THE ROOT CAUSES OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

   In Africa, an  average of 10 people  everyday suffer physical abuse at the hands of a spouse or an intimate partner. 

 This amounts to 5 million men and women each year,  according to the National Coalition against Domestic violence.  

Although intimate partners of both sexes suffer abuse, the majority of those abused are women,  every 24 hours in Nigeria, a woman is assaulted or beaten. 

  But domestic violence includes more than physical abuse . The U.S Department of Justice office on violence against women defines it as " a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship to gain or maintain power over another intimate partner.

Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional,  economic or psychological actions or threats that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorise,  to coerce, threaten, blame, hurt,  injure or wound someone ".

What causes someone to inflict this kind of pain on the people they are supposed to love the most?

The following are some of the root causes; 

(1) A LEARNED BEHAVIOUR : Children who are frequently exposed to violence in the home learn that it is a normal way of life. 

That early exposure increases their risk of becoming an abuser or a victim of abuse.

Some experts in domestic violence believe that  " learned behaviour " is more than of an excuse used by abusers for their behaviour and not a real root cause. 

But in another instance when people become adults they make choices about how they act.

They can choose to repeat a behaviour that they've learned  ( abusing a partner ) or choose to behave in a new or different way because they recognise that the old behaviour that they observed is wrong. 

(2) THE NEED TO CONTROL: Domestic violence may start because abusers want to control their spouses.

 The abusers may feel jealous,  have low self esteem or feel inferior to their partner in some way. 

For example, the abuser may have come from a family with less money than his partner or may have only SSCE Certificate while the abused person has Bsc or Hnd Certificate. 

The abuser may never inflict a blow on their partner , but may degrade them in other ways,  ; telling them that they are unattractive, disgusting or stupid ,  for example. 

The abuser , may assert control by constantly checking up on their partner, calling or texting,  going through their phones,  going through every personal belonging of their partner.

Controlling the other partner through abusive behaviour makes the abuser feel superior to his victim.

(3) CULTURAL INFLUENCES : Different cultural and social norms support different types of violence.

For instance, traditional beliefs that men have a right to control or discipline women through physical means makes women vulnerable to violence by intimate partners and places girls at risk of sexual abuse. 

These cultures see women as inferior to men and / or as their property, men can treat women as they choose.  

In these situations, women may come to see abuse as simply their lot in life. 

Even in cultures where people believe that domestic violence is wrong, they may ignore it because they regard it as a shameful family secret . That secret must remain hidden,  no matter what the consequences to the abused spouse.

Preserving the family's honour is more important than exposing an abuser.

(4) SITUATIONAL FACTORS: Incidents of domestic violence increase exponentially during economic downturns. 

Some men who lose their jobs or see bills mounting up, may  take out their frustration on their partner  ( and on their children as well ).

Health problems, the addition of a child to the family or the loss of a loved one can also increase stress, that leads to domestic violence. 

(6) SUBSTANCE ABUSE : Substance such as alcohol ,  breakdown inhibitions, because of this, the abuser is more likely to act upon his negative feelings.  

He may feel that his violence is justified because he sees the partner in a more negative light. 

However,  that an abuser's attitude may be the biggest factor in whether or not substance abuse causes a problem. 

The abuser usually believes that violence is acceptable, that alcohol increases aggressiveness and that he has the right to control his partner. 

  This explains the root cause of domestic violence as many people wonder why an abused spouse or partner remains with the abusers.