Relationship Between Selected Childhood Parental Factors And Victimization To Intimate Partner Violence Among Men In Nyeri County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a prevalent problem that threatens the societal welfare both in developed and developing nations. Most efforts to alleviate it have focused on women victims of male perpetrated IPV. Despite increasing media reports of men experiencing IPV, there is paucity of information on the prevalence of such victimization and the risk factors associated with it especially in Kenya. This study sought to establish the relationship between selected childhood parental factors and intimate partner violence (IPV) among men in Nyeri County. The selected childhood parental factors included exposure to parental intimate partner violence, harsh physical parental disciplining and parental involvement. Based on social cognitive and the attachment theories, the study utilized an Ex post facto correlational design to establish the nature of associations between the independent and the dependent variables. The target population for the study was married or once married men in Nyeri County aged between 18 and 65 years. A multi-stage probability sampling was used to arrive at the sample. Four structured scales were used to collect quantitative data namely; childhood exposure to parental IPV scale, harsh parental discipline scale, parental involvement and IPV scales. Focus group discussions were used to collect qualitative data. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the demographic factors, prevalence and forms of IPV. Correlations between childhood parental factors and IPV were established using Pearson‟s Product Moment correlation Coefficient. The study findings provided evidence that IPV against males in Nyeri County was prevalent with 87.9% reporting to have ever experienced some form of IPV. The study also revealed that there were significant positive relationships between experience of IPV and the following childhood factors; exposure to parental IPV and harsh parental disciplining. Paternal involvement had significant negative correlation to IPV except for the physical form of IPV. Maternal involvement was found to have insignificant negative correlation to IPV except for physical form of IPV. A major implication and recommendation of the study was that there is need for intervention programmes for male survivors of IPV to be initiated. Educating the public on how to identify male victims of IPV and the law enforcers on how to deal with them was also recommended. The study also recommended premarital education and counselling, couple counselling, and community awareness creation on issues related to IPV. Parental education was also recommended in an effort to promote parental involvement and prevent exposure of children to parental IPV and harsh physical disciplining. The male survivors of IPV, mental health professionals and parent educators as well as policy makers are among those who were expected to benefit from the study findings.