Interpersonal violence cases reported to the police: a Nigerian study

The study involves 204 cases of interpersonal assault reported to the police during a period of 1 year. The patterns of domestic violence and community violence involving friends, neighbors, and strangers are described. The most common type of violence reported to the police is community interpersonal violence in which victims are mostly females and perpetrators are mostly males and members of gangs. Cases of rape are reported, whereas spousal violence tends to be underreported. On the whole, female victims are more likely to be younger than their male counterparts, whereas the male perpetrators are more likely to be unemployed. Repeat assault is found in 43 instances. Possible psychological and sociological explanations are offered for violent gang activities. The need to sensitize the police to become more involved is emphasized. The author proposes suggestions that may help reduce the incidence of community violence.