Infidelity, Emotional Abuse, and Domestic Violence as Predictors of Marital Dissolution Among Married Couples in Delta North Senatorial District, Delta State, Nigeria.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56778/rjslr.v4i2.750Keywords:
Domestic violence, emotional abuse, marital dissolution, married couples.Abstract
This study investigated adultery, emotional abuse, and domestic violence as key predictors of divorce, driven by the rising prevalence of marital instability and the need to comprehend the combined impact of relational stressors within the Nigerian sociocultural context. Utilizing a quantitative descriptive survey design, the population comprised married men and women in the study area, with a sample size of 392 respondents determined using the Taro Yamane formula via a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were gathered using a validated instrument entitled the Infidelity, Emotional Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Marital Dissolution Questionnaire (IEDVMDQ), which demonstrated high internal consistency with a Cronbach’s alpha coefficient greater than 0.70. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics at a significance level of 0.05. The results revealed that all variables exceeded the criterion mean of, indicating that infidelity (aggregate mean = ), emotional abuse (aggregate mean = ), and domestic violence (aggregate mean = ) significantly impact marital breakdown. Domestic violence emerged as the strongest predictor, followed by emotional abuse and adultery, while the combined effect of these factors substantially predicted marital dissolution among married couples. These findings underscore the multifaceted nature of marital instability and the critical need for coordinated therapeutic strategies. The study concludes that adultery, emotional abuse, and domestic violence are deeply intertwined factors driving marriage breakup in the Delta North Senatorial District, thereby recommending the implementation of targeted counseling programs, public awareness campaigns, and robust policy measures.
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