Are contextual influences and statutory law empathy impetuses to police attitude to domestic violence against women in Lagos State?

Abstract

The Lagos State Statutory (Protection against Domestic Violence) Law was enacted on March 18, 2007 to protect inhabitants of the State against all forms of domestic violence. In spite of the enactment of this law, many inhabitants of Lagos State are still imperiled to emotional, psychological and physical traumas arising from domestic violence. This study validated contextual influences and the understanding of statutory law protecting women against domestic violence in Lagos State. Contextual influences were captured as socio-demographic characteristics, sociocultural and economic factors. The study adopted the quantitative cross-sectional research design method. Information was sourced randomly among police personnel across Police Divisions within the State Police Command from July to November, 2019. The Fishers sampling technique was employed to arrive at a sample size of 312 from a total population of 1650 police personnel in Lagos State. Stata version 14 was used in data analysis. The results showed that a biased approach to domestic violence against women was higher among male (87%) than female (13%) police personnel. A biased approach to domestic violence against women was higher among non-commissioned (65.2%) than commissioned (34.5%) police personnel. Contextual influences such as sociodemographic, sociocultural and economic factors, as well as police understanding of statutory law against domestic violence were found to be significantly associated with police approach to domestic violence against women in Lagos State. The study concluded that the enactment of the protection against violence law was an appropriate measure to addressing domestic violence, still, the police need to be more proactive and unbiased in handling reported cases of domestic violence against women in the State.