Forms of domestic violence against men in Mukono town council, Mukono district

Abstract

Domestic violence takes a big proportion of the family challenges, However, most of the violence in the home that have been researched has mostly been focusing on women and children, but it has been found out that men also face violence in their homes, and these forms include physical, sexual, and psychological domestic violence. The study has focused on domestic violence against men. This study domestic violence against men’ as opposed to a better-studied area 'domestic violence against women’. The study was driven by evidence was designed to principally explore the forms, causes and effects of ‘from empirical studies conducted elsewhere in the world that point to the fact that men are equally as likely as women to suffer from domestic violence. There has not been a study of this kind in Uganda - thus this study is an original scientific investigation on the problem and was conducted with particular regard to Mukono District, which is among the areas that top the media and police reports relating to violence. The study methodology entailed the collection of data from 14 respondents for whom a structured questionnaire was used interviews from three (3) Wards of Mukono Town Council namely; Ntawo, Namumira and Gulu. The study has been both qualitative and quantitative. The key findings of the study revealed that domestic violence against men manifests in various forms, namely physical violence, sexual, psychological and verbal abuse of whom 43% have experienced sexual or physical violence which is much more likely to occur in ‘bed rooms’, living room and even in ‘public places’. The most casual factors for the growing cases of domestic violence against men include but not limited to: • Deterioration of morals, changing values among women. • Women emancipation and copying of western cultures. • Changing role of women, extra marital affairs. • Failure of men to provide for their own families. • Casual relationships. • Influence of alcohol and drugs. The study found out that mitigation measure against domestic violence should start by a well-defined understanding of what the problem is, and how it impacts on couples in a marital relationship. The government should strengthen the institutions responsible for settlement of family disputes such as Local council (LCs) and Police, as well as reviving the traditional norms and values that people may preserve during marriages. The study found the need for increased sensitisation and awareness among communities on the problem.