WIFE -BATTERING AND FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES: A STUDY OF SURVIVORS' ATTITUDES AMONG WOMEN IN LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study interrogates the consequences of wife-battering on performance of family responsibilities. Studies have been carried out focusing mainly on the consequences of domestic violence on the individual victim, as well as experiences, forms, causes, perception and prevalence but not in connection with performance of family responsibilities within this very important social unit. Needless to emphasize that social work professional service is highly required to unravel the chain of causes and effects of wife-battering on the performance of family responsibilities among survivors in any serious effort aimed at its elimination. Anchored on Talcott Parson's structural functionalism, in-depth interviews were conducted with purposive and snowball sampling techniques to select 60 victims/survivors from March 2017 to February 2018. The study discovered that battered wives were unable to perform childrearing responsibilities as a result of injuries, pains, hospitalization, hospital visits etc., which invariably led to undue discontinuation of breastfeeding, inability to feed, bath and cuddle their young children etc. Victims of wife battering were also unable to perform their sexual role except those who easily forg ive and those who do so reluctantly. The paper recommends that government should sensitize couples on the existence of law against domestic violence in Lagos State as well as create adequate awareness on the consequences of wife-battering on performance of family responsibilities.

Also, it is suggested that Ministry of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (WAPA) should include in their activities pre-marital seminars for intending couples by liaising with marriage registries in Lagos for this purpose.