Male Lived Experience Of Domestic Violence In The Households, Nyeri Country, Kenya.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue II, February 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Male Lived Experience Of Domestic Violence In The Households, Nyeri Country, Kenya.

Catherine Mwikali Muia¹, Prof. Jamine. Masinde², Dr. Joseph K. Rono^3
1 Assistant lecturer, School of Health Sciences, Alupe University College, P.o Box 845- 50400, Busia, Kenya;
^{2 &3} Department of Sociology & Psychology, School of Arts and Social Science, Moi University, Kenya

Abstract:
Domestic violence against men (DVAM) remains a private affair in many Africa countries. That rarely draws attention of legislators, policy makers and members of society as it is with other family members. The study explored male lived experience of domestic violence (DV) in the household for a period of one year, their socio-demographic, forms of abuse, coping strategy, culture and government interventions. A qualitative method was adapted. A total 19 victims out of 40 participated in this study. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection. Data was analyzed by thematic content analysis. Ethical clearance was obtained from relevant authorities; informed consent and binding form were obtained from participants. Verbatim quotes were used to present the study findings. Three themes and three sub-themes emerged. Majority (19) did not reported their abuse, 15 were physically and emotionally abused. Ten reported to have adopted alcoholism as a coping strategy that exposed them to further victimization. Nineteen men suffered with little knowledge and awareness of government interventions to protect them. Socio-cultural norms attached to couples violence interfered with the reporting process by the witnesses and male victims to the law enforcement officers. There is need to equally implement gender-based violence laws and policy, and to challenge the held societal perceptions on DVAM. There is need to advocate for change in gender doing and alcohol abuse. A lifestyle, that exposure men to victimization and stigmatization at various levels in society. Police and society response needs to be objective to facilitate reporting, protection and prevention of DVAM, Nyeri County, Kenya.
Key words: Domestic violence/ abuse against men, government interventions/resources, lived experience, male victimization, Nyeri County, Kenya

I. Introduction
Background information
Domestic violence against man is any maltreatment husband spouse in the household. Globally, DVAM due occur in families despite the income levels, but more common in households of low income (Smith, Basile, Gilbert, Merrick, Patel et al., 2017). The British Crime Survey (BCS, 2012: 83) indicated that about 6% of women and 4% of men had experienced intimate domestic violence, accounting for 900,000 female and 600,000 male victims respectively. The prevalence of DV in United States is estimated to be 10 million people physically abused annually. That is an average of 29 people experiencing intimate partner physical violence in every minute (Black et al., 2010).
According to Odimegwu (2012), approximately 500,000 men were beaten by their wives in Kenya. In Zimbabwe (KDVR, 2012) there were 768 and 998 domestic violence cases dealt with at Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court in the year 2011 and 2012, of which 26% (200 cases) and 45.9% (454 cases) respectively, involved male victims who reported various forms of abuse by their wives. However, there has been inconsistent statistics of domestic violence against men reported in the African continent compared to Western countries.
In Africa a study by Tenkorang (2021) indicated that anger and frustration in the households were the core reason why women use violence towards their spouses. However, both gender use DV for coercion control (Hamby’s, 2009). Fifty three (53%) to sixty nine (69%) per cent of women use violence to get the desired attention from their male partner’s, failure to which they rage with coercion, emotions, or withdrawals (Thomas, 2014).
According to Sawant (2012), at least five men in Kenya were physically abused every week, although over the past century, men might have experienced more domestic violence, but such incidences remain in silence. Those who report DV are often discriminated and subjected to disbelief by health workers, the police and the general public (Men Cry Too, 2013). On a situational analysis of Maendeleo ya wanaume (Odhiambo & Maito, 2012), the highest reported cases of DVAM occurred in Nyeri County between 2014 and 2015 of approximately 460,000 cases.

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