Causes and Surviving Strategies of Marital Abuse against Women in Anyigba Communities in Kogi State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study specifically examined the perceived causes of wife abuse against women in Anyigba communities in Kogi State, Dekina Local Government Area.; investigated the pattern of wife abuse among couples; assessed common abuses faced by wives and ascertained the coping strategies adopted by wives who suffered abuse in Anyigba Community. The study used in-depth interviews and self-administered questionnaire. Married couples (400) with at least two children were purposively selected for the study. The respondents completed copies of the questionnaire correctly, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Findings from the study revealed that forced marriage and a lack of affection between partners were found to be the main reasons why wives in the study area were abused.  According to the study, most abused wives use coping mechanisms such as refusing to have sex with their husbands, accepting responsibility for their actions to maintain harmony, and reporting abuse to a family member for intervention. According to the study's findings, wife abuse is common in the region under investigation and poses a serious risk to marriage’s stability. Therefore, the study suggests that married couples should get marriage counselling. Additionally, religious institutions and the customary court should make good use of the media and other channels to raise awareness of the threat of wife abuse in society.