Influence of Domestic Violence on Nursing Mothers in Benue State: Implications for Guidance

The study investigated the Influence of Domestic Violence on Nursing Mothers in Benue State. The research design was a descriptive survey. A total of 27,497 nursing mothers from Benue state made up the study population. Based on the formula of Glenn (2012) table of sample specification, a sample of 394 was used. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire titled; Domestic Violence on Nursing Mothers Questionnaire (DVNMQ). The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis based on the research questions and null hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested using t-test. The study concludes that Factors such as persistent argument between spouse, husband and wife fighting and physical attack on nursing mothers contributed majorly to domestic violence against nursing mothers in Benue State, Nigeria. Findings from the study showed that domestic violence in Benue State takes forms of physical attack on nursing mothers, abusing nursing mothers verbally and harassed sexually. The study shows that urban and rural nursing mothers did not differ significantly in the dominant forms of domestic violence. The findings of the study further revealed that there is no significant difference between urban and rural nursing mothers in the perceived role of the victims of domestic violence in Benue State, Nigeria. The study recommended that all the stakeholders through Benue state ministry of health should be organising seminars and orientations for spouses on the danger of domestic violence and how to avoid it.