SPOUSAL EDUCATIONAL GAP AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE (IPV) RISK ACROSS THE LIFE COURSE

Abstract

The paper discussed the association between the education level of inequality, the educational difference between spouses, and the likelihood of life course intimate partner violence (IPV) in the context of the socio-economic situation in Abia State, Nigeria. Using qualitative data, on 24 participants. The study investigated the level and orientation to which educational variations contributed to marital behavior, conflict and most probably IPV. On the one hand, the findings indicate that educational disparities have had certain differences based on the life stage of couples: the younger couples tend to have more tensions in the relationships in case they have one, particularly in early marriages, and that they are frequently supplemented by childbearing, dreadful job and financial limitations. However, the marriage after a certain age has been found to adapt more, as the life experience makes the differences in education less sensitive as a source of conflict. However, unemployment and economic instability wherever it thrives enhance risk factors of IPV. The present study demonstrates that to achieve effective IPV interventions, it is necessary to engage in multi-level approaches that would foster educational equity, undermine damaging gender norms, and increase economic empowerment.