Evaluate of the Role of Radio in the Campaign Against Child Abuse in Rivers State. A Study of Select Radio Stations in Port Harcourt
CHAPTER ONE
Objectives of the Study
The main objective of the study was to evaluate of the role of radio in the campaign against child abuse in rivers state; a study of select radio stations in Port Harcourt. Specifically the study aims:
- To determine the extent of Port Harcourt residents aware of child abuse through Garden city Radio “The Consequence” programme?
- To determine the extent of exposure to Garden city Radio “The Consequence” programme improve the knowledge of Port Harcourt residents in the campaign against child abuse?
- To determine the perception of Port Harcourt residents on Garden city Radio “The Consequence” programme on child abuse?
- To evaluate the effectiveness of Garden city Radio “The Consequence” programme in influencing the behaviour of Port Harcourt residents‟ behaviour on issues of child abuse?
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction:
This chapter is being devoted to a review of some related literature on role of radio in coverage of child abuse and other related concepts. The review is categorized into three major aspects, conceptual frame work, empirical framework and theoretical framework.
History of Child Abuse
Child Abuse which is a modern method of slavery has been with us from time immemorial. Thus from Roman times, children were sold, battered, mutilated, abandoned and maltreated at the pleasure of the father. Children were used as tools when necessary and at the pleasure of their parents and care takers.
Nigeria has a similar history. Children were sold depending on what society or the parents felt about them. Ojomo (2000:18) explains further that Nigerians, traditionally, farmers are known for their trade and travel in west and Central Africa. This propensity for travel encouraged easy migration across the borders. For many Nigerians, especially those from the Southeast, the civil war (Nigeria – Biafra) of 1966 – 70, created conditions that made migration to neighbouring countries very attractive. In addition, the oil boom of the 1970s saw many other West African nationalities migrating into Nigeria. In northern Nigeria, close ties with the Arab world have seen people move freely to and from the Middle East for trade and religious pilgrimages. This has created avenues for migration that have begun to be exploited for International Abuse in children for labour and prostitution.
However, it was the lack of appropriate legislation to punish offenders that constituted a major challenge in the fight against traffickers in the interim, the police and the court resorted to using portions of the country’s penal code. This was the situation until the anti – human Abuse law was enacted in 2003. The law is known as the Abuse in persons (prohibition) law enforcement and Administration Act. The Abuse in persons (prohibition) law enforcement and administration Act created the National Agency for the prohibition of Abuse in persons and other related matters (NAPTIP). This government agency has been in the forefront of the fight against human Abuse. In fact, Nigeria became the first country in Africa to enact such law and establish a special agency to complement it. By November 2005, the High Court in Benin in the south of the country, handed down the first conviction under this law. NAPTIP also investigated a number of law enforcement officials suspected of complicity in Abuse. In 2006, NAPTIP, Nigeria police and the Immigration service formed a compact coalition pact’ to fight human Abuse in addition to involving other Non-governmental organizations like the India renaissance and WOTCLEF. Memorandum, of Understanding (MOUs), according to Idowu (2003:119) was also signed with destination and transit countries like Britain, Italy, Republic of Benin and Spain.
The agreement with Italy provided for a common legal platform under which law enforcement agents of both countries could fight human Abuse. The anti – Abuse law is quite comprehensive in its coverage of the various dimensions of human Abuse and stringent in its imposition of punishment.
In 2004, Nigeria’s National Agency for the Prohibition of Abuse in Persons (NAPTIP) reported that 46 percent of Nigerian victims of trans-national Abuse are children, with the majority of them being girls trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation. An increasing trend, reported on widely in the last year by the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the
international press, is the Abuse of African boys and girls from Lagos to the United Kingdoms urban centres, including London, Birmingham and Manchester, for domestic servitude and forced labour in restaurants and shops. U.S. State Dept Abuse in Persons Report, June, 2008 states that some of the victims are Nigerian, while others are trafficked from other African countries through Lagos.
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research Design
It is a term used to describe a number of decisions which need to be taken regarding the collection of data before they are collected. (Nwana, 1981). It provides guidelines which direct the researcher towards solving the research problem and may vary depending on the nature of the problem being studied. According to Okaja ( 2003, p. 2),” research design means the structuring of investigation aimed at identifying variables and their relationship, it is used for the purpose of obtaining data to enable the investigator test hypothesis or answer research question by providing procedural outline for conducting research”. It is therefore, an outline or scheme that serves as a useful guide to the researcher in his efforts to generate data for his study. The design for the study is quantitative using survey where as thematic analysis was utilized as appropriate statistic for analysis.
Description of the Research Population
A study population is a group of elements or individuals as the case may be, who share similar characteristics. These similar features can include location, gender, age, sex or specific interest. The emphasis on study population is that it constitute of individuals or elements that are homogeneous in description (Prince Udoyen: 2019). In this study the study population constitute of the whole people in Port Harcourt . According to the Federal republic of Nigeria Official Gazette 2006 census population of Port Harcourt is 427,878. Accordingly River state grew at 2.5% annual growth rate which reveals that between 2006 and 2018 the projected population figure or growth was 700,126. Therefore , one –quarter of this population forms the population of Port Harcourt household according to the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette which is 175,032. Hence, this forms the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
Validity of the Instrument
Validity here refers to the degree of measurement to which an adopted research instrument or method represents in a reasonable and logical manner the reality of the study (Prince Udoyen: 2019). Questionnaire items were developed from the reviewed literature. The researcher designed a questionnaire with items that were clear and used the language that was understood by all the participants. The questionnaires were given to the supervisor to check for errors and vagueness.
Reliability of the Instrument
The researcher initially used peers to check for consistence of results. The researcher also approached senior researchers in the field. The research supervisor played a pivotal role in ensuring that consistency of the results was enhanced. The instrument was also pilot tested.
Data Analysis and Discussion Reference
Data collected was analyzed using frequency table and percentage and chi-square statistical analysis. Chi-square is non- parametric statistical which can conveniently be used in testing hypothesis when dealing with contended data.
REFERENCES
- Nwodu, I.C. (2006). Research in Communication and Other Behavioural Sciences: Principles, Methods and Issues: Ryhce Kerex, Publisher.
- Okunna, C.S. (2002). Teaching Mass Communication: A Multi-Dimensional Approach, Enugu: New Generation Books.
- Ohaja, E.U. (2003). Mass Communication Research Issues and Methodology. Nsukka; Ap Publishers, Ltd.
- Okoro, N. (2001). Mass Communication Research, Issues and Methodology, Nsukka; Ap Express Publishers, Ltd.
