Related Experiment Videos
Insights
Child abuse in Nigeria, including neglect of handicapped children and child labor, is a growing concern. Socioeconomic changes have led to increased urban child abuse, necessitating preventive measures and greater awareness.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Public Health
- Child Development
Background:
- Child abuse in Nigeria is under-recognized, overshadowed by malnutrition and infections.
- Traditional practices like abandoning handicapped children or twins persist in some rural areas.
- Socioeconomic changes are altering family structures and increasing child abuse in urban settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the prevalence and forms of child abuse in Nigeria.
- To identify the contributing factors to child abuse, including societal and familial influences.
- To propose preventive strategies and interventions for child protection.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative analysis of existing literature and societal observations.
- Identification of traditional and modern forms of child abuse.
- Assessment of socioeconomic and cultural factors impacting child welfare.
Main Results:
- Child abuse manifests as neglect, abandonment of infants, child labor, and exploitation, particularly in urban areas.
- Urbanization and changing family structures contribute to increased child abuse.
- Traditional practices, though diminishing, still pose risks to vulnerable children.
Conclusions:
- Child abuse in Nigeria requires urgent attention, with diverse forms emerging due to societal shifts.
- Preventive measures should focus on rural development to curb urban migration and strengthen extended family support.
- Enhanced legal protection for handicapped children and increased community awareness among health and social workers are crucial.
Abstract:
Although child abuse occurs in Nigeria, it has received little attention. This is probably due to the emphasis placed on the more prevalent childhood problems of malnutrition and infection. Another possible reason is the general assumption that in every African society the extended family system always provides love, care and protection to all children. Yet there are traditional child rearing practices which adversely affect some children, such as purposeful neglect or abandonment of severely handicapped children, and twins or triplets in some rural areas. With the alteration of society by rapid socioeconomic and political changes, various forms of child abuse have been identified, particularly in the urban areas. These may be considered the outcome of abnormal interactions of the child, parents/ guardians and society. They include abandonment of normal infants by unmarried or very poor mothers in cities, increased child labour and exploitation of children from rural areas in urban elite families, and abuse of children in urban nuclear families by childminders . Preventive measures include provision of infrastructural facilities and employment opportunities in the rural areas in order to prevent drift of the young population to the cities. This would sustain the supportive role of the extended family system which is rapidly being eroded. There is need for more effective legal protection for the handicapped child, and greater awareness of the existence of child abuse in the community by health and social workers.