Page 41 - IJPS-10-1

International Journal of
Population Studies Men’s experience of IPV during COVID-19 lockdown

noted that extreme forms of IPV include coercive control, domestic violence perpetrated against them. According
battering, and intimate terrorism. Hence, these extreme to a report by United Nations Nigeria (2020), disability
forms usually require medical attention and the provision has further compounded the IPV cases among males as
of psychological services (Anglin & Homeier, 2014). men and boys with disabilities are as more likely to be the
Nevertheless, Brooks (2020) has added a few variables to victims of domestic violence.
the definition of IPV, such as food deprivation, monitoring Although reports on domestic violence against men are
of expenditure spending, and withholding of personal scarce in developing countries such as Nigeria, there have
gadgets. been pockets of reports, especially from the newspapers in
Although IPV was supposedly more prevalent among these countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently
women during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Nigeria, there has been a proliferation of cases of women
(Peitzmeier et al., 2021), a significant number of men being prosecuted and jailed for a series of IPV perpetrated
also fell victim to IPV perpetrated by their partners. This against their male spouses. Two prominent cases in Nigeria
assertion is based on earlier findings that for every three were a woman who was jailed for 7 years for stabbing her
IPV cases, one of the victims might be a man (Office for husband in the neck which eventually led to his death and
National Statistics, 2019). Some authors have also argued another woman who reportedly stabbed her husband to
that these statistics may be a gross underestimation as death while he was sleeping (Folorunsho-Francis, 2020).
only about half of the men who experience abuse have On the severity of abuse, Warburton & Raniolo (2020)
the courage to share their experiences with someone they noted that IPV is less frequent among men, but it is of
know. Thus, men are less likely to report IPV cases and equal severity when compared to the abuse experienced
seek professional help for fear of social prejudice, shame, by women. In addition, most of the abuses experienced by
embarrassment, and discrimination (Tsui et al., 2010). men have led to severe injuries and death in some cases.
In African societies, the issue of domestic violence For instance, the UK Office of National Statistics (2018)
against men is rarely discussed. The social stigma attached estimated that about 16 men died between April 2018 and
to men being abused by their spouses has downplayed March 2019 at the hands of their partner or ex-partner and
the issue of domestic violence against men in African the probability of men (4.3%) sustaining physical injuries
countries. Thus, the prevalence of violence against men is during IPV is higher than those of the women (0.4%).
more common than what is documented. A commentary Although the number for women might be higher, it is
by Folorunsho-Francis (2020) also added that in Nigeria important to note that the number of men who suffer severe
as a result of poor documentation, incidents of IPV cases injuries from their female partners is significant enough
against men across the country are often underreported. for IPV discussions to steer away from a gender divide,
Narrating his experience with the level of the report of IPV opening up conversations on promoting zero tolerance to
cases against men, the Founder and Executive Director of a IPV for both men and women. This becomes expedient
non-governmental organization in Nigeria stated that: as it has been argued that men who suffer silently from
“Over time, we have discovered that when you refer intimate partner abuse are at a higher risk of developing
these men, there is a preconceived judgement in some serious mental health-related problems.
of these referral centres including the Office of the Public Notably, most studies on IPV during the COVID-19
Defender. From the moment the victims start narrating pandemic lockdown have exclusively focused on the
that they were beaten up by their spouse, they tend to prevalence and severity of IPV among women, while
get discouraged by the attitude of some officials. Some conversations on the severity of IPV among male victims
men are further subjected to mockery and probing have received little attention and remained poorly
questions on why they didn’t submit willingly to avoid understood. Furthermore, little is known about the types
being battered.” (cited in Folorunsho-Francis, 2020, of IPV suffered by men and their consequences against this
para. 15-16). backdrop, and this study examines the prevalence, types,
The United Nations Nigeria (2020) reported that and consequences of men’s experiences of IPV during the
sexual violence against men and boys occurs, especially COVID-19 pandemic lockdown through a systematic
in the conflict-affected region of the North-Eastern part review of past studies.
of Nigeria. However, most male survivors of sexual abuse
failed to report this incidence due to sociocultural and 1.1. Theoretical perspective: Gender symmetry
personal factors. This phenomenon has also been noted theory
by UNFPA and IPPF (2017). According to the reports, In recent times, the debate about the nature of IPV,
men are less likely than women to report an incident of especially concerning the gender of perpetrators, has been

Volume 10 Issue 1 (2024) 35 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.376