Men's justification of intimate partner violence in Ghana: an analysis of a life course approach to neutralization techniques

Abstract

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) remains a significant societal and global issue with detrimental effects on individuals' well-being and health and society. This study aims to investigate the factors that lead to the justification of IPV by men in Ghana because it is a prevalent issue in Ghana. This study delves into the complex phenomenon of men's justification of IPV through the utilizing a life course approach to techniques of neutralization. Studies in Ghana focus on life course perspectives on IPV justification but lack deeper explanations for perpetrators' use of neutralization techniques. This study uses data from the 2014 and 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS). The relationship between justification of intimate partner violence (IPV) and background characteristics of men was examined using the ordinary least squares and the binary logistic regression. Results shows the justification of wife beating: if wife refuses to have sex with husband (2014: 2014: 5.7% and 2022: 6.1%); if wife argues with husband (2014: 6.9% and 2022: 10.2%); if wife burns food (2014: 3.2% and 2022: 2.5%); if wife neglects the children (2014: 9.8% and 2022: 11.2%); if wife goes out without telling the husband (2014: 7.7% and 2022: 9.0%). The findings reveal that in both 2014 and 2022, age exhibits a curvilinear association with justifications of IPV. The results indicate a significant negative association in both years (β2014 = -0.035; β2022 = -0.036) between wealth and the justification index (p<.05). Age, level of education, wealth, religion, ethnicity, occupation, marital status, and number of children were all found to be significantly associated with men's justification of IPV against their intimate partners. These findings provide valuable insights for policy implications and highlight the importance of addressing age-related factors in interventions aimed at preventing IPV, such as protecting the rights of the vulnerable against all forms of abuse, be it physical, sexual, emotional/psychological, socio-economic, or harmful cultural practices in Ghana. The encouragement of formal education in the 16 regions would help reduce the justification of IPV since it is evident that higher formal education reduces the approval of IPV.