PHYSICAL, SEXUAL, EMOTIONAL AND ECONOMIC INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE: PREVALENCE AMONG FEMALE CIVIL SERVANTS IN YENAGOA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF BAYELSA STATE.

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of physical, sexual, emotional and economic intimate partner violence among female civil servants in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State. Survey design was adopted. Four research questions guided the study. The population of the study was seven hundred (700) female civil servants in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State. Convenience sampling technique were adopted. The sample of the study was two hundred and forty-five female civil servants. A questionnaire titled “Intimate Partner Violence against Women” (IPVAW) was used for collection of data. A pilot study was
conducted and a reliability coefficient of .96 was obtained using Cronbach alpha procedure. The findings of the study verified that 42.5% of female civil servants in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State have suffered physical intimate partner violence, 30.2% of female civil servants in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State have suffered sexual intimate partner violence, 30.6% of female civil servants in Yenagoa local government area of Bayelsa State have suffered emotional intimate partner violence and 24.5% have suffered economic intimate partner violence. Some recommendations were thus made: regular family
counselling sessions should be organized for couples and government and non-governmental organizations should organize seminars and intimate the society of different forms of intimate partner violence and interventions on how to prevent it.