FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN MAGAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NIGER STATE

FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN MAGAMA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF NIGER STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1       Background of the Study

There is no generally accepted definition for the term; child abuse; but it simply refers to the ill-treatment of a child by his parents or any other adult. Edu and Edu (1999) defined child abuse as a willful maltreatment of a child. Such maltreatment according to them can include acts of commission [abuse] and omission [neglect].

A narrow definition of child abuse is limited to life-threatening physical violence, including severe beatings which are inflicted on children by the adult members of the community. Olawale (1995) and Obidigbo (1999) defined child abuse and neglect as intentional , unintentional, and/or well-intentional acts , which endanger the physical, health, emotional, moral, and educational welfare of the child. According to the African network for the prevention and protection against child abuse and neglect (Anppcan 1991), child abuse and neglect comprise any act of omission and commission by adults capable of causing the child physical and emotional trauma. Olawale (1995), Kanu (1996) and Obidigbo (1996) distinguished between child abuse and neglect. While child abuse consists of acts developed and commissioned to inflict harm directly or indirectly on a child, child neglect involves disregard to general needs of the child, which interfere with his/her welfare and development. This means that any abusive or neglectful act or deed meted on any person under the age of eighteen is regarded as child abuse and neglect.

A broader definition however lays emphasis on any treatment other than the most favorable care, and it includes neglect, sexual or emotional abuse and exploitation. Whichever way, child abuse is the flagrant abuse of the children’s god-given and constitution-guaranteed freedom, comfort and peace, by adults in the society.

In Nigeria ,for example, the rights of citizens’ basic and fundamental rights in chapters 4 section 30,40 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria guarantees every citizens’ basic and fundamental human rights . Here, the constitution does not make any distinction between the rights of an adult and children. Thus, children are expected to enjoy these rights. With the menace of child abuse in the country, children are being denied some of these rights. This study therefore examines street hawking in Nigeria, with a view to identifying it’s consequences on children. It makes particular reference to Lagos, a populous city in south southern Nigeria.

1.1       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

It is very unfortunate that most parents and caregivers don’t know the difference between child discipline and child abuse. Parents and caregivers engage their wards in act like street hawking which they termed as child discipline. In the long run, this activities end up moulding and impacting negatively on the psyche of the child as a result of the tough experience that he/she was subjected to at a very young age when he/she is supposed to be in school for formal education. The child is also likely to come in contact with criminals in the process of hawking goods around the neighbourhoods who will in turn initiate him/her into the act of criminality.

In the traditional African society, the training of the child was the sole responsibility of the parents and the members of the community who had the right to discipline and correct the child whenever they went wrong. The parents trained the child in a way that is suitable and acceptable to the standard of the society. Following the advent of western education and the introduction of nursery and pre-primary schools, parents tend  to  give  over  the  responsibility  of  guiding,  directing,  counseling  and  role modeling of the children to school to do what parents should in addition to their normal school function. Parents now push over the responsibility of caring for their children to the school. Many young children who would have been at home at about two years have been pushed over to the school. The task thus become enormous for the teachers and the school management to carry leading to many children being neglected, despised and abused on daily basis.

Nigerian society most especially, Magama Local Government Area of Niger State where this research aimed  at beaming it searchlight is plagued with incidences of child labour, child maltreatment, child marriage, child trafficking, neglect and child prostitution. The effect of such abuses are many and varied including teenage pregnancies; youth restiveness and violence, cultism, youth decadence, joblessness, arm bandits, molestations and school dropouts. This menace has eaten deep into the life of most Nigerian Children.

It is gratifying to note that the convention on the Right of Child (CRC) have now been domesticated  in  Nigeria.  However,  the  National  Assembly  should  be  serious  in looking at this and other international laws especially issues that affect the rights and fundamental freedom of the child. Thus, the problem now is to effectively enforce and monitor the implementation of these provisions as they affect children’s life and rights in Nigeria. These also presupposes that all social rights should be made justifiable in Nigeria so as to empower the less privileged in the society.

Consequently, where children experience several aspects of poverty and special inclusion, they become susceptive to behaviours that give room for the commission of serious crimes. For instance, children living in the slums and shanties of Sabo area of Abeokuta North Local Government may experience different health related problems more than those living in a more decent and desirable neighbourhood. Sometimes, poverty and social exclusions are transmitted throughout a child’s lifetime, even so to the extent of passing it onto his offspring and across many generations for instance, leprosy and tuberculosis. In  a  nutshell,  economic  status  of  family,  parents  or  guidance  as  well  as  the environment has far reaching effects on the youth and development as well as survival of the children.

1.  RESEARCH QUESTIONS
2. How does child abuse cause crime?
3. Why are there still incidences of child abuse in our society?
4. What  are  the  implications  and  effects  of  child  abuse  and  neglect  on  our society?
5. Is there any link between abuse and socio-economic status of a child?

1.4       OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The general objective of this study is to examine the factors responsible for the child abuse and neglect in Magama Local government area of Niger State. In view of the research questions in 1.3, this research have hereby attempted to:

1. Explain and analyze how child abuse can cause crime.
2. Highlight how poverty and low socio-economic status have been responsible for the increase incidence of child abuse and neglect in our society.
3. Analyse the effects and implications of child abuse on our society.
4. Increase the level of awareness of the crime of child abuse in our society.
5. Recommend to schools, a kind of programme to sensitize children on avoiding potentially harmful scenarios.
6. Make recommendations to the government and other policy makers on how the crime of child abuse can be abated.

1.4       HYPOTHESIS

1.(a)  Ho:  There  is  no  significant  relationship  between  child  abuse  and  the increase in the level of crime and criminal behavior in our society.

(b) H1: There is significant relationship between child abuse and the increase in the level of crime and criminal behavior in our society.

2.(a) Ho: There is no significant relationship between child abuse and the high level of poverty and low socio-economic status of people living in Magama Local government area of Niger State.

(b) H1: There is significant relationship between child abuse and the high level of poverty and low socio-economic status of people living in Magama Local government area of Niger State.

1.5       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will be of great importance as it will provide necessary information on the causes, effects and means to curtail or reduce the crime of child abuse and neglect in Nigeria. Apart from providing means and strategy for curtailing the prevalence of the  crime of child abuse and neglect in our society, this study will also advocate for practical and conscientious moves towards the rehabilitation of children that have already been a victim of various forms of abuses. In practical terms, the findings of this  study will  bring  to  the  fore;  the  inadequacies,  deficiencies,  flaws  and  other problems inherent in the enforcement of the Child’s Right Act 2003 and other laws on the rights of the child.

The crime of child abuse has received little attention from people in our society in time past. This study has hereby aimed at bringing the crime of child abuse into the limelight and also steps to take in curbing its menace.

This research is also aimed at analyzing the crime of child abuse and how it impacts on our society. The government and other policy makers will also find this work very handy in an attempt to find solutions to this problem. Similarly, this work will also assist law enforcement agencies in their bid to abate the crime of child abuse in Nigeria. And finally, this research will serve as veritable source of reference for students and researchers and those in related discipline for further research.

1.6       RESEARCH METHOD

The data would be collected from both primary and secondary sources. The secondary sources would be gotten from the journals, articles, internet, library and news papers. While the primary source is a simple designed questionnaire tagged “factors responsible for child abuse and neglect in Magama Local government area of Niger State”. The questionnaire will comprise of two sections (Section A and Section B). Section A will comprise of items seeking the demographic data of the respondents such as age, sex etc. while Section B will comprise questions that are aimed on what the respondent feel about the factors responsible for child abuse and neglect in Magama Local government area of Niger State.

1.7       DEFINITION OF TERMS

Abuse: All forms of maltreatment.

Acquaintance: People who are close to a child or living together with a child. They are usually relations.

Child: Child in this study means someone under the ages of eighteen years.

Child labour: Any work or services forced on children against their will at a time when they are supposed to be in school or places of socialization.

Child trafficking: The recruitment, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a child for the purpose of exploitation.

Custodian: Person(s) entrusted with the care of a child.

Guilt: The fact of having done wrong.

Incest: Sexual relations between close relatives (acquaintance).

Maltreatment: It means cruel and harmful treatments.

Molestation: The act of abusing a child or minor.