Perceived Psychological Implications of Family Violence During Childhood on Young Adults’ Relationships with Other People (The Case of Inlga Ijebu Igbo Ogun State, Nigeria)

Abstract

Family violence occurs in private but involves community members and affects the network of the victim`s relationships with other people. The experience of family violence hurts the victims emotionally, economically and socially; likewise the community is affected in terms of health. The study therefore examined the psychological implications of family violence experienced during childhood on young adults’ relationships with other people. The population for this study is all young adults in INLGA Ijebu igbo Ogun State out of which 840 respondents were purposively selected and used for this study. A modified standardized instrument HITS with reliability of 0.78 and a self-structured questionnaire with reliability of 0.89 were used to collect data for the study. The data obtained were analyzed using inferential statistics of chi-square to determine the acceptance and non-acceptance of the three hypotheses tested at p< 0.05. All hypotheses formulated were rejected; this implies that exposure to family violence during childhood has implications on young adults relationship in Ijebu igbo, while false self and victimhood thinking were perceived psychological implications of family violence on young adults relationship. Based on the findings, the recommendations were suggested, such as: active teaching of family life education will address most of the variables challenging family wellbeing; therefore, school children should be encouraged to offer family life education while family violence resistance education and family violence victim management should be included in family life education syllabus. Elders involved in religious education should be trained in the technicality of family violence resistance education and family violence victim management while health workers and security officers should not be exempted in this training and family violence victim management should be part of the activities of the social and media unit of the state and local governments by coming up with jingles and a campaign that could foster a reporting system of family violence.