SOCIO-ECONOMIC CORRELATES OF CHILD ABUSE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ZARIA
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CORRELATES OF CHILD ABUSE AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN ZARIA
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Date
1993-01
Authors
PATIENCE, E. UKIRI MUDIARE
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Abstract
Child abuse encompasses detrimental emotional and physical
acts of commissions or omissions perpetuated by adults against
children. A study of 152 children from three public, and three
private schools in Zaria was conducted to find out the extent to
which socio-economic status, family type and size, marital harmony
and ethnicity are associated with child abuse. Eighty-five (56%) of
the children were from high social class families while 24 (16%) and
43 (28%) were from middle and low classes respectively,
From the Questionnaire administered to the children, 149 (98%)
reported that they were physically abused indicating thai physical
abuse occurs across all socio-economic and ethnic groups. Only three
children, two from high and one from low socio-economic status were
not abused. Physical abuse was however more severe in high class as
indicated by report of more injuries sustained. The incidence of
verbal abuse and neglect were also higher for high class children.
Even though high class children were more frequently and severely
punished, they interacted with greater ease with their parents and
indicated absence of fear of parents more often than children from
the lower class. Certain forms of punishment such as the use of
horsewhip was however more1 prominent aiming lower social group
children.
With regards to family type, relatively fewer abuses were
reported from monogamous families than from poiyg' ions families.
However, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of
abuse between large and small families. Thus the hy pothesis that
child abuse is caused by poverty was not confirmed, rather
Description
A thesis submitted to the Postgraduate School,
Ahmadu Bello University, in partial fulfilment
the requirements for the award of degree of
Master of Science (M. Sc.) Sociolo gy,
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
Department of Sociology
Ahmadu Bello University
Zaria.
January, 1993.
Keywords
SOCIO-ECONOMIC CORRELATES,, CHILD ABUSE,, PRIMARY,, SCHOOL CHILDREN,, ZARIA.