DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PERPETRATED AGAINST WOMEN AND IT EFFECT ON CHILDREN’S GROWTH

Background to the Study: It is the smallest unit of society and one of the primary agents of socialization inside the family. The family is the earliest and most essential agent of socialization since it is the first location a child encounters in life and plays a significant impact in the child's development. Psychology has shown that a child's brain is like a whiteboard; whatever is written on it remains and contributes to the child's development, whether positively or negatively. The impact of activities between husband and wife on a child is either favorable or bad. Couples' domestic violence has been identified as one of the modern issues affecting the family research. The majority of domestic violence is committed against women for a variety of reasons, and it has become a growing concern. Domestic violence is a contentious subject, which complicates its evaluation.

The phrase has acquired numerous meanings throughout time. According to Amnesty International, Nigeria (2005), domestic violence is defined as any act of threatening, harassing, or violent behavior, whether psychological, physical, sexual, or emotional, involving two adults who are or have been in a relationship. Domestic violence, rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, genital mutilation, and underage marriage are additional examples of violence against women.

Physical abuse, such as hitting, slapping, using items on the woman, smothering, etc., is a common kind of domestic violence perpetrated by husbands against many women. Sexual abuse, such as forced penetrative sex, anal permeation, oral stimulation, forced exposure to material or explicit sexual behavior, is another form of domestic violence against women. Violence against women include any verbal, physical, or sexual act intended to violate a woman's body or identity, regardless of her age, color, nationality, or country.

Dutton (1992) defines physical violence as any action that includes the purposeful use of force against the body of another person and that may inflict bodily hurt, injury and / or discomfort. The author defines sexual abuse as any unwanted sexual contact forced on one person by another. According to research, domestic violence has resulted in the deaths of several women. Some were seriously hurt, some pregnant women lost their children, and others were handicapped. Women were involved in around 92% of domestic violence cases worldwide in 1994, according to information from the office of justice.

Wopadovi (women against domestic violence) Unfortunately, in 2014, domestic violence affects many Nigerian families and increasing in our society. It diminishes women's sense of self-worth and demeans them in the eyes of society. Domestic violence is frowned upon by all nations, including Nigeria. In section 42 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), sex-based discrimination is prohibited for all Nigerians, including women. Also, Section 34 guarantees every citizen the right to the dignity of the human person, which in subsection (a) prohibits torture and inhuman or degrading treatment, and subsection (b) prohibits the subjection of anyone to slavery or servitude. However, violence against women continues unabated and unchecked, and this has been attributed to loopholes in our laws, some of which undermine the constitutional provision for equality. Domestic violence may affect everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic standing, color, religion, or level of education.
1.2 Statement of the Problem

Socialization is the process through which an individual obtains information, new behaviors, and growth. This process begins inside the family Prior to the secondary stage of socialization, a child learns to speak, walk, and say his/her name in the family, which is the main stage of socialization. The impact of activities between husband and wife on a child is either favorable or bad. A child is taught by his parents. Whatever a child observes his/her parents doing, he/she perceives as positive and replicates the behavior. A child's growth progresses through several phases.

When a child watches his father verbally, physically, or sexually assaulting his mother, the child may have short- or long-term physical, psychological, emotional, and behavioral difficulties as a consequence of the types of violence he/she is exposed to. This may compromise the child's growth and ruin his or her future. It may also impact the child's schooling, peer relationships, perceptions of the opposite sex, academic success, and other aspects of his or her life. There is a growing consensus that a child who is exposed to domestic violence throughout his childhood will suffer developmental and psychological consequences (Dodd, 2009).

Among the emotional and behavioral issues that may come from domestic violence are increased aggression, anxiety, and alterations in how a child interacts with peers and authorities. In schools, problems with attitude and cognition, as well as a lack of problem-solving abilities, might arise. According to Lehmann (1995), in certain instances, the abuser would torture the mother in front of the child to generate a ripple effect, concurrently chasing two victims. Children who experience maternal abuse are more likely to display signs of posttraumatic stress disorder, according to research (PTSD).