Burden and characteristics of domestic violence among males in a sub Saharan African setting

Domestic violence has been a subject of interest worldwide. However, most studies document men as the culprits with little attention given to male victims. This study sought to find out the prevalence and characteristics of domestic violence experienced by men in a sub Saharan African setting. This was a cross sectional study using questionnaires administered to 410 men aged 20 - >60 years. Two hundred and twenty-seven (55.4%) of the men have ever experienced domestic violence, and 82.4% of them were verbally and emotionally abused. In 49.8% cases the culprit was their wife/wives, while in others a girlfriend 33 (14.5%) or a mother-in law (11.5%) was responsible. In 90 (39.6%) men, their own parents were also verbally abused by the culprit. Thirty (13.2%) of the 227 men who had experienced abuse were physically abused. Victims usually report the abuse to a third party, mostly to family members. Men aged above 40 years and those educated below tertiary level were more likely to experience domestic violence (p = 0.0001 and 0.014). Men are also victims of domestic violence in this setting, but the violence is mostly verbal and psychological in nature. There is need to provide support services for male victims of domestic violence and also encourage them to report their experience of domestic violence in order to obtain help and assistance.