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Effect of Intimate Partner Violence Education on Knowledge of Available Support Services among Women in Nigeria

Abstract

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health and social concern that may affect women's physical health, mental wellbeing, reproductive health, safety, economic stability, and overall quality of life. Women may experience physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, or economic forms of violence within intimate relationships, yet many affected women may have limited knowledge of available support services or may face barriers to seeking assistance. In Nigeria, cultural norms, stigma, fear of retaliation, financial dependence, social isolation, concerns about confidentiality, and limited awareness of formal and community-based support services may discourage women from accessing appropriate assistance. Intimate partner violence education provides an opportunity to increase women's understanding of the nature and warning signs of IPV and improve their awareness of available healthcare, counselling, legal, psychosocial, shelter, protection, and referral services. Against this background, this study investigates the effect of intimate partner violence education on knowledge of available support services among women in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Health Belief Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Social Ecological Model. The Health Belief Model explains how women's perceptions of their susceptibility to IPV, perceived severity of its consequences, perceived benefits of seeking support, perceived barriers, and cues to action may influence their knowledge and willingness to access available services. Social Cognitive Theory emphasizes learning, self-efficacy, observational experiences, social support, and environmental influences in the development of knowledge and help-seeking behaviours. The Social Ecological Model emphasizes the interaction between individual, relationship, community, institutional, and broader societal factors that influence women's exposure to IPV and access to support services. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how IPV education may influence women's knowledge of available support services in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise women of reproductive age in selected communities, healthcare facilities, workplaces, educational institutions, women's organizations, and other relevant settings across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, local government areas, communities, institutions, and eligible women. IPV education will be assessed using indicators such as exposure to structured IPV education, frequency and duration of educational sessions, information on different forms of IPV, warning signs, safety planning, confidentiality, victims' rights, available healthcare services, counselling and psychosocial support, legal assistance, protection services, shelters, social welfare services, community-based organizations, and referral pathways. Knowledge of available support services will be assessed using women's ability to identify appropriate healthcare, counselling, psychosocial, legal, protection, shelter, social welfare, and community-based services and their understanding of how and where such services can be accessed. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires and appropriate knowledge assessment instruments. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' characteristics, exposure to IPV education, and levels of knowledge concerning available support services. Inferential statistical techniques, including chi-square tests, t-tests, correlation analysis, and logistic or multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the effect of IPV education on knowledge of available support services. Where a quasi-experimental design is adopted, knowledge scores before and after structured IPV education will be compared to determine changes associated with the intervention. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that IPV education has a significant positive effect on knowledge of available support services among women in Nigeria. Women exposed to structured and evidence-based IPV education are expected to demonstrate greater knowledge of available healthcare, counselling, psychosocial, legal, protection, shelter, social welfare, and community-based support services than women with limited exposure to IPV information. Education may help women recognize different forms of intimate partner violence, understand that violence is not acceptable or inevitable within intimate relationships, identify appropriate sources of assistance, and become more aware of available referral pathways. Improved knowledge may also reduce misconceptions and uncertainty about where to obtain confidential support when IPV occurs. However, stigma, fear of retaliation, cultural beliefs, financial dependence, social isolation, concerns about confidentiality, limited availability of support services, and distrust of formal institutions may continue to affect women's ability to act on their knowledge. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally sensitive, confidential, and survivor-centred IPV education to contribute significantly to improved knowledge of available support services among women in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on intimate partner violence education, knowledge of support services, gender-based violence prevention, women's health, reproductive health, healthcare utilization, psychosocial support, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, state ministries, healthcare facilities, social welfare agencies, legal aid organizations, women's organizations, community-based organizations, law enforcement and protection agencies, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving women's awareness of available IPV support services. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for integrating IPV education into healthcare and community programmes, training healthcare and social-service providers, strengthening referral systems, improving awareness of available support services, developing culturally appropriate educational materials, ensuring confidentiality and survivor-centred care, and expanding accessible support mechanisms for women affected by intimate partner violence across Nigeria.

Keywords: Intimate partner violence education, intimate partner violence, support services, women, gender-based violence, women's health, psychosocial support, legal support, survivor-centred care, healthcare utilization, Nigeria, public health.