ABSTRACT
The study examined the influence of
child abuse on the social adjustment of children in primary schools in Mainland
Local Government Area of Lagos State. In this study, some relevant and
extensive literatures were review under relevant sub-headings. The descriptive
research survey was used to assess the respondents; opinions using the
questionnaire and the sampling technique. In this study, 120 (one hundred and twenty)
respondents were selected and used as samples to represent the population of
the study.
A total of four (4) null hypotheses
were formulated and tested in this study. Also, the independent t-test
statistical tool was used to test and analyses the null hypotheses at 0.05
level of significance.
At the end of the exercise, the
following results were obtained:
There is a significant difference
between the family background of children who are abused and those who are not
abused.
There is a significant difference
between the social adjustment of children abused and those not abused.
There is a significant difference
between the academic performance of children who are abused and those who are
not.
Finally, there is a significant
difference between the abuse of children who come from high socio-economic home
and those who come from low socio-economic homes.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication iii
Acknowledgement iv
Abstract v
Table of contents vi
Chapter One: Introduction 1
1.1 Background
to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 7
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 8
1.4 Research
Questions 8
1.5 Research
hypotheses 9
1.6 Significance
of the Study 9
1.7 Scope
of the Study 10
1.8 Limitation
of the Study 10
1.9 Definition
10
Chapter Two: Literature
Review 12
2.0 Introduction
12
2.1 Concept
of Child Physical Abuse and Neglect 12
2.2 Parental
Abuse and Neglect of Toddlers 16
2.2 Search
for Causes of Child Abuse 18
2.3 Perpetrators
and Families in which Neglect Occurs 24
2.4 Perpetrators
and Families in which Physical Abuse Occurs 25
2.5 Psychological
Maltreatment 27
2.7 Prevention
and Intervention 31
2.8 Summary
of Review 33
Chapter Three: Methodology 37
3.1 Research
Design 37
3.2 Population
of Study 37
3.3 Sampling
Procedure 37
3.4 Sample
Size 38
3.5 Instrument 38
3.6 Administration
of Instrument 39
3.7 Validity
of the Instrument 39
3.8 Reliability
of the Instrument 40
3.9
Procedure of Data Analysis 40
Chapter Four: Data
Analysis, Presentation of Results and
4.1 Discussion
of Findings 41
4.2 Introduction 41
4.3 Hypotheses
Testing 41
4.4 Summary
of Findings 46
4.5 Discussion
of the Findings 47
Chapter Five: Summary, Conclusion
and
5.1 Recommendations 52
5.2 Introduction
52
5.3 Summary
of the Findings 52
5.4 Conclusion
53
5.5 Recommendations
54
References 56
Appendix 59
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The term “child abuse” is becoming
alarming in our contemporary society. Its magnitude and frequency of occurrence
are such that is has attracted global attention. The protection of children
from all kinds of abuse has been a major crusade in our society (Henry, 1996).
Parents who abuse children from all ethnic, religious, geographic,
socio-economic, and educational groups, moat child abuse parents were
themselves abuse as children. They regard their children as someone who should
satisfy his/her parents’ psychological needs. When the child cannot do this, as
he/she usually cannot, the parents may become violently angry. Most abusers are
simply lonely, unloved, immature, depressed and angry persons.
The way children are abuse these days
is not the way it was in the olden days. For example, many parents do undress
in the full glare of their children, thereby abusing them psychologically. In
those days, parents hardly undress in the presence of their children. And this
has curtailed the rate of child abuse in those days. These days, parents do not
see their undressing before their children as anything bad. Rather, they think
that they are teaching the child on how to take care of their bodies and
dresses.
Child abuse is the physical or
emotional harm to children caused by parents, guardians or other adult members
of the society, Achilles (1994). In the United States for example, physical
abuse per a million people and reported each year. An approximately equal
number of cases of serious neglect are reported. One third of all types of
child abuse affect children under 1 year of age, one third from ages 1 to 3 and
one third over 3 years. Every country of the world has laws requiring physicians
and other professionals to report suspected child abuse.
Laymen and also strongly encouraged
to report cases of child abuse or neglect in order for these children to be
identified and helped (United Nations, 2000).
The rate of which adolescents are turning
to become touts and hooligans in the society is one of the reasons this
researcher is embarking on this study. This is because many students from good
homes seem to turn out to be socially maladjusted. Perhaps due to the problem
of parental abuse or neglect. The numbers of homeless, street trading, touts,
area boys and girls and prostitution among our youths in the Nigerian society,
especially in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State cannot but be a
great source of concern.
Oloko (1996) is of the opinion that
the magnitude of child abuse or neglect and its frequency of occurrence are
such that it has attracted global attention for example, she claims that the
protection of children from all forms of abuse has been a major crusade in our
society and beyond. According to her, symposia were organized in Lagos and
other places to mark the day of the African child in which people participated.
Representative from United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) were not
left out. In addition, other organisation such as the Organisation for African
United (OAU) the International Labour Organisation (ILO) etc frowned at this
phenomenon in the society.
Children are abused in many ways by
either parents or the adult members of the society. The abuse ranges from
sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse to total neglect which in any
case leads to their negative social adjustment in the society (Russel, 1986).
Child sexual abuse and neglect are widely regarded as a cause of mental health
problems in adult life. The possible influence of child sexual abuse on adult
social and economic functioning has not received the attention it perhaps
deserves, as well as documented difficulties that sexually abused children
experience in the school situation with academic performance and behaviour
(Jong, Balt and Raymond, 1987; Chen and Mannerino (1988) and Friederch (1989).
Banjor (1997) states that, the fact
that the Nigerian children are subjected to various forms of abuse and neglect
by individuals and the society does not means that it is legal and fashionable
to treat children in such manner. He therefore, supports the opinion of the
Nigerian constitution which stipulates in chapter 11, section 18 that children
of young persons and the aged in our society or communities are to be protected
against moral or material neglect.
Becker, (1990) states that in the
United States of America, various laws are made in order to protect the
interest of children. Their provision is further buttressed by the fact that
the children must not be subjected to any kind of abuse or neglect. Moreso, as
they symbolize the future growth of the society in which they live.
Oloko (1996) and Bamidele (1999)
state that children are commonly seen in Lagos hawking while their
parents/guardians comfortably sit at home waiting for the proceeds. Apart from
not being in school. Female children are given out in early marriages at a very
tender age. Also, the female genital mutilation abounds in almost all parts of
the country today, it is very pathetic to observed that despite media reports
regarding its hazards some parents and guardians still subject their children
or wards to this dangerous practice.
It is impossible to eradicate child
abuse or neglect when in actual fact, parents/guardians, actively encourage it.
For example, in some communities, parents actually give out their children or
wards as house helps only to come at the end of the month for income (Adeoye,
2000 and Kendale, 2000). This has caused untold hardship on these children who
are given to serve people as househelps. In many cases, children who serve as
househelps do not go to school. Even, when they go to school their school fees
are not paid promptly and their necessary schools materials such as school
uniforms, textbooks, exercise books etc are not provided. This condition of
being a househelp leads a child to absenteeism truancy and dropping out of
school syndrome. These in any case, lead to poor academic performance, poor and
social personal adjustment and poor socio-economic status of the child when
he/she becomes an adult member of the society. In many cases, child abuse has
led to prostitution and sexual harassment which in turn led to unwanted
pregnancies, aborting, death or early motherhood without education. For example
a girl child who hawks wares on the street may end up being a prostitute and
consequently contacting sexually transmitted disease such as the deadly
HIV/AIDS and this may lead to premature death and cutting short of her
opportunity and career in life (Nwagbo, 1998).
Child abuse may be limited to the
following factors: Lack of parental care, poverty, loss of parents or death of
breadwinner(s) in the home, parental separation of marital divorce. Some of
these factors can lead to a child being left in the hands of care-giver such as
step-parents guardians etc who now mishandle the affairs of the child in the
most unfortunate way or manner which contributes abuse or care-givers to the
child’s social adjustment cannot be over emphasized. Due to the abuse meted on
the child by those who are supposed to take care of him/her, make the child to
be socially maladjusted in the immediate community or society where he/she funds
him/her self. This leads to social deviations and delinquencies which are
anti-social behaviours or negative norms the society abhorres and avoids.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The increase in the incidence of
child abuse in the society has been of great concern to both the government and
educationsists. The issues of child abuse has been persistent in many parts of
the country. The society or environment where a child is brought up is a
determinant of the level of child abuse he/she is subjected to. Due to this,
the society is no longer free. Child abuse has eaten the minds of many
Nigerians especially parents, guardians and other care givers in the country.
The problems of child abuse include street begging for parents upkeep, hawking
on the streets by kids where they can easily be exposed to dangers of being
knocked down by speeding vehicles. Many children who are neglected by their
parents are atimes hooligans, robbers etc while the female ones go into
prostitution and other related cases, such as rape, sexual harassment, drug
abuse and addiction which is a deviant behaviours in the society.
Other negative influence are
personality problems, high rate of crimes in our society, corruption,
absenteeism, truancy and dropping out of school which is prevalent among the
abused and the neglected children etc.
It is against this background that
this study is embarked upon in order to examine the effects of child abuse on
the personal social adjustment of the pupils in the primary school level and to
prefer possible solution to this problem.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
This study attempts to examine the
effects of child abuse on the personal social adjustments of pupils in Surulere
Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.4 Research Questions
The following research questions will
guide the conduct of this study.
1. What are the causes of child abuse?
2. What are the effects of child abuse?
3. Is there any difference between the
social adjustment of children who are abused and neglected and those who are
not?
4. Is there any difference between the
social personal adjustment of male and female students?
5. Is there any difference between the
academic performance of children who are abused and neglect and those who are
not?
6. How can the problem of child abuse be
solved?
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following research hypotheses
will guide the conduct of this study:
1. There will be no significant
difference between the family background of abuse children and those who are
not abused.
2. There will be no significant
difference between the social adjustment of children who are abused and those
who are not.
3. There will be no significant
difference between the academic performance of children who are abused and
those who are not.
4. There will be no significant
difference between the abuse of children from high socio-economic home and
those from the low socio-economic homes.
1.6 Significance of the Study
The importance of this research work
will be that it would provide more knowledge to the masses especially, the
parents or guardians on the implications of any form of child abuse and neglect
on adolescents. It will also enlighten people on the different forms of abuse
of children and some suggested solutions to the problems of child abuse in our
society.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study will cover the effects of
child abuse on the personal social adjustment of students in secondary schools
in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State.
1.8 Limitation of the Study
The study will be limited to Surulere
Local Government environs. Fund, time and sourcing of good materials would be
hindrance to the timely completion of this project work.
1.9 Definition of Terms
The following terms were operational
defined:
Child: A child
is a person who is easily controlled due to his frail personality and dictated
for by the adult members of the society.
Child Abuse:
Child abuse is used in terms of child labour beyond the age of the child. For
example, long hours of labour, sending the child to do some paid jobs in order
to assist the family income when the child is supposed to go the school etc.
Child Neglect:
Child neglect means a situation whereby the child is not given proper care of
attention as being deprived of the basic comforts of life.
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