THE REAL TRUTH BEHIND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Have you ever thought that men are always the aggressors in any situation of domestic abuse?
This article gives you reasons why you should think otherwise as it analyzes domestic violence against women and men alike, and also your rights against this evil.
What is Domestic Violence?
Domestic Violence is the intentional and constant abuse of anyone in marriage, home, or intimate relationship, in a way that causes pain or distress, in a bid to dominate and control the other.
There are types of Domestic Violence which include:
- Physical abuse is the maltreatment of a person and can result in adverse effects on his/her physical health. It may involve hitting, shaking, throwing, burning, drowning, poisoning, etc.
- Psychological/Emotional abuse includes neglect, lack of proper care, verbal insults, and interactions where the victim's feeling of worth is diminished.
- Harmful cultural practices. An example is Female Genital Mutilation for cultural or any other non-therapeutic reasons; sometimes on girls between 4 and 13 years of age, but in some cases, on young women before marriage/pregnancy.
When most people hear the term "Domestic Violence", they often assume that a man is an aggressor.
We'll first examine domestic violence against women before moving forward to debunk that assumption.
Domestic Violence Against Women
Domestic Violence is popular in Nigeria as well as in many parts of Africa. There is a deep cultural belief in Nigeria that it is socially acceptable to hit a woman to discipline her as your spouse, on the assumption that the man owns his wife after paying her bride price.
It has become so rooted in society that even the victims condone such violations of their rights, some claiming it is a sign of love.
Some provisions make this act legal. The provision of the Penal code applicable in the Northern part of Nigeria specifically encourages this act of beating a wife, although with limitations. Thus, the beating of a wife for correction is legal, under Section 55(1)(d) of the Penal Code which states thus:
(1) "Nothing is an offense which does not amount to the infliction of grievous hurt upon any persons which is done".
(d) "by a husband for the purpose of correcting his wife, such husband and wife being subject to any native law or custom in which such correction is recognized as lawful"
Subsection (2) gives a limitation to subsection(1) above as it states that the correction must be reasonable in kind or degree with regards to the age, physical and mental conditions of the person being corrected.
LAWS AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Are there any laws against domestic violence?
In Nigeria, there are no laws specifically enacted against domestic violence to be applicable throughout the federation.
However, the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP) passed in 2015 protects a wide range of types of Violence against women, including sexual abuse, rape, and other related crimes.
It was passed as a law only applicable in the FCT Abuja, nevertheless, several States around the country have now passed their versions of the law in their respective states.
Some of them are:
•Ekiti State Gender Base Violence Law
•The Ebonyi State Protection Against Domestic Violence Law 2007
•The Crossriver State Domestic Violence and Maltreatment of Widows Prohibition Law, 2014.
•Protection Against Domestic Violence law (PADVL) is another law that was enacted in 2007 but is only applicable in Lagos State. It specifies different types of domestic violence including sexual abuse, exploitation, starvation, emotion, verbal and psychological abuse, harassment, and intimidation amongst many more.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MALES
Over to the very controversial topic of the century; Do men suffer domestic violence too? Is it just women and female children that suffer from domestic violence? Does domestic violence revolve only around Sexual abuse?
Notwithstanding the positive outcomes of the checks by some states and FCT in making laws, there are still loopholes that need to be dealt with in the fight against domestic violence which is exactly the aim of this article.
Amidst the uproar and confusion arising from the question of women alone being victims in a situation of domestic violence, the big answer to that is NO! Domestic Violence can happen to just anyone. Within heterosexual relationships and same-sex partnerships too.
And while we think women are more often antagonized in relationships, probably because of their vulnerable state, men also experience abuse, especially verbal and emotional, and even sexual.
Domestic Violence Against Men deals with violence and abuse experienced by men in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. In most cases, this issue is overlooked by this gender due to the immense pressure on them to act like all is well, even when it is not.
The awful fact remains that as to recent findings, husband punching, kicking, slapping, sex deprivation, and husband killing are realistic men abuse that occurs in Nigeria regularly.
Many times, these men refuse to speak out because they may face social stigma regarding their perceived lack of Maschimo, and other denigrations of their masculinity. Additionally, Intimate Partner Violence(IPV) against men is generally less recognized by society than IPV against women. These further block men from revealing their situation.
Some do not also want to speak out, because, in the end, due to gender stereotypes, they may end up being arrested, thereby leaving the children at the mercy of an abusive spouse.
ARE THEY LAWS PROTECTING MEN FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE?
Many laws enacted to protect people from Domestic Violence cover just women alone. For instance, the UN Convention on Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against women and the Maputo Protocol which exists to protect the rights of women puts forth the question: Don't men need one too?
As with the case of women, Violence against men constitute a crime, but laws vary between jurisdictions. The VAPP law is the first Nigerian law to recognize that rape can involve male victims.
Male domestic violence is indeed a very sensitive topic in Nigeria and should be dealt with carefully. Thus, we must cautiously note that domestic abuse is not about gender, size, or physical strength. There is also the need to view domestic abuse from a psychological perspective, rather than basing it on socio-cultural expectations and existing stereotypical norms.
CONCLUSION
This article has succeeded in notifying you that men too suffer more from Domestic Violence. Not just sexual, but emotional and psychological too.
The fact still stands that abusive behavior and domestic violence are never acceptable, whether from a woman, man, teenager, or an older adult. It is a crime. Violence against anyone, male or female, is an injustice to all.
You deserve to feel valued, respected, and safe, so we should never condone it.
Do you still think only women suffer domestic abuse?
Hit the comment button and let's hear your views.
REFERENCES
Penal code act
-ww.lawpadi.com>domestic-abuse-laws-in-Nigeria
-www.findlaw.com>family>domestic-violence
-www.helpguide.org>articles>abuse
-www.premiumtimesng.com>more-new
AUTHOR
OGO GLADYS AMARACHI
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