NIGERIAN WOMEN EXPOSURE AND RESPONSE TO SELECTED SOCIAL MEDIA ACTIVISTS’ FACEBOOK GROUP MESSAGES AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Abstract

This study examined Nigerian women’s exposure and response to Social media Activists’ messages against Domestic violence. Agenda Setting and Uses and Gratification Theories were adopted as the theoretical framework for this study.  A mixed method of content analysis and survey employing coding sheet and questionnaire were employed, targeting subscribers selected from two selected Activists’ groups (ActionAid Nigeria and Combat Domestic Violence and Abuse Foundation). A total of 398 subscribers were purposively selected and sampled for the study. Findings revealed that both selected Facebook groups were successful in creating awareness among social media users with a significant number of respondents highlighting its effectiveness in conveying the right message. Findings indicate a significant link between the presence of extensive messages on ways of tackling domestic violence and an increased likelihood of individuals taking necessary actions while experiencing domestic violence. A few respondents who indicated they would rather keep quiet shows there are still traces of cultural and societal influence. However, the study was successful in determining Facebook groups messages’ efficacy in promoting proactive stance against domestic violence. Based on this, it is recommended that since social media activism is successful in tackling Domestic violence among women, its strategic use by social media activists for awareness creation and tackling of domestic violence coupled with offline efforts, should be intensified