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.