i

PERCEIVED SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIABLES AS CORRELATES OF

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN ESSIEN UDIM LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM STATE

A SEMINAR

BY

AFFAH, VERONICA PATRICK

17/ED/HP/587
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF UYO, UYO
AKWA IBOM STATE

SUBMITTED TO

PROF. FELICIA EKPU

SEMINAR CO-ORDINATOR
HED 425: SEMINAR IN HEALTH EDUCATION

DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION

UNIVERSITY OF UYO, UYO
AKWA IBOM STATE

MAY, 2023
 ii

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to investigate perceived socio-cultural variables as

correlates of child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area,
Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. To achieve this objective, three research questions and
three research hypotheses were formulated to guide this study. Ex-post facto
research design was used for the study and a population of 2500 students of five
public secondary schools in Essien Udim while the simple random sampling
techniques was used. Perceived Socio-cultural Variables as Correlates of Child
Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire were used as the instrument of data collection.
Project supervisor as well as other experts in the faculty of Education validates the
instrument. Split-half method and Spearman Brown Prophecy formula was used to
determine the reliability coefficient. The data collected were analyzed using
Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions
and test the research hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. A structured
questionnaire was used as the instrument for data collection. From the analysis of
the data, the following findings were revealed that; there is a significant
relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State; there is a significant relationship
between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and there is a significant relationship
between child rearing practices and child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim
Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The study concluded with some
recommendations that parents should strive as much as possible to provide for
their children and positively influence them so that they can develop the right
attitude to life rather than allowing poverty to make them abuse their children.
 1

PERCEIVED SOCIO-CULTURAL VARIABLES AS CORRELATES OF

CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN ESSIEN UDIM LOCAL
GOVERNMENT AREA OF AKWA IBOM STATE

Children are the biological future of the human race and their healthy

growth and development should be of serious concern to everybody in society.

The Child’s Right Act 2018 passed into law in the Federal capital territory,

Abuja, Nigeria defined a child as a person who has not attained the age of

eighteen years. The United Nations convention on the Rights of the Child

(2018) also defined a child as any human being under the age of eighteen. In

essence, a child is a person below the age of adulthood. Parents, guardians and

other adult living with the child are expected to be responsible and to ensure

that the child is protected from harm and danger and given the right to

education, love and care, shelter and adequate food, relaxation and recreation

and right to live in a clean environment.

All the rights of the child are vested on the parents or guardians, what the

child needs, wants, does, goes, sees, wears, eats or says must pass through strict

guidance and approval of his parents and guardians. It is generally, believed in

most cultures and society that the1 child is still at its learning state and therefore

does not have any right and this has led to multiple abuses of the rights of the

child.

Mbakogu (2014) opined that child abuse may be difficult to discuss in

Nigeria without extorting the African and cultural perspective, this is because
 2

first as Africans, there exist a common heritage that seem to signify that

similarities in culture, society or traditions may indicate a commonality of

perceptions toward issues regarded as child abuse and similarities in strategies

for addressing the problem. Perceptions of child abuse vary across cultures and

countries. Akmatov (2011) posited that in Africa, child abuse is common and

widely accepted as compared to other cultures as parents perceive physical

punishment as a method of child rearing and a way of inculcating moral in a

child. The African Network for Prevention and Protection against Child Abuse

and Neglect (ANPPCAN) in UNICEF (2010), defined child abuse as the

intentional, unintentional acts which endanger the physical health, emotional,

moral and the educational welfare of children.

Child abuse as seen by Child Welfare Information Gateway (2016) is any

recent act or failure to act which presents an imminent risk of serious harm.

Udoh (2010) opined that child abuse can be seen as any act of omission or

commission, physical or psychological, mistreatment or neglect of a child by its

parents, guardians, caregivers or other adults that may endanger the child’s

physical, psychological or emotional health and development. According to

World Health Organization (2016), child abuse is any form of neglect that

occurs to children under eighteen years of age. It includes all forms of physical

and emotional ill treatment, sexual abuse, neglect and other exploitation that

result in actual or potential harm to the child’s health, development or dignity.

In this context, child abuse is an act or maltreatment on the part of a parent,

 3

family members, guardians or care givers that results in death, serious physical

or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation or an act which presents an

imminent risk of serious harm to a child or deliberately inflicting injury on a

child. In other words, child abuse is a social menace whose negative impact on

child development cannot be over emphasized despite various policies put in

place to protect children from every form of abuse like child Right Act of 2003.

As noted by Abiamuwe et al. (2019), some practices in Nigerian society violate

the growth and full development of children, one of such practices is child

labour. Children are expected to help their parents in certain forms of house

chores, however, some forms of house chores engaged in by children are

regarded as child labour.

There are various forms of abuse and neglect meted on children, neglect

occurs when someone does not provide the necessities of life to a child either

intentionally or with reckless disregard for the child’s well-being such as

withholding food, clothing, shelter or other necessities, inadequate health care,

education, supervision, protection from hazards in the environment. Physical

abuse involves non-accidental harming of a child such as beating, burning,

biting and rib fractures. Psychological abuse include verbal abuse, humiliation

and acts that scare or terrorize a child which may result in future psychological

illness of the child. Sexual abuse is the deliberate exposure of a minor to sex or

sexual activities that the child cannot comprehend or consent to such as

exposure to sexual explicit materials, inappropriate touching of a child’s breasts

 4

or genital, someone exposing their genital to a child, oral genital contact,

genital-to-genital contact, genital to-anal contact and genital fondling as well as

exhibitionism, voyeurism and exposure to pornography (Gonzalz and McCall,

2018). Akmatov (2011), noted that parental attitudes towards corporal

punishment was strongly associated with all forms of child abuse and equally

seen as method of child rearing in African countries. Children are rejected and

abandoned to the street to fend for themselves and learn how to survive on their

own due to gender disparity or inequality and family separation where the

mother separates from the father leaving the child in the hands of the step-

mother who maltreats the child by engaging the child in excessive domestic

labour, hawking and battering.

Statement of the Problem

Child abuse is a global problem regardless of the efforts of researchers,

policy makers, psychologists, social workers and child advocates. In 2019, over

3.5 million children in the world including Akwa Ibom State were reported to

be abuse (Wolock and Horowitz, 2019). Child abuse is acknowledged as a

crime that is grossly under reported. Children who experience abuse are

subjected to an array of problems and negative outcomes that include emotional

issues, health-related problems, drug and alcohol abuse and social difficulties

among others.
 5

Additionally, children who have experienced abuse are more likely to

display disorganized or insecure attachments that leave them at a higher risk for

psychopathy. In Essien Udim Local Government Area, children have been

abused in different ways by their parents and family members. Children

experience different abuse and neglect such as; a child carrying heavy load on

the head to trek a long distance, a child been beaten mercilessly inform of

discipline, a child sent to sell in the market before he or she is allow to go to

school. It is as a result of this problem that this study investigates perceived

socio-cultural variables as correlates of child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim

Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State was initiated in order to fill this

gap.

Objectives of the Study

The general objective of this study is to investigate the perceived socio-

cultural variables as correlates of child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local

Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. Specifically, the study seeks to;

1. Examine the relationship between poverty and child abuse neglect in

Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

2. Determine the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse

neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

3. Ascertain the relationship between child rearing practices and child abuse

neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

 6

Research Questions

1. What is the relationship between poverty and child abuse neglect in

Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?

2. What is the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse

neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa bom State?

3. What is the relationship between child rearing practices and child abuse

neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?

Research Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between poverty and child abuse

and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

2. There is no significant relationship between domestic violence and child

abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom

State.

3. There is no significant relationship between child rearing practices and

child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa

Ibom State.

Method of Research Design

The research design used for this study was ex-post facto research design.

The study involved seeking opinion of students in their natural setting. The

researcher did not have direct control of the dependent variable because their
 7

manifestations had already occurred or because they were not manipulated.

Inferences about the influence of the variable were made without direct

intervention from concomitant variation of independent and dependent

variables.

Population of the Study

The population of the study comprises of 2,500 Senior Secondary One

and Two (SS1 and 2) students in selected secondary schools in Essien Udim

Local Government Area during the 2022/2023 academic session. The

information on population size of the study was obtained from the Essien Udim

Local Education Authority.

Sample and Sampling Technique

The sample of this study was made up of 300 students drawn from five of

the ten public schools on the basis of 30 respondents from each of the schools.

The selection was done through the simple random sampling technique. Here

the researcher wrote the names of all the public secondary schools in Essien

Udim Local Government Area in slip of paper, rolls each slip into paper balls

into a container and blindly draws the returned number of schools in the same

manner, the required subjects of respondents were also drawn for the study from

each of the five schools.

 8

Instrument for Data Collection

The researcher developed a questionnaire titled “Perceived Socio-cultural

Variables as Correlates of Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire

(PSVCCANQ)” and used same for data collection.

The questionnaire was on a four point Likert-type scale, with options

such as Strongly Agreed (4), Agreed (3), Strongly Disagreed (2) and Disagreed

(1). The questionnaire was further divided into three sections “A” and “B”.

Section “A” sought to collect information on the respondents’ personal data

while Section “B” sought to collect information on perceived socio-cultural

variables as correlates of child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local

Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Validation of the Instrument

The research instrument was given to experts in the Department of

Physical and Health Education, who read through, vetted, scrutinized and made

comments before approval for distribution. This was done to ensure that the

contents conform to the subject of the study.

Reliability of the Instrument

The reliability of the instrument was determined using split-half method.

In this case, the completed questionnaires were divided into two halves for

purpose of scoring. The even numbered items were scored separately from the
 9

odd numbered items. The internal consistency of the two halves was determined

using the Spearman Brown Prophesy Formula. The computation for the

correlation involved splitting the obtained scores into two halves based on the

odd-even numbered items.

Method of Data Collection

Data was collected through the administration of the questionnaire. A

total of three hundred copies of questionnaires.

The respondents were informed of the exercise and the importance of

giving objective responses to the items. The researcher personally administered

the research instrument (questionnaire) to the participants in the selected

secondary schools in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom

State.

The administration and retrieval of the questionnaire was done within one

hour 45 minutes. After the completion of the questionnaires, the respondents

were asked to return them; the questionnaire was collected from the students in

an orderly manner.

Method of Data Analysis

The data collected for this study were analyzed using Pearson Product

Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions and test the

research hypotheses.
 10

Data Analysis, Results and Discussion of Findings

Research Question 1:

What is the relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect in Essien

Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?

Table 1: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Relationship between Poverty

and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of
Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal Remark

Poverty 200 9800

4400 0.91* Very High positive

relationship
Child Abuse and neglect 100 2250

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =220; N =300; critical r–value = 0.91

The result above indicates that43the r calculated value of 0.91 is greater

than the level of significance (0.05). It therefore implies that there is

relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local

Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Research Question 2:

What is the relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect

in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?

 11

Table 2: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Relationship between

Domestic Violence and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien Udim Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal Remark

Domestic violence 170 5818

4365 0.84* Very High positive

relationship
Child Abuse and neglect 130 3610

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =220; N =300; critical r–value = 0.84

The result above indicates that the r calculated value of 0.84 is greater

than the level of significance (0.05). It therefore implies that there is

relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect in Essien

Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

3. What is the relationship between child rearing practices and child

abuse neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State?

Table 3: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Relationship between Child

Rearing Practices and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien Udim Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal Remark

Child bearing practices 165 5643

4635 0.74* Very High positive

relationship

Child Abuse and neglect 135 4075

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =200; N =300; critical r–value = 0.74

 12

The result above indicates that the r calculated value of 0.74 is greater

than the level of significance (0.05). It therefore implies that there is

relationship between child rearing practices and child abuse and neglect in

Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Testing of Hypotheses

1. There is no significant relationship between poverty and child abuse

and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Table 4: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Significant Relationship

between Poverty and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien Udim Local
Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal r-crit. Decision

Poverty 200 3025

1525 0.99* .196 Significant

Child Abuse and Neglect 100 750

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =220; N =300; critical r–value = 0.99

The result in Table 4 shows that poverty relates strongly and positively to

child abuse with a strong coefficient of correlation (r-value) of 0.99. Thus, child

abuse is greatly contributed to by poverty. The result further indicates that the

calculated r 0.99 is greater than the critical r (.196) with degrees of freedom at

0.05 level of significant. The null hypothesis was rejected and the alternate

hypothesis upheld, meaning that there is a significant relationship between

 13

poverty and child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of

Akwa Ibom State.

2. There is no significant relationship between domestic violence and child

abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom

State.

Table 5: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Significant Relationship

between Domestic Violence and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien Udim
Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal r-crit. Decision

Domestic violence 170 5918

4365 0.84* .196 Significant

Child Abuse and neglect 130 3610

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =220; N =300; critical r–value = 0.84

The result in Table 5 shows that domestic violence relates strongly and

positively to child abuse with a strong coefficient of correlation (r-value) of

0.84. Thus, child abuse is greatly contributed to by poverty. The result further

indicates that the calculated r 0.84 is greater than the critical r (.196) with

degrees of freedom at 0.05 level of significant. The null hypothesis was rejected

and the alternate hypothesis upheld, this means that there is a significant

relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect in Essien

Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

 14

3. There is no significant relationship between child rearing practices and

child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa

Ibom State.

Table 6: Pearson Correlation Analysis on the Significant Relationship

between Child Rearing Practices and Child Abuse and Neglect in Essien
Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State

Variables ∑x ∑x2
∑y ∑y2 ∑xy r-cal r-crit. Decision

Quality of teaching 110 4534

1633 0.74* .196 Significant

Child Abuse and neglect 40 658

*Significant at 0.05 level; df =220; N =300; critical r–value = 0.74

The result in Table 6 shows that child rearing practices relates strongly

and positively to child abuse with a strong coefficient of correlation (r-value) of

0.74. Thus, child abuse is greatly contributed to by poverty. The result further

indicates that the calculated r 0.74 is greater than the critical r (.196) with

degrees of freedom at 0.05 level of significant. The null hypothesis was rejected

and the alternate hypothesis upheld, this means that there is a significant

relationship between child rearing practices and child abuse and neglect in

Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

 15

Discussion of Findings

Poverty and Child Abuse and Neglect

The result of the data analysis in Table 4 is significant due to the fact that

the obtained r calculated value of 0.99 is greater than the critical r of .196,

therefore we reject the null hypothesis thereby concluding that there is a

significant relationship between poverty and child abuse and neglect in Essien

Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. This was supported by Afia

et al; (2022) who conducted a study on socio-cultural variables and child abuse

in Akwa Ibom State. The study adopted correlation research design and the

population of this study was 57,004 students in senior secondary II classes in

the 253 public secondary schools for the 2020/2021 academic session in the

study area and a sample size of 570 students from 11 of the schools selected

through simple random sampling technique. The findings of the study showed

that poverty, domestic violence, child rearing practices and family structure

significantly related with child.

Domestic Violence and Child Abuse and Neglect

The result of the data analysis in Table 5 is significant due to the fact that

the obtained r calculated value of 0.84 is greater than the critical r of .196,

therefore it is reject the null hypothesis thereby concluding that there is a

significant relationship between domestic violence and child abuse and neglect

in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. This was
 16

supported by Babatunde et al; (2015) who examined the effects of domestic

violence on young people in family setting in Kwara State, Nigeria. The total of

480 population was used and the sample size of 150 was administered to young

people in secondary schools in Omu-Aran, Kwara State. Findings suggested that

the experiences of respondents exert considerable influence on their perceptions

of violence, child abuse, and family life and significantly shaped their decision

as relates to choosing a life partner.

Child Rearing Practices and Child Abuse and Neglect

The result of the data analysis in Table 6 is significant due to the fact that

the obtained r calculated value of 0.74 is greater than the critical r of .196,

therefore it is reject the null hypothesis thereby concluding that there is a

significant relationship between child rearing practices and child abuse and

neglect in Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The

findings was supported by Ajiboye, Atere and Olufunmi (2014) carried out a

study on changing patterns of child rearing practice in Badagry area of Lagos

State, Nigeria. Triangulation method was used for data collection. A multi-stage

sampling procedure was adopted to select 100 respondents. Chi-square

technique was used to test the hypothesis for the study. The findings revealed

that there was a found positive relationship between pattern of child rearing

practices, personality and delinquent behaviour formation among the people of

Badagry.
 17

Conclusion

This study examined socio-cultural factors and child abuse and neglect in

Essien Udim Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The results revealed

that there was a significant relationship between the independent sub-variables

(poverty, domestic violence and child rearing practices) and the dependent

variable (child abuse and neglect). Based on these findings, it was concluded

that poverty, domestic violence and child rearing practices variables

significantly contribute to child abuse and neglect in Essien Udim Local

Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.

Recommendations

Based on the findings of this study, the researcher made the following

recommendations;

1) Parents should strive as much as possible to provide for their children

and positively influence them so that they can develop the right attitude to

life rather than allowing poverty to make them abuse their children.

2) Parents should live in love and happiness in every household without

fighting and any other forms of domestic violence because domestic

violence leads to child abuse which influences the behaviour of children.

3) Parents should adopt positive child rearing practices that build friendly

parent-child relationship as these kinds of child rearing practices would

eliminate all forms of abuse of children.

 18

REFERENCES
Afia, U.U; Obot, V.O; Johnson, N.I; John, I.J. (2022). Socio-cultural variables
and child abuse in Akwa Ibom State. International Journal of Health and
Psychology Research, 10, (3): 11-24.
Agnew, R. (2013). Physical punishment and delinquency. Youth and Society,
15, 225 – 236.
Antle, B. (2017). The relationship between domestic violence and child neglect.
Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 7 (4): 364–382.
Babatunde, A. O., Durowaiye, K. G. and Modupe, O. G. (2015). Domestic and
family violence. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology,
39(2): 208–219.
Baumrind, D. (2017). Child-care practices anteceding three patterns of
preschool behaviour. Genetic Psychology Monographs, 75, 43-88.
Brown D. F. (2013). Medical costs attributable to child maltreatment: A
systematic review of short and long term effects. American Journal of
Preventive Medicine, 41(10): 627 -635
Child Information Service (2008). Childhood physical abuse, attachment and
adult social support: Test of a mediational model. Can Journal Behaviour
Science, 40:80–89.
Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2018). What is child abuse and neglect?
Retrieved from www.childwelfare.gov/pubs/factsheet/whatiscan.cfm.
Crano W.D., and Prislin, R. (2016). Attitudes and persuasion. Journal of Annual
Review, Psychology. 57: 345-374
Darling, N., and Steinberg, L. (2013). Parenting style a context: An integrative
model. Psychological Bulletin, 113, 487-496.
Drake, B., and Pandey, S. (2016). Understanding the relationship between
neighbourhood poverty and specific types of maltreatment. Child Abuse
and Neglect, 20 (11): 1003–1018.
Epstein, J. L. (2015). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the
children we share, Phi Delta Kappan, 76 (9): 701-712.
Gelles, R. (2013). Child abuse as psychopathology: a sociological critique and
reformulation. Guilford Press, New York.
Harkness, A. (2016). Parents are school's best friends. Phi Delta Kappan. 33
(5): 834 – 844.
 19

Honohan, I. (2019). Reconsidering the claim to family reunification in

migration. Political Studies. 57 (4): 768–787.
Kendall, D. (2015). Sociology in our times, Wadsworth, USA.
Khadijah, M. Y. (2015). Child-rearing practices in rural poor Malay society:
Nurturing an identity through Islamic values. In H.O. Asmah and Morris,
P. (Eds.), Religion & Identity (pp 120-133). Tanjung Malim: UPSI
University Press.
Kind, P.M., and Jones, K. B. (2017). Developing attitudes towards science
measures. Int. J.Sci. Educ. 29(7): 871-893
Kpukpara, I. P. (2015). Influence of parental socio-economic status on the
incidence of child abuse and neglect among primary school pupils in
Aguata Education Zone of Anambra State. Project Submitted to the
Department of Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education University
of Nigeria, Nsukka in Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for the Award
of Degree of Master of Education (M.Ed) in Childhood Education.
Masheti, F. N. (2019). The relationship between parental physical availability
and child sexual, physical and emotional abuse: a study among a sample
of university students in southern Africa. Scandinavian Journal of
Psychology, 44:311–318.
McGuigan, W. and Pratt, C. (2011). The predictive impact of domestic violence
on three types of child maltreatment. Child Abuse and Neglect, 25 (7):
869–883.
Okonya, R. (2018). The role of family structure in the abuse of children.
Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection.
Okpala, F. U. (2020). Influence of child abuse on child development.
Symposium Conducted at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Onyi, C (2017). Gender in education: an overview of developing trends in
Africa. CRILE Working paper, Egerton University, Kenya.
Pelton, L. (2018). Child abuse and neglect: The myth of classlessness. American
Journal of Practice. Families in Society, 86 (4): 471–481.
Samal, R. (2012). Parents’ attitude towards schooling and education of children,
National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela.
Schumaker, K. (2012). An exploration of the relationship between poverty and
child neglect in Canadian Child Welfare. Unpublished PhD Thesis:
University of Toronto.
 20

Shepard, M., and Raschick, M. (2019). How child welfare workers assess and
intervene around issues of domestic violence. Child Maltreatment, 4(2):
148–156.
Starr, S., and Brilmayer, L (2013). Family separation as a violation of
international law. Berkeley Journal of International Law. 21: 213.
Wolock, I., and Horowitz, B. (2019). Child maltreatment and material
deprivation among AFDC recipient families. Social Service Review, 53,
175–194.
 21

APPENDIX I

Department of Physical & Health Education,

Faculty of Education,
University of Uyo,
Akwa Ibom State.
7th February, 2023.

Dear Respondents,

REQUEST TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONNAIRE

I am a final year student in the Department of Physical and Health

Education, Faculty of Education, University of Uyo. I am carrying out a
research as part of my programme in the University.
I am requesting that you fill the attached questionnaire to enable me
complete this research.
I assure you that the information required is purely for academic
consumption.
Thanks and God bless you.

Yours faithfully

Affah, Veronica Patrick

 22

APPENDIX II
QUESTIONNAIRE
SECTION A
PERSONAL DATA
1. Gender: Male Female

2. Age: 10-12 13 – 15 16 and above

3. Class: SS1 SS2

SECTION B:

Please tick within one of the boxes to indicate your choice.

The response categories are:
SA - Strongly Agreed
A - Agreed
D - Disagreed
SD - Strongly Disagreed
S/N ITEMS SA A D SD
Poverty
1 Child abuse occurs as a result of high level of
poverty in our society
2 Children of low socio economic status are more
likely to be abused and neglected
3 Lack of decent housing and clean environment
and living among people with indecent behaviour
in an overcrowded and disadvantaged
neighbourhood could be responsible for child
abuse
4 Lack of financial independence by the parents
contribute to child abuse and neglect
5 Children of unemployed parents are more likely
 23

to be abused than those of the employed parents

Domestic Violence
6 In families where spousal abuse takes place, child
abuse also occurs
7 Children of abusive abusing parents are at a
higher risk of being abused and neglected
8 Underage couples usually experienced domestic
violence
9 Lack of parental understanding causes of
domestic violence
10 My parents do not take an active role in my
academic requirements
Child Rearing Practices
11 My parents are too busy that they do not check
my academic work at home
12 I am not well taken care of because of the nature
of my parents’ job
13 My parents buy all the recommended textbooks
for me
14 My parents pay the specialist employed to teach
me at home
15 My parents pay my school fees as soon as the
school resumes