CHILD ABUSE IN IGBOLAND OF NIGERIA: INFLUENCE OF CULTURE ON PARENTING STYLES
doi>10.24250/JPE/1/2020/BCU/ZF/KS
Keywords:
Child abuse; culture; ecological systems theory; Igbo parents; Parenting Styles.Abstract
Child abuse is an international problem that happens everywhere including Igboland of Nigeria. Nigeria has three major ethnic groups, Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. Igbo parents are known for their love for children but there are cases of child abuse in different families in Igboland. This research explains the ugly phenomenon of child abuse and the concepts that surrounds the problem. The goals of this study were to explore how Igbo culture influences parenting and how some parenting styles can cause child abuse and neglect. A research was carried out within Igboland of Nigeria. A sample of 510 Igbo parents voluntarily completed an anonymous questionnaire. The results reveal the fact that culture influences both the parental styles and the parental perception of child abuse. The issue of child abuse and neglect was expounded in the light of ecological systems theory of Urie Bronfenbrenner.
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