ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT AMONG PARENTS IN PORT HARCORT METROPOLIS OF RIVERS STATE

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ABSTRACT The study took an assessment of factors responsible for child abuse and neglect among parents in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State. The study adopted a descriptive survey design, two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study comprised twelve thousand eight hundred (12,800) respondents in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State. The Taro Yamane model of sample size determination was used to obtain the sample size of 250 parents (110 males, 140 females). A validated 20-item research instrument titled “Assessment of Factors Responsible for Child Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire (AFRCANQ)” was used for data collection. The AFRCANQ questionnaire was patterned in line with the four point Lickert rating scale response pattern of Very High Extent (VHE) = 4points, High Extent (HE)= 3points, Low Extent LE = 2points, and Very Low Extent (VLE) = 1point. A reliability coefficient of 0.78 was obtained with the test retest method, using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient Statistics (r). Mean and standard deviation statistics were used to answer the research questions, while Z-test statistics was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The study among others revealed that associated family factors (poverty, ignorance) act as factor of child abuse and neglect in Port Harcourt Metropolis of Rivers State. The study concluded that a parent’s demeanor or behaviour sends red flags about child abuse. Warning signs include parents consistently belittles or berates the child. It was recommended among others that there should be public enlightenment programmes to combat mass ignorance and public awareness on the right to all forms of child abuse.

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