Abstract
This project examined Domestic violence in Benin: A study of Ekosodin community in Benin City, Edo State. The objectives of the study are to identify the concept of domestic violence in Ekosodin, with a focus on understanding the scope and nature of the problem, examine the social, cultural, and economic factors that contribute to domestic violence in the area, and how they impact victims, perpetrators, and the community, assess the effectiveness of existing interventions, policies, and programs aimed at preventing and responding to domestic violence in Ekosodin, develop evidence-based recommendations for improving prevention and response strategies, and enhancing support services for survivors of domestic violence in the area, as well as find out the role of social workers in domestic violence in Ekosodin. The survey research method was used which consist of frequency, percentage means and a cross-abulation method was also used to test the structured hypothesis in the study. A total number of 400 questionnaires was distributed to women ranging from those who are single to those in relationships, to the married, separated, divorced and widowers. The statistical analysis was used with the goal of performing the empirical analysis and obtaining estimated coefficients, SPSS was used as statistical package in this study. From the findings, it was revealed that domestic violence is a widespread issue in Ekosodin that significantly impacts families and communities, often leading to long-term physical and psychological consequences. The study also, revealed that the nature of domestic violence in Ekosodin primarily involves physical abuse, with emotional and psychological abuse being less common. It was also revealed that patriarchal social norms and gender inequality significantly contributes to the persistence of domestic violence. It can be concluded that domestic violence is a widespread issue in Ekosodin that significantly impact families and communities, often leading to long-term physical and psychological consequences. Also, victims of domestic violence in Ekosodin often faces challenges in reporting the abuse dues to cultural and stigma and fear of social judgement. Also, the economic dependence on an abusive partner is one of the main reasons victims of domestic violence in Ekosodin are unable to leave their abusers. Substance abuse (e.g., alcohol or drugs) is often a major factor contributing to violent behavior in domestic relationships. And also the current legal frameworks in Ekosodin, such as the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP), are effectively enforced to address domestic violence. It can also be concluded that providing economic empowerment programs for women in Ekosodin, such as job training and microfinance initiatives, will help reduce their dependency on abusive partners. It was recommended that there is a need to enhance community education and awareness campaigns to address cultural stigma and encourage victims to report abuse. Public education should focus on challenging patriarchal norms and informing people about available support services. There is a need to promote economic empowerment for women through job training programs and microfinance initiatives. This will reduce women’s financial dependence on abusive partners and give them the means to leave violent situations. There is a need to strengthen law enforcement training to improve their response to domestic violence cases. Officers should be trained to handle such cases with sensitivity and ensure that victims feel safe when reporting abuse. And also there is a need to increase access to legal support services for victims of domestic violence. with sensitivity and ensure that victims feel safe when reporting abuse. And also there is a need to increase access to legal support services for victims of domestic violence.
