A Correlational Study of Intimate Partner Violence among Nigerian Couples: The Role of Age and Employment Status

The general purpose of this study was to determine whether age and employment status predict intimate partner violence among a sample of Nigerian couples. A correlational survey design was adopted for the study. The population was made up of 8,800 couples in Enugu North Senatorial Zone, Enugu State Nigeria. The sample consisted of 868 respondents drawn using multi-stage sampling procedure. Intimate Partner Violence Questionnaire (IPVQ) was used as the instrument for data collection and was subjected to face validation by three experts. The internal reliabilities was determined using Cronbach Alpha with a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Pearson Product Moment correlation and regression statistics were used. The results obtained indicated that there exists a strong relationship between the age of the couples and intimate partner violence. Employment status significantly predicted intimate partner violence among couples. Thus, organizations confirming marriages such as families, religious groups, hospitals, and law courts should ensure that their clients pass through marital counselling with professional marriage counsellors.