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IMPACT OF MEDIA AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ON WOMEN

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background to the Study

Mass media are channels of information dissemination simultaneously to a large, heterogeneous, anonymous and scattered audience. They primarily include newspapers, magazines books (print media) radio, television, the internet (electronic media), bill boards and posters (outdoor media). These media constitute the basic channels of communication in any society. However, the basic focus of this discourse is on the print (newspapers and magazines), broadcast media (radio and television) and to some extent, the internet. The mass media here basically refer to the press, a word which originally connotes the print media but is today used to refer to both the print and broadcast media. (Alawode, 2018).

‘Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women (Gish & Gill, 2017). Violence against women had been defined as any act of gender based violence that results in, or is likely to result in physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty whether occurring in public or in private life(WHO, 2018). The definition connotes that violence against women is a form of social injustice by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared to men. The expression „violence against women‟ can mean many different things and many different terms are used to describe it. Common terms include domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual violence, rape, sexual assault and harassment. Antai, (2011) noted that each term excludes some forms of violence and is subject to shifts in meaning and also has different cultural interpretations. For example, the concept of rape within marriage may not exist within certain cultures and therefore would not fall within the scope of domestic violence for some people. It is necessary to devote attention to violence against women as different from that of the opposite gender. Violence against women is a distinctively different phenomenon. While men tend to be attacked and killed by strangers or casual acquaintances, women are most at risk at home or in society with men or other family members whom they trust (Mouzos and Makkai, 2014).  Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. The definition adds that domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, or gender”, and can take many forms, including physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional, economic and psychological abuse (Office of Violence Against Women, 2018). Domestic violence is 

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