack of effective government initiatives discourages women from seeking protection. Social acceptances of domestic violence against women and deeply engrained cultural beliefs on the inferiority of women as well as gender roles have encouraged the practice (Cooper et al. 2005, 120).

Ujamii Society in Nigeria is a Non-government organization organized by women for women. The purpose for the organization is to create a helpline for women who have been abused and suffered from advanced effect of domestic violence. The organization offers legal representatives to the buttered women as well as psychological and physical therapy.

Domestic violence against women and girls continues to be global epidemic that kills, tortures and maims-physically, psychologically, sexually and economically. It is one of the most pervasive of human rights violence, denying women and girl’s equality, security, dignity self-worth, and the right to enjoy fundamental freedoms. Although violence against women is ubiquitous, cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity, and age, domestic violence is the most prevalent, yet relatively hidden and ignored form of violence against women and girls. Domestic violence is a deliberate act and is rarely an isolated event. Over time, the violence tends to increase in frequency and severity.

Therefore, in Sokoto Metropolis where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Nature, Causes, Challenges and Solution of Wife Battering among Couples.

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1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the present economic crunch facing Sokoto State suggests occasional conflict, verbal or physical aggression which somehow worm into marital life of families resulting in domestic violence like hitting, kicking, and strangulation or even, sometimes, the use of deadly weapons and these actions go a long way to affect the stability of marital homes. These forms of conflicts lead to wife battering, divorce or, even, worse. These are situations that have pn;>vento be of serious consequences to the entire economic and social life of the people. These kinds of problems awaken the interest of the researcher to engage in this study. The situations come in many faces which lead to the researcher's interest in finding out the causes of these problems and the patterns in which they occur in Sokoto State with the intention of finding lasting solutions to it.

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1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to examine the Nature, Causes, Challenges and Solution of Wife Battering among Couples in Sokoto Metropolis. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To find if difference in ethnicity between couples causes wife battering among married couples in the area under study;
2. To find out the causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study;
3. To find out if length of marriage causes wife battering among married couples in the area under study; and
4. To determine the relationship between causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study.

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1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Is there relationship between causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study?
• What are the causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study?
• What is the length of marriage causes wife battering among married couples in the area under study?
• What is the difference in ethnicity between couples causes wife battering among married couples in the area under study?

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1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant relationship between causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study
• H1: There is a significant relationship between causes and patterns of wife battering among married couples in the area under study

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1.7 Significance of Study

The following are the relevance of the study which is stated as follows:

1. The study will provide information which can give insight into the causes and patterns of wife battering for the use of the government, social workers, counselors, and police officers.
2. It shall serve the purpose of making parents to realize how their behaviour influences their children's behaviour in life. The study may probably help parents also to realize that children copy their behaviour because children learn from practice in the family.
3. The study sets out to help the government, social workers, counselors, medical personnel, police and even couples to be aware of the causes of wife battering.
4. The study will help the teachers to understand the problem that some children go through at home and be able to render them assistance necessary.

This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

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1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Nature, Causes, Challenges and Solution of Wife Battering among Couples in Sokoto Metropolis.

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1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:

1. Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
4. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

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1.10 Definition of Terms

Wife Battering: Refers to infliction of violent assaults frequently upon a woman to whom one is married to.

Marital Violence: Refers to threat or actual physical assault by husbands or male partners upon their female counterparts wives.

Domestic: As used here in, refer to the types of relationships involved rather than the place where the violent act occurs.