DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS DETERMINANTS OF MARITALINSTABILITYAMONG MARRIED WOMEN IN IJEDE COMMUNITY: COUNSELLING INTERVENTION

Abstract

Marriage is one of the important institutions in society, as it is a fundamental need because families are formed through it and the family is the core unit of human society. Marriage is an agreement and union between a man and a woman to live responsibly as husband and wife for companionship, reproduction, and nurturing of a family. Hence, marriage is a sane and important structure on which every society builds. Ojukwu (2013) confirmed this by saying that for the world to be at peace, marriages, homes, and families must be at peace, as stable marriages produce stable children and families, which in turn give rise to a stable society. Marriage is a union that is supposed to bring joy and happiness to society, as well as honor to those who participate in it. Marriage is meant to be sacred to those involved and it is necessary to the social order and in the interest of society.However, in the past few decades, there have been significant changes in marriage and family life, all over the world (Musau, Kisovi, and Otor, 2015). Maciver and Dimkpa (2012) confirmed that the institution of marriage is now unstable. Marital instability has been on a continuous increase in Africa and other developing countries (Duke-Natrebo, 2014). According to Dada and Idowu, cited in Tolorunleke (2013), divorce and remarriage rates among married couples in Nigeria are alarmingly high at the moment.According to Amina, cited in Omoniyi-Oyafunke, Falola, and Salau (2014), marital instability is associated with separation, divorce, and widowhood. Since one has no control over the condition that brings about widowhood, marital instability in this study, therefore, refers to the process in which marriage ends in divorce, dissertation, or separation, whether physically or mentally. The increase in divorce rates is one of the most visible changes in African societies and family lives. The effects and aftermaths of marital instability are grave, not only on the separated couple but on the children and society at large. According to Duke-Natrebo (2014), children from divorced parents

generally experience lower cognitive, behavioural, and health outcomes. In similar studies on the effects of divorce, Cravens (2013) and Gardner (2010) noted that marital instability increased the difficulty of single parenting, domestic violence, and estrangement in society. These issues have an impact on population dynamics, health, growth, efficiency, social order, and development.Furthermore, children that experience regular instability and environmental stress in their early years, may continue to accrue unstable experiences as they get older, according to Adebowale (2011). Omoniyi-Falola et al (2014) established that children raised in single-parent families are more vulnerable to trafficking, rituals, and housework than children raised in intact families. Yildirim and Pendergas (2020) reported that divorce harms children's learning capacity and educational attainment. Divorce reduces household income and severely limits individual earning capacity in the marketplace. Divorce has a significant impact on crime, abuse and neglect, drug use, and the costs of compensating government services.Marital instability has been shown to harm children's health and longevity. It also raises the risk of behavioral, emotional, and psychiatric problems, including suicide. It also has varying effects on children's hearts, minds, and souls, ranging from mild to severe, seemingly minor to observably significant, and short-term to long-term (Beckmeyer, Coleman, & Ganong, 2014). The effects of marital instability are grave on children's psychological and social development as Shahram, Ali, and Ghoobad (2012) cited in Adamu and Temesgen (2014) identified anti-social behavior and delinquency in children and adolescents; prostitution, particularly in areas of poverty and ignorance; abuse of women, men, and children, as well as using children in drug distribution and other illegal activities; Aggression and maladjustment in children, as well as straying away from their home; Academic failure, suicidal husband or wife or children; reduction in desire to marry other people, particularly children of divorced families; and children lose confidence and do not see a bright future.Several factors have been identified by various researchers to have caused marital instability. Asa and Nkan (2017) identified sociocultural differences, psychological factors, economic factors, marriage-based factors, health factors, sex-related factors, conflict factors, and communication-based factors, as the major factors associated with marital instability. Okwudili and Anni (2021) confirmed that marital instability is caused by infidelity and lack of finance. Other factors are social incompatibility of marriage partners, sexual incompatibility, extreme social orientation, extended family affairs and issues, negligence behavior of the partners, economic situation (Amadi & Amadi, 2014; Garba, 2015) Ojukwu (2014) associated social unrest, delinquency, crime and some sickness with marital discord and family fragmentation.According to Masau, Kisoviand Otor (2015), issues like carelessness, infidelity, aggression, drunkenness, problems with the in-laws, unemployment, age disparity and polygamy, can all contribute to marital instability. Egbo et al (2020) affirmed that lack of communication is a potent factor leading to marital instability. Marital instability causes "disruptions in the parent-child relationship, continuing discord between former spouses, loss of emotional support, economic hardship, and an increase in the number of other negative life events," according to the American Psychological Association. Divorce has a wide range of negative consequences for individuals and society. In religious practice, divorce reduces the frequency with which God is worshiped and 2 / Association of Professional Counsellors in Nigeria (APROCON)

prayed to (Bastaits & Mortelmans, 2016).Considering the importance of stable marriage in the society and grave ill consequences marital instability can lead to, both in the immediate and long run, even generally in the society, there is a need to investigate more factors that can lead to marital instability to be forewarned on the necessary ways of avoiding it. Several researchers as mentioned above have established various factors causing marital instability, however, the interest of this study is based on domestic violence.Domestic violence has become one of the universal problems that cut beyond the borders of nations, cultures, races, and social classes. It is a peril that is ingrained in society and has taken the lives of numerous women, children, elderly people, and men around the world. One of the most common domestic violence happened in the context of marriage. In every form of relationship, there is bound to be disagreement and conflict in marriage inclusive. Hence, marital conflict is inevitable and will help partners to know each other more and adjust in marriage. However, most of the conflict that is not well resolved or managed well, end up in disarray and women are majorly the ones at the receiving end. Adeyemo (2011) confirmed that three out of every four women experience domestic violence at the hands of their husbands or those who claimed to care for them. Hence, domestic violence is termed to be a kind of gender-specific abuse since its victims are mostly women, more often than not, as Ajie (2011) argues that five million members of the Nigerian womenfolk are molested yearly, including older women and are victims of various acts of domestic violence. Adegbite and Ajuwon (2015) also confirmed that large proportions of the women (88.9%) in their study had experienced at least one form of violence in marriage.Domestic violence is also referred to in the literature as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence (IPV). It is a pattern of abusive behaviors that partners in intimate relationships, such as marriage, experience. This pattern of abusive behavior manifests itself in a variety of ways, including physical abuse or threats (such as hitting, kicking, biting, shoving, restraining, slapping, or throwing objects); sexual abuse, emotional abuse, verbal controlling or domineering, intimidation, stalking, passive/covert abuse/neglect, stalking and economic deprivation. (Siemieniuk, Krentz, Gish & Gill cited in Muhammed, 2019) Many people are disturbed by, and deeply concerned about, the epidemic of domestic abuse in all of its manifestations that are sweeping through our nation. It is no longer acceptable to assume that everyone is protected within the confines of the family. According to Edukugho (2013), most domestic abuse victims are left to suffer in silence, occasionally dying, suffering life-altering injuries, or being permanently crippled.As reported by Muhammed (2019), in some parts of the country in Nigeria, most acts of domestic violence never make it to police custody and those who do, are referred back to be resolved amicably at home. As a result, many people still believe that domestic violence is a normal occurrence and do not support outside intervention. People also believe that because men are naturally aggressive and women are naturally passive, abuse is to be expected. Nigerian cultures in some areas do not approve of a woman making home affairs public; regardless of the nature of violence in a marital relationship, women are encouraged to persevere for the sake of their children. Women are also Domestic Violence as Determinants of Marital Instability among Married Women in Ijede Community: Counselling Intervention / 3

expected to be completely submissive to their husbands and accept whatever happens in the marriage. To further buttress this, Nigerian customary law, like that of most other African countries, states that the man is superior to the woman and as such, has the authority to discipline her (Okigbo, 2015, Anyanwu & Anyanwu, 2017). These laws are sacred, particularly in rural areas, and explain why reports of intimate partner violence may be treated lightly. As a result, many women suffer from domestic abuse, while others are unaware that they have been abused. (Adomako Ampofo & Prah cited in Igbolekwu et al 2021).This study, therefore, theorized that married women, in the past few years, endured all forms of domestic violence and stay in the marriage because of raising their children within the confidence of their fathers, but the trend seems to have changed with the advancement of gender equality, feminism promotion, education and economic independent of women and freedom. Most women seem not to withstand violence anymore, especially with all the measures put in place by government and NGOs to save women from violence. This study, therefore, seeks to investigate the extent to which domestic violence influences marital instability among married women. The study also investigates the age difference and academic qualifications, as it relates to marital instability among married women. It is against this background that this study investigates domestic violence as a determinant of marital instability among married couples in Ijede, Lagos, with the intention of proffering interventions