Introduction

                                                    

Help Line: +234 809 495 5338

“HearMan Initiative” is established as a Non-Governmental Organization to join other well-meaning organizations around the globe who are specifically supporting the need of male victims of intimate partner violence in many parts of the world in general and Africa in particular. Nigeria as the most populous country in the Sub-Saharan Africa is daily experiencing ever increasing number of cases of intimate partner violence against men in marital relationships due to bad economy with its consequential increase in poverty level. This has hitherto put more pressure on male partners in meeting the day-to-day needs of the family.

Even though there have been so much hues and cries about domestic violence against women across the globe, domestic violence against men is a reality. It occurs virtually in every society in varying degrees.

Domestic violence is the intentional and persistent abuse of anyone in the home in a way that causes pain, distress or injury. It refers to any abusive treatment of one family member by another, thus violating the law of basic human rights. (Domestic Violence against Men: Balancing the Gender Issues in Nigeria by Anthony Abayomi Adebayo).

Due to the existence of varying definitions and the call for a universally accepted operational definition, international organisations, as well as researchers, have attempted to give clarifying definitions of domestic violence. UNICEF (2000) conceptualizes domestic violence as involving acts of “physical abuse such as beating, slapping, arm twisting, strangling, stabbing, burning, kicking, choking, murder, and threats with a weapon or object. It also includes traditional practices harmful to women such as female genital mutilation and wife inheritance (the practice of passing a widow, and her property, to her dead husband’s brother)”.

Furthermore, UNICEF includes psychological, sexual and economic violence as aspects of the broad spectrum of domestic violence, describing them as follows: “Psychological abuse includes behavior that is intended to intimidate and persecute, and takes the form of threats of abandonment or abuse, confinement to the home, surveillance, threats to take away custody of the children, destruction of objects, isolation, verbal aggression and constant humiliation. Sexual abuse includes coerced sex through threats, forcing unwanted sexual acts or forcing sex with others, intimidation or physical force. Economic abuse includes acts such as the refusal to contribute financially, denial of funds, controlling access to health care, employment and denial of food and basic needs etc.” It should, however, be noted that studies have shown that the existence of one form of violence in a family is an indication that other forms are likely to occur                     (Fare , 2015: Tuncay-Senlet, 2012; Sever, Postmus & Berry, 2009; UNICEF, 2000).

However, the many labels for the concept include terms such as “Wife Abuse”, “Intimate Partner Violence”, “Family Violence”, “Wife Assault” and the like. The terms attempt to highlight diverse dimensions of a shared reality. Intimate Partner Violence, for instance, focuses on the more restricted violence between partners in a sexual, marital or romantic relationship, while the more expansive notion of domestic violence can extend to children and non-kin individuals dwelling in a shared private space. (Key Triggers of Domestic Violence in Ghana: A victim centered analysis by Lady Adaina Ajayi & Peyi Soyinka-Airewele).

HearMan Initiative is also established with the intention of disabusing the minds of many around the globe who believe that the intimate partner violence against men is too insignificant to warrant the attention of world bodies both locally and internationally. It is however, important to note that violence is violence.

Though, some government bodies and Non-Governmental Organisations have indicated support for male victims of domestic violence around the world, but this effort seems not “sufficient” when the enormous attention given to female victims by international bodies is compared. International bodies like Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the United Nations Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (DEVAW) are specifically established to protect the sole interest of female partners in various relationships with their male counterpart. Hence, the men are seen as perpetual perpetrators of violence against the women in their relationships.

In spite of underreporting of domestic violence against men in Nigeria, one study of domestic violence against men in Nigeria, Fayankinnu (2007) found that 84% of them have suffered at least one act of domestic violence perpetrated by women and that out of this number, 76% suffered verbal violence, 61% suffered psychological violence while 59% suffered sexual violence. Common forms of domestic violence against Nigerian men include slapping, kicking, nail scratching, biting, punching, especially when the woman is physically stronger that the man. Other violations include sex deprivation, food starvation, and abandonment on sickbed. Recent findings also reveal that in extreme cases, some men have been severely assaulted, poisoned, bathed with acid or even stabbed or hacked to death by their wives or intimate partners (Dauda & Ajao 2017, Watts & Zimmmerman 2002). Some men have also had their genitals damaged by their wives. (The Punch 23.06.2020).

It is therefore one of our objectives to support male victims of intimate partner violence and also to adopt a number of social-psychological approaches in reducing the causes of intimate partner violence in relationships. This is important because research has shown that there are usually underlining socio-economic problems leading to intimate partner violence in marital relationships, irrespective of race, clour or language. Many of these problems are quite resolvable before they escalate into a violent level. For instance, an unemployed man due to job loss could be psychological depressed to the extent that his female spouse would become abusive as a result of unexpected financial pressure on her in attempt to support her unemployed male partner. In this case, the primary approach of the relevant Help Centre is to counsel the man on how to secure employment. Similarly, if nagging is noted in the behavior of a female partner, the man should report to an appropriate Help Center like HearMan Initiative for an all-inclusive counselling before this trait become abusive that may lead to psychological or physical intimate partner violence.