Factors Responsible for Child Abuse and Neglect (a Case Study of Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State)
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The following are the objectives of the study:
- To identify the factors responsible for child neglect
- To determine the factors responsible for child neglect
- To identify the factors responsible for child abuse
- To determine the rating of the factors responsible for child abuse
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
in respect and high regard to what was discussed in chapter one before this chapter is going to deal and look into some of the interpretation among notable writers as well as some powerful authors as analysed in their various articles and textbooks as well be seen in there understanding of child abuse and neglect in the area of study.
DEFINITION OF CHILD ABUSE
Child abuse: Brown 1989 defines child abuse as those children separated from their legitimate mother and the children involve themselves in violence act such as drug addiction, sexual act etc.
CAUSES OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT
Bello (1991) reveal that there are various reasons coupled with the prolonged, separation of any child from his legitimate mother during the early stage of a child says from four years to ten years of his life span, foremost among the real causes of delinquent and persistent misbehavior, especially among the youth in the society.
Duro (1990) said lack of mother and parental care could easily be traced to child abuse and neglect both physically, socially and intellectually as we have some effects on such children in the category.
Yazed (1990), due to the hard time in Nigeria parents find it difficult to satisfy their children because of the situation of an economic constraint, this has caused child abuse and neglect in some family, especially in the researcher area of study. In a related issue, (in a seminar on child abuse organized by Kaduna Chapter of the African network for the “prevention and protection against child abuse and neglect) conducted at Luggard Hall, Kaduna on the 30th March 1991. Ayo said that the absence of either parent, development delay and heredity problem are some effect of child abuse.
Yet another scholar, Babalola in his book titled “Social Science and Social Psychology”, 1983 page 148 said the causes of child abuse and neglect can be manifest in a different dimension such as forced marriage at an early age say (12) years to a complete stranger. Physical insult of the child deprivation of right to education, child labour (VVF) etc.
This is quite abours and true of Kaduna South Local Government Area just because of importance, attached to religion and cultural beliefs.
Pyne and Ransome in their respective book titled “The Growing Child”, page (110-200) jointly agreed that child abuse and neglect was not taken seriously until of recent. It was not something regarded as societal, but today, the reverse is the case, in receiving a considerable attention by some environment scholars.
Social stress: according to Richard 2003 in one of the major causes of child abuse have to a very large extent affect both child and the parent thereby increasing the level of social problem in the society. Some of these conditions include unemployment, illness, poor housing conditions a large average family size. The presence of a new body or a disable person in home and the death of the family members, a large majority of reported causes of child abuse comes from families living in poverty.
Brown (1983) reasons that alcohol and drug use is common among abusive parent, may aggregate stress and stimulate violence behavior certain characteristics of children such as mental, retardation, physical or development disabilities can also increase the stress of parenting and the risk of abuse is high.
Ralph (1988) in some of his papers identified reasons/factors of child abuse and neglect in Africa as structural inequalities, disease, aimed conflict and political violence. This remote factors lead to abject poverty, death of parent, abduction of parent, military conscription of children, physical abuse and torture as well as deliberate and accidental death. Adjust power was mentioned as one of the factors that bring about mechanization of children, voluntary offering of children labour in the part of parents with the consequent exportation of employers, abandonment of babies mostly by young mothers crime and handicapped children. The father single out mechanization of children as particularly dangerous since it lead to abduction, trafficking and direct sale of children. That the death of parent affects child proper growth and development because the child lack the proper up bringing and training of his parent, he is then taken to his grandparent or family relative who in most cases abuse the child through either hard labour or frequently bettering the child which they belief is not their own. In some cases the child may serve as their source of money by introducing him to hawking on the street while their own children go to school. Another important factor of child abuse and neglect, as parent desire for wealth, those are situation whereby the girl child is introduced to marriage. The parent want to be rich, her chance of selecting a man of her dream is neglected by her parent and when she grows up to realize this, she goes or divorce and abundant her children. She is abused by her parent and in turn she abuses her children and neglects them.
CHAPTER THREE
INTRODUCTION
This chapter presents the methods employed in the collection of data and information for this study. It also gives details about the population of the research area, sample size, source of data, data analysis and sampling technique.
POPULATION
The population of the area is about 373,576 according to the result of the last population census carried out by the census commission in 2006. This was obtained from the local government officials. It comprises of diverse ethnic group such as Kaje, Hausa, Ngas, Kannington and other minorities life Igbo, Yoruba and Fulani. The population of those who respond were 100.
SAMPLE SIZE
The size of the population of the study is one hundred (100) of these number sixty (60) are parents in two (2) selected districts and forty (40) are children who have parents in these selected districts.
SAMPLING TECHNIQUES/PROCEDURES
The techniques employed by the researcher is the simple random techniques simple random sampling is used to ensure equal opportunity of being selected since the exact population under study is handy. This was done by selecting the fifty member of the population. The selection was basically by counting the available population and removing the fifty to make the desired number. In this study of the researcher used these techniques due to the fact that it guaranties all elements in the population equal chances of being selected thus preventing conscious selection. Also, the techniques can lead to getting a sample that can adequately represent the sample unit.
SOURCES OF DATA
Personal interview and observation was used for collecting information for this study or research project. The interview and observation was carried out on some parents and residents of the area the interview and observations are a form of primary and secondary data because they are first hand information from the people concerned.
PRIMARY DATA
These are data collected from some parents and the people for the research area through oral interview and observation of these people.
SECONDARY DATA
These are data already collected or gathered by notable authorizes; they are gotten from the library, magazine, journals etc. primary source of data collection was employed in carrying out this research.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION AND DATA ANALYSIS RESULT
INTRODUCTION
This chapter deals with analysis and presentation of data collected by the researcher. It is here that data collected are prepared into usable summaries age, sex, marital status, religion, occupation of all the one hundred (100) respondents viewed and observed on this study and findings are presented in the tables below:
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUCTION
Child abuse has been in existence in the country for long and it still exists therefore, the researcher has zeal to find out causes of child abuse in Kaduna South Local Government Area. And the true picture of child abuse and parental attitude towards children.
It was discovered that some children are denied their right in some cases in the society. It was also generally agreed that tradition or culture was a barrier that slowed down children’s education and that they are now suffering today due to their parents’ carelessness or parental neglect.
The researcher discovered that in the study area of child abuse is due to various social and economic reasons, such as poverty, lack of responsible parents, lack of sex education for the young and proper up bringing of children, like feeding, clothing and health care etc. The fear of social stigma is seen as the causes of child abuse which made it a national problem that need correction at the grassroots level. This research has it is clear that economic consideration is also an important aspect of problem. Various causes of child abuse were highlighted ranging from factors of parent and children and the social set up in the community. The consequences of these abuses were analyzed and have been found to result in psychological, physical and emotional effects on children’s future development.
SUMMARY
The study mainly based on the summary of the whole subject matter CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT. Most especially in Kaduna South Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Without such a study the aim cannot be reached in earnest.
Obviously, the economic condition of parents lead to abuse of children out the study area suffers it the most because many are depending on low wage.
However, the absence of either parent in any family setting can also bring abuse but the divorce come, the mother has to live and that will affect the child negatively percentage and research question drawn were also tested.
CONCLUSION
Since child abuse is such a complex problem no one person or discipline has all the expertise needed to deal with this multifaceted problem. It is also probable that not al preventative programmes will be applicable to all person abuse children. It is likely that prevention may take different approaches depending on the need and resources of various communities in which prevention programmes are established. It should also be expected that not only a variety of disciplines and programmes be involved in the provision of preventive services, but that the myriad agencies and facilities that have not been previously used may prove to be ideal. In other words, since previous researchers have shown that there is no single cause of child abuse, there will then be no single resources or answer to prevention.
Therefore, psychiatrist, psychologist and social workers have begun vigorous investigations and evaluation of the characteristic of abused children with a view to providing viable solutions to the problem. So in keeping with the medical model of the study of disease, once the physical problem of the patients are discovered, treatment programmed can be instituted so as with other diseases whose ultimate goal is the prevention, child abuse is not different.
Prevention of the complex problem of child abuse will take many and various dimensions, depending not only the needs of the family but also on the facilities, talents and interest of those providing services.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For the rescue of child maltreatment in the 21st century sociologist have put in place accelerated movement towards the provision of non-criminal and non-judicial but social and rehabilitative services for the victims of child abuse. There is also an increasing acceptance of the proposition that criminal intent is usually and a meliorate retribution are best means of protecting endangered children.
There are laws affecting child abandonment, child marriages and other forms of child abuse. The problem with these laws is that they are out of fashion and need to be reviewed to handle contemporary situations and be properly enforced by the agencies involved.
This can be achieved through the close cooperation between the various institution and agencies in the areas rendering these services.
Also child welfare policy department should stipulate legal provision relevant to the problem to the protection of the Nigerian child against abuse and should be vigorously enforced.
In this light, the attitude of parent generally towards having children is excitingly very good. It is a happy hardship parents relentlessly pray to undergo, in other to justify existence as well as manhood or woman hood.
Finally, parent and government should provide children with an ample opportunity to develop physically, psychologically, socially and morally. Also workshop/seminars on child abuse should be organized involving chairman and councilors of local government area, religious and community leaders, parent of the abused child, the child and the media.
REFERENCES
- Agada (1988): The Problems of Child Abuse and Neglect”. Diploma Social Administration Project, Administration Project, Department of Social Services Kaduna Polytechnic.
- Catermore (1991, p. 35): Mental Health and Material Care. John Willey and Sons Inc. New York.
- Dill (1970, p. 120-154): Violence Against Children Macmillan New York.
- Ebigbo P. O. et al (1986): Child Labour in Africa: Proceedings of the First International Workshop on child abuse in Africa held at Enugu, Nigeria (Nsukka:ANPPCAN and UNICEF).
- Pollock and Steele (1974, p. 89-133): A Psychiatric Study of Parents who abuse infants and small children; University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
- Yazid (1990:p.5): Effect of SAP on Children. New Nigerian, Kaduna.
- Young (1964 pp. 52-65): The study of Child neglect and Abuse. Harper Press New York. Duro (1990) Lack of mother and parental care could easily trace to child abuse and neglect
