Forms And Causes Of Child Abuse In Akure South Local Government
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Child abuse is defined as a variety of abnormal behavior directed against children. It can take many forms child above in general is a psychological problem or perpetrator of abuse.
Difference jurisdiction have develop their own definition of what constitutes child above is for the purpose of removing a child from their family and l or failure of act on the on the part of a parent or care taker.
The mental health journal that child abuse is defined as any recent or failure to act on the part of a parent or care taker which result in death, serious physical or emotional term, sexual abuse or exploitation, an act or failure to act which present an imminent risk of serious train (Baherom, 2007).
Child abuse has become an escalating phenomenon that is hurting children from every walk of life, and it seems to be happening with a intense brutality, now more than ever children need our help and loving home to grow in unfortunately child abuse is on the rise. Child abuse includes the following conditions child Neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect and failure to thrive (Baherom, 2007).
Child Neglect in any form, when it concerns a child welfare, is generally considered as a possible diagnosis for children who are poorly cared for, not fed properly, improperly clothed dented proper medical care or treated with indifference to avenge that appears to cause damage or suffering parents, caregivers and guardians of children must seek help from medical and social service in situation in which children have less than adequate care, children can develop long term medical and developmental problems from such neglect. There are many causes on the various types of child abuse. Child abuse is when violence and cruelly occur against children. Eight percent of all children abuse is emotionally maltreated. Sixteen percent abused twenty seven percent are physically abused and neglected (Baherom, 2007).
There are many types of abuse. Parental neglect or nutritional deprivation is the most common technique of abusing a child. An example of this would be a child is regularly fed or kept in dirty clothes for a long period of time. The second most common way of abusing is physical abuse is when a child is slapped, kicked shined or has objects thrown at them. Another common way of abusing a child is sexual abuse finding masturbation inter course and pornography are a few of the thing that are done to a child which they are abused sexually.
The last way to abuse a child is through emotionally abuse when the abuser humiliates the child certain situation increase the risk of child abuse the parent are immature unstable, lonely and feel in loved. The repeat what was done to them uncontrollable in violent out bursts. The abuses parents are unaware of any other way to acting. They may think that beating is normal sometimes the parents might also think that their children deserve to be abused, just as they deserved if when they were younger.
In also, according to a resource book by UNICEF where ANPPCAN was inaugurate in Nigeria many Nigerian people said that imitator were merely copying from industrialized nations and that child abuse and child neglect do not exist in African let alone in Nigeria. This was however proven wrong after researches and investing actions were carried out. It was seen that child abuse exists in Africa and more importantly in Nigeria. However studies worldwide has shown that child abuse was indeed a serious international crimatus or frustrate child abuse. This term encapsulate of such magnitude and that which required federal intervention.
The United Nations general assembly adopted the convention as the right of the child. This convention respect the child as a human being with personal dignity and rights.The child seen as internationally as a person of intrinsic worth entitled to respect equal to that rights enjoyed by every adults citizen. Thus to withhold this status or frustrate child abuse. This term encapsulates all the ways in which a child development is hundred are damaged by other people.
According to both the United Nations Convention on the right of child and the organization of Africa unity charter on the rights and responsibility of the Africa child. A person below the age of 18years is considered as a child.
These document to which Nigeria was a signatory setout various declarations which every state must admire to for the protection and welfare the children. However those rights are being violated everyday by Nigeria citizens through either the acts of commission and omission and are classified as child abuse and Neglect.
Child abuse describes ways in which a child’s development, physically, mentally or emotionally is damaged by the action of adults of den children.
The impact of abuse can vary and complex social the culture, moral expectation and complex social setting in which it take places. Any behavior that prevents a child from achieving his or her full potentials or contradicts the dignity and right of a child is abusive.
It is in this light of above that this study tries to go into historical background to find out whether child abuse is indigenous or not to those people in Akure South of Ondo State. Never the less before a situation can be regarded as a social problem; it must been undesirable condition in the social relationship between, parents and children. It’s however believed that an action is necessary to change the condition solution to the every present’s social problem; it must been undesirable condition in the social relationship between, parents and children. It’s however believed that an action is necessary to change the condition solution to the every parent’s social problems.
Statement of the Problem
The study of child abuse in a developing country originated from an attempt to understand the social problem within the family institution with a view to improving and stabilizing the relationship between parent and children both western and African Scholars (Delaw, 1990) have after depicted the family as a heaven where the individual is first nurtured strengthened and proceed. The family id the most significant feature of African society and the process of disintegration is nowhere more apparent than in the central institution.
The orderly development of African life would depend largely on the successful maintenance of the solidarity of the family unit in the course of modification of its roles in modern conditions one of the important role of a family is that of procreation the responsibilities of the family is to the child such need as love care.
Food clothing and shelter but in a situation they are being denied all this, then such a child is an abused and this disturbs the child from developing normally.
Abused child do not generally define themselves as being abused in fact because child abuse and neglect are multidimensional phenomenon evolving emotional, verbal physical as well as sexual abuse it may be difficult to define when the abuse occurred studies have shown that child at use occurs. Everywhere regardless of country class stratification but with various terms being prominent in different areas.
Purpose of the Study
Child abuse as identified as a social problem demanding the attention government and the general populace in view of this the general objective of the study is to identify form and cause of child abuse in Akure in Ondo State. Scaring in mind that if the causes are know, the various ways of controlling –I may be revealed Ondo State was collected for the study because it is an urban conglomerate and also the state capital with urging population composition ripe for the study.
Some recyclers are of the view that child abuse and neglect is a crime. i.e. the urban center.Therefore the purpose of the study includes:
- The identification of the various causes of child abuse in Akure,Ondo State.
- To high light on effect of child abuse on the child and the society.
- Identifying which types of child abuse is prevent
- To suggest ways of controlling and maiming this problem as a way relevance to police makers.
- What do you understand by the child abuse?
- To what extent will child abuse have impart in the life of the children?
- What are the causes of child abuse?
- What are the opinesof an individual on child abuse?
The outcome of this research will be useful and the child to know their right. it will also assist the parent and guidance to know their roles and perform their roles effectively and the limitation of their power over the children.
It will also make the children use their potential in their duty and life endears.
Delimitation of the Study
This study will look into how people abuse children and the effect of on the children the area covered by this research is Akure in Ondo State.
Definition of Child Abuse
Gill(1988)defined child abuse as the inflicted gaps between circumstances irrespective of the source of agent of the inflection.
Rogors (2004) claimed that child abuse is the bodily harm done to the child Funke and Magnallic (2001) define child as the intention inflection unnecessary pains on child, the neglect and abandonment of children by their parent and guardian.
The Mammalian family Encyclopedia (1980)defines child abuse as the maltreatment of children by their parent, guardians etc.
According to welfare information gateway (2008)define child clinical condition is young children who have received serious physical. Generally from a parent, guardians etc.
ANPPCAN(Africa network for the protection and prevention against child constitute acts child abuse as experiences which constitutes acts developed or commissioned to inflict harm directly or directly on a participating child, to reduce crimes of that child in developing potential as human being.
Finally child abuse is defined as a variety of abnormal behaviors directed against children.