Public attitudes and perceptions towards gender-based violence in Nigeria: a mixed method study

Understanding how people learn and internalise social norms that reinforce gender-based violence (GBV), including their direct stimulus-response patterns and help-seeking from the police, remains understudied. We address this gap by examining public attitudes and perspectives on GBV and help-seeking using mixed-methods incorporating classical conditioning and social constructionist theories. Across Nigeria, 1160 respondents completed a survey-questionnaire. Descriptive statistics underpinned the quantitative analyses. Thematic analysis informed the qualitative analyses. Study 1’s quantitative results showed that most participants felt that it was not okay for a man to hit his wife. However, 18.1 per cent and 20.8 per cent (451 respondents) indicated that it was perfect or somewhat okay. Only 0.1 per cent and 0.3 per cent (four respondents) indicated it was perfect or somewhat okay for females to perpetuate similar acts. For the police, 39.4 per cent (457 respondents) indicate that GBV takes much of police time, and 39.9 per cent (463 respondents) indicate that it’s best handled privately. Study 2’s qualitative data found that cultural conditioning reproduced through social norms on female-gendered expectations informs respondents’ direct stimulus-response patterns. This occurs through abuse (trigger) and staying silent (response) to prevent societal stigma, as repeated experience suggests that submission avoids conflict, stigma and abuse while help-seeking from the police appears counterproductive. Psychosocial and reorientation interventions are recommended to address GBV.