Full Project – EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS ON THE INCIDENCE OF CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

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CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Child abuse is one of the most pervasive social ills that civilizations face today. The mistreatment of children by those entrusted with their care has long been recognized as a serious issue in child rearing in our culture. Child abuse and neglect are widespread worldwide, and Nigeria is no exception. Child abuse and neglect are classified by the Public Health Agency of Canada (2003) into five categories: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, neglect, and exposure to domestic violence.

Physical abuse is defined as the intentional use of force on a kid in such a way that the child is hurt or at danger of injury. It might be a single occurrence or a series of occurrences. For those who survive, mental wounds are frequently more significant than physical scars (Loo, Bala, Clarke and Hornick, 1999). Among other forms of abuse, this category includes severe beating, slapping, poking, kicking, pounding, scorching, bruising, and physical punishment (Wikipedia, no date).

According to Loo, Bala, Clarke, and Hornick (1999), sexual abuse occurs when an adult or adolescent uses a kid for sexual motives. It is when a youngster is exposed to any sexual action or behavior. Sexual abuse is not necessarily physical. Sexual abuse, according to Okpala (2010), is a type of child abuse in which an adult, older adolescent, or caregiver sexually assaults a kid. There are eight types of sexual abuse: penetration – intercourse, incest, rape or sodomy, attempted penetration, oral sex, fondling – touching or kissing a child’s genitals, forcing a child to fondle an adult’s genitals, voyeu rism – coercing a child to undress, spying on a child in the bathroom or bedroom, exhibitionism – showing sex organs to a child Sexual exploitation includes luring children to pornographic websites or materials on the internet, luring children to meet for sexual liaisons via the internet, exposing children to pornographic films or magazines, exposing children to child prostitution, or utilizing a child in the production of pornography, such as a film or magazine.

Neglect includes the situation in which children have suffered harm, or their safety or physical, psychological or emotional development has been endangered as a result of the caregivers’ failure to provide for or protect them (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003). Neglect is often chronic and it usually involves repeated incidents. Neglect includes failing to provide a child with love, safety and a sense of worth. Another aspect of child abuse is emotional abuse. This is a difficult category to document since the effects of emotional value tend to become apparent over time. It involves harming a child’s sense of self and can include acts (or omissions) that result in or place a child at risk of serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental health problems (Kassan 2005). There are four forms of emotional abuse: Verbal abuse; psychological maltreatment; inadequate nurturance/affection; and exposure to non-intimate violence (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003).

Exposure to domestic violence is another form of child abuse. In this case, children are exposed to violence between persons who have intimate relationship. These children display emotional and behavioral problems as though they were physically abused. Child labour/exploitation is also a form of child abuse. It takes different forms like hawking of all kinds of items, excessive house working, selling in shops, restaurants, hotels, among others when the children should have been in schools or at home studying or doing their home work. Child trafficking involves the movement of children from place to place by force, coercion or deception into situations where they are economically or sexual exploited (Okpara, 2010).

Consequently, it will be difficult to discuss the issue of child abuse and neglect in Nigeria without a look at the socio-economic status which has great influence on the incidence of child abuse and Neglect. Socio-Economic Status (SES) is often measured as a combination of education, income and occupation, (Ezewu 1985). It is commonly conceptualized as the social standing or class of an individual or group, when viewed through a social class lens, privilege; power and control are emphasized (Calhoun, Hemingway, and Poulter, 1998). Bradley and Corwyn (2002) defined socio-economic status (or socio-economic position) as a person’s position in a society using criteria such as income, level of education, occupation, value of property owned and so on. Socio-economic status (SES) can be high, average or low. It is observed that people of low socio-economic status often engage in child abuse and neglect due to poverty, low income earnings, low educational background.

In the views of Ondersma (2002), poverty is a reliable predictor of child abuse and neglect. Among low-income families, those with family exposure to substance use to exhibit the highest rates of child abuse and neglect. Melki, Beydoun, Khogali, Tamim and Yenis (2004) stressed that low socio-economic status can  be linked to domestic crowding, a condition  which has negative consequences on children including higher psychological stress and poor health outcomes.

In addition, inequality refers to a condition in which separate groups differ in terms of a defined variable. The defined variable can relate to socio-economic  status  (hence  terms  such  as  socio-economic  inequality,  economic inequality and income inequality). Evidence are abounds that children from low socio-economic status or impoverished settings are much  more likely to be absent from school throughout their educational experiences (Khang, 2003).

Chen  and  Paterson  (2006)  suggest  that  children  from  low  socio-economic backgrounds are likely to have higher physiological markers of chronic stressful experiences, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.  However, Lynch and Kaplan (2000), indicated that general health and well-being of a child are mostly affected in a number of ways by individual socio-economic factors and environmental socio-economic factors at both the family and community levels. Individual socio-economic position than to absolute poverty, and are affected by social and structural variables; such as social attitudes toward disadvantaged people and the degree to which supports and services are available Being raised in a family characterized by low socio-economic status has been found to contribute negative outcomes during childhood like sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and a host of others. In addition, Acheson (1999) indicates that living in a socio-economically disadvantaged community can contribute to child abuse and neglect or negative outcomes for child development.

Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Education according to Eke (2011) “is a vital instr ument for social and economic mobility and instrument for transformation of society, a weapon for acquiring skills, relevant knowledge and habit for surviving in the changing world”. It is important to note that the purpose of education is to guide human beings to achieve the basic life goals, multiply and act positively in caring for the environment and contributing to the society. According to Okpala (2010), education is more than schooling, it is the process of dispelling human ignorance of the world as well as developing the inherent potentials for perfection. A right for education has been created and recognized by some jurisdictions. Since 1752, Article 2 of the first Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights, obliges all signatory parties to guarantee the right to education. At the global level, the United Nations’ International Convention on Economic, Social and cultural Rights of 1966 guarantees this right under its Article 13 (Public Health Agency Canada, 2003).

Child abuse and neglect is not a new thing in Nigeria, and Nigeria government has promulgated laws to curb the social vices, still it is at its highest escalating point. There are socio-economic rights, the political rights, the private and personal rights just to mention a few. The socio-economic rights as published in Ambakogu (2004) includes, the right to survive (Article 5), the right to health (Article 14) the right to education (Article 11), the right to be protected from all forms of economic exploitation (Article 15) among others. Sequel to the above, it is necessary that every Nigerian child is accorded a right to good life, a right to education, a right to be protected from all forms of abuse and neglect. In view of this, the researcher is inspired to investigate the examination of socio-economic status or position on the incidence of child abuse and neglect in Aguata Education Zone of Anambra state.

Statement of the Problem

Children are the biological future of the human race and their healthy growth and development should be of serious concern to everybody in society. Child development is largely determined by the quality of care received by the child. This explains why the United Nations (UN) Convention on the rights of the child provided that children in the care of a parent, guardian, teacher or any other person who has the care of children should protect them from all forms of torture or inhuman treatment and especially physical or mental abuse or neglect.

Unfortunately, the rights of the child have not been protected by adult. Studies have revealed that adults in many cases do not regard some of their violent behaviours toward children as abusive, but perceived as corrective measures in the best interest of the child. In this context, according to Ohia etal (2002) and Okpala (2010) these abuse are resultant examination of socio-economic status (low or high). Thus, the child may be battered, deprived, castigated or even abandoned in extreme cases by parents, guardians or caregivers when he or she misbehaves.

Regrettably, despite governmental regulations, decrees, enactments and laws on child’s right, child abuse and neglect still persist. Could socio-economic status be responsible for abuse and neglect of children? What influence has socio-economic status on the incidence of child abuse and neglect. In this premise, the problem of this study therefore is to investigate the examination ofcio-economic status on the incidence of child abuse and neglect.

Purpose of the Study

The general purpose of this study is to investigate the examination of parental socio-economic status on the incidence of child abuse and neglect among primary school pupils in Aguata Education Zone of Anambra State. Specifically, specifically, the study determined:

1. The examination of high socio-economic status SES of parents on child abuse and neglect.
2. The examination of average SES of parent on child abuse and neglect.
3. The examination of low SES of parents on child abuse and neglect
4. The characteristics of child abuse and neglect in Aguata education zone

Significance of the Study

This study is important considering its theoretical basis. The study is based on Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of human needs which emphasized that there exist needs arranged in a hierarchy of satisfaction levels. Any deprivation of these needs to children is bound to affect their social, emotional, physical and intellectual development. Also the social learning theory of Albert Bandura (1977) emphasized the importance of observing and modeling the behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions of others.

The findings of the study will be useful to a number of people such as parents, guardians, caregivers, teachers, law makers, researchers and psychologist in various ways. Specifically, parents, guardians and caregivers will now be able to know the type of work to give to children and where to draw the line while training them. It will be significant to parents as it will arm them with knowledge about the dangers of child abuse and neglect and the impact of socio-economic compulsions on the general well-being of their children.

The study will also be significant to teachers, Lawmakers, researchers, psychologist and many more as they will find it useful in monitoring the forms of child abuse and neglect. The curriculum planners will find it useful in that it will help them see the need to include the teaching of children’s rights in the curriculum while reviewing the curriculum. If the rights are included in the curriculum children will be favoured and know when their rights have been violated. The findings of the study will serve as reference materials to other researchers, trained professionals like psychologists, early childhood experts to monitor the examination of socio-economic status on the incidence of child abuse and neglect. Finally, it will also supply relevant data that will help reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect in the society.

Scope of the Study

The scope of this study is delimited to Aguata Education Zone in Anambra state which comprises three Local Government Areas, involving all the parents in the zone. The content scope of this study will address the area of income inequality, low education, poverty, and employment (engagement) in Aguata Education Zone of Anambra state

Research Questions

The following research questions will guide this study.

1. What is the examination of high socio-economic status (SES) of parents on child abuse and neglect?
2. What is the examination of average socio-economic status of parents on child abuse and neglect?
3. What is the examination of low socio-economic status of parents on child abuse and neglect?
4. What are the characteristics of child abuse and neglect in Aguata education zone?

Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significant.

• The examination of parent’s high socio-economic status on child abuse and neglect is not significant.
• The examination of average socio-economic status of parents on child abuse and neglect is not significant.
• The examination of low socio-economic status of parents on child abuse and neglect is not significant.

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