MST-Department of Sociology

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Browsing MST-Department of Sociology by Subject "domestic violence"

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    Utilization of healthcare and legal services by domestic violence survivors in Nairobi city county, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2023-11) Muriuki, Pamela Karimi; Grace Wamue-Ngare; Grace B. Mose Okong’o
    Domestic violence is a criminal offense and a violation of fundamental human rights as provided in the Constitution 2010, the Kenya Penal Code, and the Sexual Offenses Act 2006, among other legal frameworks at the international, regional, and national levels. It also contributes to health problems, which ultimately translate into a social and economic burden for survivors, society, and the government. This study assessed the utilization of healthcare and legal services by domestic violence survivors in Kibra Sub-County, Nairobi City County. The study objectives were; to explore various forms of domestic violence reported in select health and legal facilities in the study area, assess healthcare and legal services available to domestic violence survivors, establish factors that determine utilization of healthcare and legal services by domestic violence survivors, and lastly, suggest effective strategies for enhancing the utilization of healthcare and legal services by domestic violence survivors. The public enforcement of law theory advanced by Polinsky and Shavell (2005) was used to guide the conceptualization of the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. 54 adult male and female domestic violence survivors were sampled purposefully. Data was collected using questionnaires and interview schedules and analysed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS). The study found that physical assault, sexual violence, and neglect were the most reported cases. Findings also revealed that survivors sought healthcare and legal services, with some incidences of late reporting and nonreporting. It was found that even though survivors were considerably near healthcare and legal facilities, opportunity costs in terms of transport, legal service fees, and healthcare expenses were prohibitive for them. Besides, service provision was hampered by numerous challenges, including inadequate resources, both human and financial, and requisite infrastructure, affecting the quality of services. and complex referral pathways that discouraged survivors from pursuing justice. There was a lack of basic awareness of the crime scene response, with evidence being lost at this point by tampering either with the survivor, perpetrator, or the scene of crime. Additionally, awareness of DV management protocols and guidelines among service providers was weak and inconsistent. It was established that there was some level of coordination among healthcare workers in ensuring referral systems were in place and that the survivors were provided with comprehensive care depending on the facility's capacity; however, the focus was more on the medical treatment and less on the comprehensive forensic medical examination, which contributed to the obstruction of justice in these cases. The study recommended a coordinated, multi-agency approach to remedy numerous movements (back and forth) of survivors and the investigating officer, re-traumatization of survivors, increased turnaround time, and wastage of financial resources. Upscaling awareness creation at the community level was recommended, as was the harmonization of medical-legal documents to reduce fatigue and logistics associated with handling these documents.