THEORIES AND CAUSES OF GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) or violence against women and girls (VAWG), is a global pandemic that affects 1in 3 women in their lifetime. This issue is not only devastating for survivors of violence and their families, butalso entails significant social and economic costs. Gender-based violence refers to any type of harm that isperpetrated against a person or group of people because of their factual or perceived sex, gender, sexualorientation and/or gender identity. Witnessing violence, in general, has been associated with emotional,psychological trauma to mention the least. There are so many theories with respect to violence ranging frompsychoanalytic theory: object relation theory and attachment theory, Social theory of family violenceencompassing control theory and resource theory. Sexual abuse is one of the numerous forms of violence. Thestudy also looks at the causes of violence in the home. The methodology adopted in this study is doctrinalinvolving the analytic and comparative consideration of existing legal instruments on the issue within theNigerian legal system. The methods of data collection adopted in this work were from primary sources such asstatutes, laws and judicial decisions; and secondary sources such as books, journal articles, newspaper, andinternet materials. It was founded that violence in the homes are caused mostly by family upbringing and moralbelief, cultural and religious belief, financial issues and alcoholism.