Abstract: The Kenya justice system has failed to combat domestic violence manifested as physical, sexual, psychological and emotional violence. The objective of the study was to examine the nature and extent of domestic violence in Vihiga County, Kenya. The research was informed by social and frustration-aggression theories. The study adopted qualitative and quantitative research techniques for data collection and analysis. Descriptive research design was employed to examine variables. 400 respondents comprising 338 Household heads were randomly sampled while 4 Court Officers, 4 Children Protection Officers, 41Assistant Chiefs and 13 Police Officers purposively sampled for the study. A Closed-ended 5 point Likert Scale questionnaire, interview and FGD guide were employed for data collection. Qualitative data was thematically analyzed while quantitative data from questionnaires was analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) and Excel then presented in frequency tables, bar graphs and pie charts. Cronbach’s alpha (α) test for validity and reliability of the research instruments was tabulated at 0.79. The findings of study showed that all forms of domestic violence incidences were prevalent among individual in family households. The study recommended Vihiga County Government to constitutionally define forms of domestic violence and restructure the legal framework and protocols combating domestic violence in Vihiga County and Kenyan.
Keywords: Domestic violence, Aggression, Mate fighting and battering, Perpetrators, Victims of violence, Patriarchal practices, Physical violence, Psychological violence.
Title: The Nature and Extent of Domestic Violence in Vihiga County, Kenya
Author: Ngutu Jared Aineah, Professor Iteyo Crispinous, Dr. Kassilly Janet
International Journal of Social Science and Humanities Research
ISSN 2348-3156 (Print), ISSN 2348-3164 (online)
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