INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE PERCEPTIONS AMONG FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
Abstract
 The problem of domestic violence has taken its toll on the wellbeing of many women in Nigeria. Regrettably, this problem has global ramifications since almost every society is affected by it. Several theories such as attachment theory (Bowlby, 1951) and learned helplessness (Seligman, 1975) purport to explain why these acts of violence against women continue and the reasons why abused women persist in the abusive relationship. This study investigated the perceptions of intimate partner violence among undergraduates within three academic groups in Lagos, Nigeria. A total sample size of 450 female respondents participated and the instruments utilized included the Severity of Violence against Women Scale (Thompson, Basile, Hertz, Sitterle D’, 2006). The findings revealed significant differences between the experiences of single females as against married females in domestic violence. Also, postgraduate students were significantly more exposed to domestic violence than fresh undergraduates. These findings corroborate existing indices of such violence in Nigeria and were discussed in the light of current trends.References
AfrolNews (2007) Half of Nigeria’s Women experience domestic violence. Retrieved May 22, 2008 from
http://www.afro.com/awrticles/16471
Ainsworth, M. D. S. (1967), Infancy in Uganda: Infant care and the growth of love. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press.
Austin, G., & Sootsman-Eicher, C. (2004). Oakland county coordinating council against domestic violence: Domestic violence handbook. USA: Divorce Online. Retrieved October 20th, 2014, from http://www.domesticviolence.org
Bostock, J. D., Bradshaw, D. R., Auster, S., Chapin, M., Brewster, A., & Williams, C. (2002). Family Violence.
American Academy of Family Physicians Home Study Self-Assessment Programme, Serial No. 274
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Bandura, A. (1989) Social Cognitive Theory. In R. Vasta, (Ed.), Annals of Child Development Vol 6, pp 1-60).
Greenwich, CT: Jai Press LTD.
Bowlby, J. (1951). Maternal care and mental health. World Health Organization Monograph.
Buvinic, M., Morrison, A. R. & Shifter, M. (1999) Violence in the Americas: A Framework for Action in ‘Too Close to Home: Domestic Violence in the Americas’, Morrison A. R. Biehl M. L. (eds.). Washington DC: Inter-American
Development Bank.
Cano, A., & Vivian, D. (2001). Life stressors and husband-to-wife violence. Aggression and Violent Behaviour, 6, 459-480.
Cicchetti, D. & Lynch, M. (1993). Toward an ecological/transactional model of community violence and child
maltreatment: consequences for children's development. Psychiatry, 56, 96-118.
Cogan, R., & Porcerelli, J. H. (1996). Object relations in abusive partner relationships: An empirical investigation.
Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 106-115.
Corvo, K. & Carpenter, E.H. (2000) Effects of Parental Substance Abuse on Current Levels of Domestic Violence: A Possible Elaboration of Intergenerational Transmission Processes. Journal of Family Violence, 15, 123-135.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1007557626788
Dutton, D. G., Starzomski, A., & Ryan, L. (1996). Antecedents of Borderline Personality Organization in wife
assaulters. Journal of Family Violence, 11(2), 113-132.
Fairbairn, W. R. D. (1952). Psychological Studies of the Personality. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioural, and biomedical sciences. Behaviour Research Methods, 39, 175-91.
Goode, J. W. (1971). Force and violence in the family. Journal of Marriage and Family, 1,
-290.
Gurman, A. S., & Kniskern, D. P. (1981). Handbook of Family Therapy. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Heise L.L., Pitanguy J. & Germaine A. (1994). Violence against Women. The Hidden Health Burden. Discussion
paper No 225, p.46. Washington DC: The World Bank.
Holmes, J. (2000). Attachment theory and abuse: a developmental perspective. In U. McCluskey & C. Hooper, (Eds.), Psychodynamic Perspectives on Abuse: The Cost of Fear (pp. 40-53). London, United Kingdom: Jessica
Kingsley.
Kaufman, J., & E. Zigler. 1987. “Do Abused Children Become Abusive Parents?†American Journal of
Orthopsychiatry, 57(2), 186–192.
McBride, J. L. (2003). Family behavioural issues. American Academy of Family Physicians Home Study Self-
Assessment Programme (Serial No. 285).
Neugarten, B. L. (1990). Retirement in the life course. In D. A. Neugarten (Ed.), The meanings of age (pp. 221-230).Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press.
Nichols, M. P. & Schwarz, R.C. (2004). Family Therapy: Concepts and Methods. (6th ed.). Boston, MA:
Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.
Obi, S. N. & B.C. Ozumba (2007) Factors associated with domestic violence in South-East Nigeria. Journal of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 27(1), 75 – 78.
Oyediran, K.A. & Isiugo, U.C. (2005). Perceptions of Nigerian women on domestic violence: Evidence from 2003
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. African Journal of Reproductive Health, 9(2): 38-53.
Papalia, D. E., Olds, S. W., & Feldman, R. D. (2010). Human development (11th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.
Roberts, A. R. (2006). Classification typology and assessment of five levels of woman battering. Journal of Family
Violence, 21, 521-527.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness: On depression, development and death. San Francisco: Freeman.
Smallbone, S. W., & Dadds, M. R. (2000). Attachment and coercive sexual behaviour. Sexual Abuse: A Journal of
Research and Treatment, 12, 3-15. doi:10.1177/107906320001200102
Thompson, M. P., Basile, K. C., Hertz, M. F., & Sitterle, D. (2006). Measuring intimate partner violence and
victimization and perpetration: A compendium of assessment tools. Atlanta, GA. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
UN General Assembly, Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, 20 December
, A/RES/48/104, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f25d2c.html [accessed 14 December
UNICEF (2000). Domestic Violence against Women and Girls. Florence, Italy: Innocenti Research Centre.
UNICEF (2001) Children and Women’s rights in Nigeria: A wake up call situation assessment and analysis. Edited by Hodge. Abuja: National Population Commission and UNICEF.
Walker, L. E. (1979). The Battered Woman. New York, NY: Harper and Row.
World Health Organization (2013). Global and Regional Estimates of violence against women: prevalence and health effects of intimate partner violence and non-partner sexual violence. Geneva: Switzerland.
Zosky, D. L. (1999). The application of object relations theory to domestic violence. Clinical Social Work Journal, 27, 55-69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1022861331105
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright is owned by the journal.
