Assessment Of The Role Of Social Media In Raising Awareness About Domestic Violence In Nigeria

1.4 Research Questions

The following are some of the questions which this study intends to answer:

i) What are the various types of social media available in raising awareness on domestic violence in Nigeria?

ii) In what ways has social media helped in creating awareness on domestic violence in Nigeria?

iii) What are ethical principles that must be considered by social media in creating awareness on domestic violence?

1.5 Research Hypotheses 

The following shall be the research hypotheses to be tested:

i)  Social media do not give prominence to domestic violence issues.

ii) Social media give prominence to domestic violence issues.

iii) Social media do not very often report domestic violence matters.

iv) Social media very often report domestic violence matters.

1.6 Significance of the Study

This study investigates the role of social media in raising awareness about domestic violence in Nigeria. This study will focus on the report from various social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Snapchat and the likes on domestic violence and it will therefore awaken the consciousness of social media users on the importance of the use of social media in the society. Moreover, by articulating figures and other issues related to domestic violence as reported by social media, the public can understand and appreciate the seriousness of that Anti social behaviour. In addition, the study will provide adequate information to the government by revealing different cases of domestic violence in the country and as well provide necessary solutions to the government on the various ways by which the victims of domestic violence can be helped, mot especially, by establishing rehabilitation homes that will help their social and psychological lives. Also, this study will be beneficial to students, adults and researchers of mass communication as it is a material for academic exercise; it will as well serve as a foundation upon which further research can be conducted.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study investigates the role of social media in raising awareness about domestic violence in Nigeria. Several, mass media in the country are articulating their coverage of issues on domestic violence against women and children will be too exacting to accomplish. Therefore, this study will be limited to social media of the subject matter. The study will be focusing on the coverage of domestic violence like rape, nagging of women by men, physical assault by couple. However, this study was particularly focused on cases physical assaults (couple bartering each other) as reported by various social media.

1.8 Limitation of the study

    The researcher was faced with only the challenge of time and was because the time for carrying out this study clashed with the school calendar of the researcher and this proved difficult as the researcher had to forgo lectures to carry out this study.

1.9 Operational Definitions of Terms

The following terms were used in the course of this study:

Coverage: the process of reporting various cases of domestic violence like physical assault, rape, nagging etc. through newspapers like The Punch and Vanguard.

Domestic violence: the intentional and persistent abuse of anyone in the home in a way that causes pain, distress or injury

Social media: It refers to a web based services that allow the individuals to construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection and view, and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system.