Social Implications of Wife Battering: Need for  Counseling Services

Ezegbe; Bernedeth Nkiruka; ANYANWU J. I.; Oyeoku E. K.; G. C Abiogu.

Volume : III, Issue : VIII, August - 2013

Social Implications of Wife Battering: Need for Counseling Services

Ezegbe, Bernedeth Nkiruka, Anyanwu J. I. , Oyeoku E. K. , G. C Abiogu.

Abstract :

Most often women are robbed of enjoying certain fundamental human rights due to certain socio–cultural structures inimical to their existence. Wife battering being one of such structures has the tendency of limiting women’s potentials in developmental efforts. This paper therefore, sought to find out the opinion of the married couples on the causes of wife battering in Igbo land as well as the implications of wife battering in our social environment. The study adopted a descriptive survey design and was carried out in the south–Eastern zone of Nigeria. A sample of 200 respondents stratified into 100 males and 100 females from the two states sampled were used for the study. A four point scale structured questionnaire arranged in three clusters was used for data collection. Cluster A deals with biographic data of the respondents, Cluster B has 19 items while cluster C has 13 items. The response mode was Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree weighted 4,3,2,1, respectively. Data was analyzed using Mean scores to answer the two research questions. Based on findings of the study, the following conclusion and recommendations among others were made: there is need for the institutionalization of counseling services as part of the welfare department in the local governments in all the states of the federation, to counsel married couples on harmonious marital relationship for a healthy and peaceful home environment. Women organizations and NGO’s should be more committed in creating marital relationship awareness among the femalefolk, encouraging them to get education which will not only enhance their social status but also enable them to escape from wife battering that impinge on their fundamental human rights and forge ahead.