GENDER INEQUALITY: MALE VICTIMS’ RESPONSES TO SOCIAL MEDIA FRAMING OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN IN NIGERIA

Domestic violence affects both men and women, crossing boundaries of race, education, and ethnicity. It has evolved from a social issue into a public health concern. While much attention has been paid to violence against women, less focus has been placed on women as perpetrators. This study examines how new media, particularly social media, frames domestic violence against men in Nigeria, addressing the limited research on this topic. Anchored on the media framing, agenda setting, and muted group theories, this paper adopts a qualitative research design, using a phenomenological approach and homogeneous purposive sampling technique to gather empirical data. Data was obtained from an in-depth interview with six male victims of domestic violence in Nigeria using Braun and Clarke's (2006) multistage thematic analysis. This analysis incorporates data from interview transcripts based on the research objectives. Findings reveal that social media framing of domestic violence against men in Nigeria perpetuates gender inequalities, marginalizes male victims, and reinforces harmful stereotypes as well as lack of support which discourages them from seeking help or engaging in social media discussions. The paper then recommends the promotion of inclusive narratives that validate male victimhood alongside female victimhood, thereby balancing narratives of domestic violence, as well as increase in awareness through advocacy campaigns which should be aimed at educating the public on the realities of domestic violence against men.