CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
According to Beijing (1995), girl child are often in great danger in the place where they should be saved within their families and the society. For many “home” is where they face a terror and violence at the hands of somebody that is close to them. Somebody they should be able to trust those victimized suffer physically and psychologically they are unable to make their own decision, voice their own opinions or protect themselves and their groups from fear of further repercussion their human rights are denied and their lives are stolen from them by the ever-present of violence.
The term domestic violence includes violence by an intimate partner and by other family members, wherever this violence takes place and in whatever form.
Violence against girl child is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between male and female child, which have led to domination over and discrimination against girl child by male child and to the prevention of the full advancement of girl child.
Violence against girl child has continue to be a global epidemic that kills tortures and mammas physically psychologically, sexually and economically.
It is one of the most pervasive of human rights violations, denying girl child equality security, dignity self worth, and their right to enjoy fundamental freedoms.
Violence against girl child is present in every community cutting across boundaries of culture, class, education, income, ethnicity and age. No societies that can claim to be free from domestic violence.
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Domestic violence on girl child is when someone intentionally uses violence, threats or intimidation to control or manipulate a family member, partner or former partner. It is characterized by an imbalance of power whereby the perpetrator uses abusive behaviour tactics to obtain power and control over the victim causing fear. The violence is intentional and systematic and often increase in frequency and severity the longer the relationship goes on (Carrigton & Philips, 2033, Cilter and Slater, 2008) statistics show that girl child experience domestic and family violence at far greater than male child.
Feranmi (1996) explain that girl child often live in fear as a result of maintain control over them. The indigenous girl child are more likely face both family and society violence than non-indigenous girl child who make up of Abeokuta domestic and family violence victims.
Girl child who are from culturally and linguistically diverse background face a range of complex issues their needs are complex due to the different reasons for their arrival in Abeokuta. The difference experience they have had prior to their arrival and their varying levels of cultural adaptation to their new environment. Girl child with disabilities are assaulted, raped and abused at a rate of at least two times greater than non-disabled girl child.
1.1.1 THE VARIOUS FORMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE THAT GIRL CHILD IS EXPOSED TO IN ABEOKUTA.
According to Francis Olotu (2009) the following are the various forms of domestic violence that girl child is exposed to in Abeokuta.
1. Physical violence
2. Psychological abuse
3. Emotional abuse
4. Forced prostitution
5. Traditional and cultural practices
6. Verbal abuse
7. Sexual violence
8. Economic abuse
1. Physical violence: Involves the use of physical force against another. Examples include: hitting, shoving, choking, grabbing, bitting, restraining, shaking, burning, forcing, drug/alcohol use, and assault with a weapon, etc. Physical violence may or may not result in an injury that required medical attention.
2. Sexual violence: The violence of an individuals boldly integrity (sexual assault) rape, coercing sexual contact and prostitution, as well as any unwelcome sexual behaviour (sexual harassment) including treating someone in a sexually demeaning manner or any other conduct of a sexual nature, whether physical, verbal or non-verbal. Sexual abuse also includes behaviour which limits reproductive rights, such as preventing use of contractive methods and forcing aborting.
3. Psychological abuse: Is often characterized as intimidation, threats of harm, and isolation. Examples include instilling fear in someone through threatening behaviour, such as damaging property or abusing pets constant supervision or controlling what the victim does and who they talk to. Spiritual abuse may be includes as a type of psychological abuse. It involves the misuse of spiritual or religious beliefs to manipulate or exert power using scripture to justify abuse or rearing the children in a faith or religious practice which someone has not agreed to.
4. Emotional abuse: Involves undermining an individuals sense of self-worth. Examples of emotional violence includes constant criticism, name calling, embarrassing, mocking, humiliating, and treating like a servant.
5. Forced prostitution: Force prostitution or other kinds of commercial exploitation by parents or guidance is another forms of violence against girl child in Abeokuta.
6. Traditional and cultural practices: Violence is by which girl child are regarded as subordinate to male child or as having stereotyped roles widespread practices involving violence or abuse, such as family violence and abuse, forced marriage, dowry deaths, acid attacks and female circumcision.
7. Verbal abuse: In verbal abuse, language is the weapon of aggression; it is used to hurt person through spoken words, or in written form including abusive text messages. Verbal abuse aims at damaging a person’s self-esteem. According to Wikipedia, verbal abuse includes scolding, bullying, defining, harassing, interrogation, accusing putting down, discounting, threatening, name calling and raging.
8. Economic abuse: Involves making an attempting to make the victim financially dependent on the abuser. Examples of economic violence includes preventing or forbidding one person from working or gaining an education, controlling the financial resources and but holding access to economic resources.
1.1.2 HISTORY OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON GIRL CHILD IN THE SOCIETY
As early as 753BC, written law gave Roman make child the right to physically discipline the female child for a variety of offenses. Girl child were considered possession of the male child or father and were treated as such.
With the rise of Christianity several hundred years later male child were encouraged to use moderation in punishing the female child. These religious teaching were reflected in English common law such as the rule of “thumb” stating that a male child could only beat a girl child but a stick not wider than his thumb. In colonial New England male child were liable for the girl child behaviour and were expected to beat them when they committed a sin out of anger but out of concern and charity for her soul” often a female child who refused a male child, parents or guidance wishes would be accused of wiltchaft.
Before the 1700s girl child beating was very common and supported by the public and by government. Girl child were beaten and flogged by parents and guardian and sometimes with severe punishment for issues like refusing intercourse, forced prostitution, bed wetting, failure to perform all her duties and miscarriage regardless of the reasons.
In the 1800s English law allowed girl child to separate from her parent or guardian because of act of abuse, but did not allow them to run away. The bible was cited in the United State to allow male child to publically chastise and beat their girl child. Male child were still allowed to abuse tier friends or spouses as long as it could not seen. This meant abuse on the back, where clothing would cover wounds caused by abuse. It was until the late 1800s that male child were not allowed to chatise or abuse their girl child under any circumstances according to law.
Today, Abeokuta consider domestic violence and particularly girl child abuse to be a third word issue. Many girl child are abuse by parents, and guardian everyday in Abeokuta.
Maryland in 1882 was the first state to pass a law that makes girl child abuse a crime, which is punishable by 40 lashes or a year in jail.
Today, both Abeokuta and world at large had considered domestic violence on girl child as a major problem that needs to be eradicate.
1.1.3 CHRISTIAN INTERVENTION IN SOLVING PROBLEM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON GIRL CHILD
The Christian intervention in solving problem of domestic violence would be considered under two Christian bodies that is the orthodox churches and the Pentecostal churches.
Orthodox Churches
The History of Orthodox Churches
According to Emmanuel (2009), the orthodox churches comprising the local and national Eastern churches that are in communion with the ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople. The Christian church of those countries formerly comprising the Eastern Roman Empire and of countries evangelized from it.
The following churches would be considered in other to know their contribution in solving the problem of domestic violence on girl child.
(1) First Baptist Church (2) Anglican Church and (3) Methodist Church
The following are the various ways in which orthodox churches has taking part in alleviate domestic violence on girl child in our society.
(1) Divine Discipleship for female child: Girl child who desire a deeper relationship with God always attend this discipleship course which assist them on their spiritual journey and which also prevent them from domestic violence or abuse.
(2) Parent are encourage to train up their children in the way they should go in other to avoid domestic violence or abuse.
(3) Marriage of honour: Parents or couples within 0-15years of marriage organize couples forum where they will discuss various factors that can cause domestic violence on girl child in the family and also at society at large.
Pentecostal Churches
Brief History of Pentecostal Churches
According to Emmanuel (2009), explain that Pentecostal Church is a renewal movement within the Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism with the Holy Spirit.
The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost the Greek name for the Jewish feast of weeks.
Pentecostal emerged in the early 20th century among radical adherents of the holiness movement who were energized by revivalism and expectation for the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ believing that they were living in the end times.
The following churches are to be considered:
(1) Apostolic Faith Church (2) Deeper Life Bible Church
1. Organizing get together for youth on every February 14th in other to prevent them from sexual behaviour or harassment
2. Non-approving pre-mature marriage proposal
3. Through direct contact from members to religious leaders who may support, provide guardian or instruction
4. They also help through texts and bible teaching resources
1.1.4 BRIEF HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN ABEOKUTA
Abeokuta is the capital of Ogun State in South Western. It is located on the East bank of the Ogun River Abeokuta means “REFUGE AMONG ROCKS”. It was founded around 1830 by Sodeke a hunter and the leader of the EGBA REFUGEES who were fleeing from the Oyo Empire, the town was settle by missionary in the 1840s and by the Sierra Leone Creoles.
Abeokuta is Agricultural trade centres which produce rice, yams, cassava, corn, palm oil and kernels, cotton, fruits, vegetables. It is an exporting point for cocoa, palm produce by the missionaries. In the 1850s and cotton weaving and dyeing (with locally grown indigo) are new traditional crafts of the town
Christianity was introduced into the diocese of Abeokuta in the early part of the 19th century. It currently houses the first “Bible” that was brought into the country by the early missionaries catholic who came to Abeokuta in 1880 from where it spread to other parts of what is now Abeokuta Diocese. The history of Catholic Church in the Diocese of Abeokuta is intertwined with the wider history of the missionary works of the fathers of the Society of African Mission (SMA)and sisters of Our lady of Apostles (OLA) while the S.M.A. arrived in 1880 the OLA sisters followed in 1885 since the church has continued to grow.
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The problem which this project will find out will centre on:
What are the various forms of domestic violence in our society and particularly Abeokuta, secondly to look at what led to the various issues of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta, thirdly the role of Christian association in eradication of domestic violence on girl child in our society. Also to look at the challenges facing by Christian association in eradication of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta and finally to examine how can domestic violence be eradicate in our society and on girl child. Because violence against girl child is often a cycle of abuse that manifests itself in many forms throughout their lives, even at the very beginning of her life, a girl child may be the gain get of sex-selective abortion or female infanticide in cultures where son-preferences is prevalent. During childhood, violence against girl may includes enforced malnutrition, lack of access to medical care and education incest female genital mutilation, early marriage and forced prostitution or bonded labour. Other violence against girl child includes forced pregnant abortion or sterilization, and harmful traditional practices such as dowry-related violence, sati (the burning of a widow on the funeral pure of her husband) and killing in the name of honour. Hence, it is plausible to examine the eradication of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta.
1.3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
This study is design to identify the various forms of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta to determine the extent to which Christian Association have impacts on eradication of domestic violence on girl child. Also to enlighten youths of our contemporary society on how to eradicate domestic violence on girl child and how to be free from domestic violence and to give some recommendation which will be useful for the girl child in the contemporary society most especially the girl child in Abeokuta.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the various forms of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta?
2. What are the roles of Christian Association in eradication of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta?
3. In what way is the domestic violence affecting the girl child in Abeokuta?
4. What are the causes of domestic violence on girl child in Abeokuta?