Intimate Partner Violence in Nigeria Implications for Counselling

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a social problem which continues to plague the nation. In the past, in many cultures, intimate partner violence was not viewed a serious problem. However, in recent years, it has begun to be viewed as a criminal problem. This paper explains the concepts of intimate partner violence. It discusses the different types of intimate partner violence and highlights its causes. The paper mentions the warning signs of abusive relationship. It reports the rates of incidence of intimate partner violence in Nigeria, the different forms of abuse which may occur in the home and devastating consequences on the individual involved and the society at large. Counselling interventions for the affected persons and the offenders are mentioned with the aim of reducing the incidents of intimate partner violence in Nigeria.