Intimate partner violence in Mokhotlong Lesotho

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a global public health concern whose incidence escalates alarmingly, along with the related death toll of mostly women. Both men and women can be IPV perpetrators, but men are the largest category of perpetrators. Even so, men’s perceptions of IPV (what it is, when or why it takes place) or, for that matter, their experiences, remain under-researched as more focus is placed on restoring affected women’s health and finding them safe alternative housing during IPV-related crisis. As such, inadequate population-based empirical studies have examined men's IPV perceptions and/or experiences in the Sub-Sahara, including Lesotho. On that background, this study had the following objectives: (a) To understudy perceptions of young adult men in Mokhotlong on Intimate Partner Violence, (b) To investigate childhood experiences of young adult men in Mokhotlong on Intimate Partner Violence, and (c) To investigate adulthood experiences of young adult men in Mokhotlong on Intimate Partner Violence. It adopted an explorative qualitative research design to collect and analyze primary data. Participants were young adult men from an Urban Settlement in Mokhotlong Lesotho, with self-reports of previous involvement in IPV who were willing to disclose such involvement. The data was collected from a snowball sample using face-to-face in-depth interviews. Under perceptions of IPV, participants described IPV as any act of physical or emotional aggression towards one’s intimate partner, adding that IPV could be justified under circumstances such as; when women were disrespectful towards men and when women were married. The participants further described their childhood IPV experiences as witnessing significant adults in their lives commit IPV without facing interpersonal or community consequence. Furthermore, participants said that in their adulthood, they had committed IPV when their intimate partners were disrespectful towards them and/or when participants were under the influence of intoxicating substances to mention but a few. The study concludes by identifying the following strategies to prevent and control IPV incidents: establishment of easily accessible and affordable individual and couple counselling services in different community settings; problem-solving and communication skills training for couples; positive parenting skills training by Community-Based Social Workers; development of male-oriented peer support programs and forums where men can receive and offer support to each other, equipping couples with conflict management skills; positive life choices; as well as establishing campaigns and community dialogues aimed at challenging cultural practices that foster violence against physically weaker others.