Attitude towards coercive behaviours, coping strategies and gender based violence victimization tolerances among women in Gulu and Omoro districts, Northern Uganda

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the relationships between Attitudes toward Coercive Behaviours, Coping Strategies and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) victimization tolerance in Gulu city and Omoro district, Northern Uganda. A self-administered questionnaire was administered to 100 respondents who were randomly selected from both Gulu City and Omoro district. Hypothesis 1, 2, 3 were tested using a Pearson product correlation(r). Hypothesis 4 on the mediation was analysed using a multiple linear regression. The results revealed that part from men’s right, the rest of attitudes towards coercive behaviours sub scales were not significantly related to Gender Based Violence sub-scales. Unlike, women lie/exaggerate sub scales) did significantly relate with all the GBV sub scales. The second hypothesis revealed that attitudes towards coercive behaviours did not significantly relate with all the sub scales coping strategies. The third results further showed that domestic physical violence did not significantly relate with problem solving focused and emotional focused coping strategies, however it significantly related with avoidance focused coping strategy. Sexual violence did not significantly relate with all the coping strategies. Lastly, mediation results show that unlike emotional focused coping, problem focused and avoidant focused coping strategies jointly mediated the relationship between attitudes towards coercive behaviours and Gender Based Violence. This current study findings revealed men’s rights to control related to physical domestic violence that women experienced. Thus, this study recommends that government and its agencies should avail counselling and psychotherapy services to the victims of physical abuse.