Counselling Response to Victims of Domestic Violence in Nigeria

Domestic violence is a serious phenomena confronting human society by disturbing the peaceful coexistence of the home or family. This act, according to the office of violence against women (2007), occurs to anyone regardless of race, age, sex, and religion. The term is also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence,and intimate partner violence. Domestic violence as a pattern of abusive behaviour is display by one who is into an intimate relationships like dating, marriage, family. This abusive behaviour takes various forms,such as physical assault, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, domineering intimidation, resource deprivation (Seimeniuk et al., 2010). In Nigeria, women experience domestic violence than men, this view is supported by Amnesty International (2007) who reported that two-thirds of women are subjected to sexual, physical and psychological violence performed by their husbands, partners and family members (Oluremi, 2015). This act is promoted by factors such as jealousy, social stress, and social learning as it creates fear, insecurity and discomfort among members of the family. With these ills domestic violence must be considered and dealt with as an amoral practice, which the church needs to respond to through counselling response towards victims and perpetrators