FORMS AND CORRELATES OF VIOLENCE AMONG COUPLES IN IMO STATE: IMPLICATIONS FOR MARITAL COUNSELLING

Abstract

The study investigated forms and correlates of violence among couples in Imo State: Implications for marital counselling. Three research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. Ex-post facto research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study consisted of 6788 registered couples in four Local Government Areas in the State. A sample of 391 couples was drawn from the population using purposive and accidental sampling techniques. An instrument titled “Couples Violence Questionnaire” (CVQ) was used for data collection. Face and content validities of the instrument were ensured. The Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient of (CVQ) was 0.71. The research questions were answered using mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested using one-way ANOVA at 0.05 Alpha level of significance. It was found that, the forms of violence experienced by married couples are physical, sexual, emotional and economic violence. It was found that levels of income significantly influenced emotional, physical, sexual and economic violence among couples independently. It was also found that religion influence emotional and economic violence among couples. It was recommended among others that; couples should have joint accounts and should be properly aware of each other’s income. They should also discuss their budget before implementation.