Divorce And Child Abuse As Indices Of Behavioural Problems Among Children In Owerri Municipal, Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the influence of divorce and child abuse on behavioural problems among children in Owerri Municipal, Imo State, Nigeria. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using a sample of 499 pupils (250 males and 249 females) randomly selected from three primary schools within the municipality. Participants’ ages ranged from 9 to 12 years (M = 10.95). The Children’s Behaviour Questionnaire (Rutter, 1967) and the Child Abuse Inventory (Onwukwe, 1999) were used for data collection. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted, and data were analyzed using two-way ANOVA. Results revealed a significant influence of both divorce and child abuse on children’s behavioural problems, as well as a significant interaction effect between the two variables. The findings underscore the need for effective family counselling, child protection interventions, and supportive educational environments to mitigate behavioural difficulties among affected children.