Intimate Partner Violence among Ever-Married Persons in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria

Abstract

 Intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly recognized as a social and public health problem and a violation of human rights. Many studies on IPV in Nigeria recognize women as the victims and men perpetrators with little or no attention on perception and experiences of both genders. This study sought to reconcile conception, experiences and perceived effectiveness of management strategies adopted for IPV by ever married women and men at the community level. The study was conducted in Egbedore Local Government Area (LGA) in Osun State, southwestern Nigeria on the married and ever married men and women utilising multiple sampling techniques, (purposive sampling of one rural, one urban and one semi- urban communities). The results showed that respondents have good knowledge of what constitute IPV. For instance, 19.4% of men and 19.4% of women identified IPV as husband beating wife while 10.0% of men and 17.6% of women defined IPV as quarrelling, abusing and beating one’s partner.  About 8.9 % of the male respondents and 1.8% of the female respondents define IPV as ‘when wives are not submissive to their husbands’ while 11.8% of men and 5.3% of the women respondents affirmed that IPV is when someone does something against his or her partner’s wish. Emotional abuse is the commonest form of IPV reported (63.9%; 37.1% for women and 26.8% for men). Over 42% of respondents who experienced emotional violence did nothing about it while some adopted different management strategies. Physical violence (22.4% for men and 56.5% for women) and sexual violence (58.2% for women and 17.7% for men) were also reported. The study concluded that both men and women are victims of IPV. There is the need for public enlightenment and advocacy to reduce the menace.