CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AS CORRELATES OF BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN IN DELTA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study sought to determine the relationship between various forms of child abuse and behaviour problems in primary schools in the Niger Delta. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. The research design adopted by this study was correlational research design. The sample size for the study consisted of 826 primary five pupils which were drawn from public primary schools in Delta North Education Zone, of Delta State using proportionate sampling technique. The instrument for data collection for this study was a questionnaire titled “Child Abuse and Behavior Problems Questionnaire (CABPQ)” which was developed, validated and used for the study. The internal consistency reliability of the instrument was calculated using Cronbach Alpha procedure and reliability estimates of .65, .82, .66, and .81 were gotten for clusters A, B, C and D respectively with an overall reliability index of .78. Data obtained through the administration of the instrument were organized and analyzed using Pearson’s r, R² (coefficient of determination) to answer the research questions while ANOVA and multiple regressions were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 levels of significance which revealed the following findings: A positive relationship exists between physical abuse and behaviour problems in primary schools. Physical abuse had twenty seven percent contributions in predicting behaviour problems in primary schools. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between physical abuse and behaviour          problems in primary schools; there is a positive relationship between social abuse and behaviour problems in primary schools and social abuse had forty-four percent contributions in predicting behaviour problems in primary schools. Therefore, there is a significant relationship between social abuse and behaviour   problems in primary schools; a positive relationship exists between emotional abuse and behaviour problems in primary schools. Emotional abuse had fifty-three percent contributions in predicting behaviour problems in primary schools and therefore, there is a significant relationship between emotional abuse and behaviour   problems in primary schools; there is a positive relationship between sexual abuse and behaviour problems in primary schools. Sexual abuse had twenty three percent contributions in predicting behaviour problems in primary schools. There was however a significant relationship between sexual abuse and behaviourproblems in primary schools. Among the educational implications of the study was that various forms of child abuse could correlate with behaviour problems in primary schools. It was thus recommended that parents/guardians should educate their pupils on the consequences of various forms of child abuse on their physical, social, psychological and mental health.