Practice as a Predictor of Child Delinquency among Primary School Pupils in Borno State, Nigeria

Dr. Naomi N. Adamu

Abstract-This study investigated the Educational status of mothers as a predictor of child delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State, Nigeria. The Educational differences of mothers grouped illiterates, pre-post primary and post-secondary groups and the nature of delinquencies associated with them were determined. The populations of the study were all mothers of delinquent pupils in primary schools in Borno State and their delinquent children. Data were collected from eight hundred mothers of various Educational groups and the teachers of their delinquent children for the study. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used to select the sample. Two types of self-made instrument: 55 items questionnaire and 26 items child delinquent rating scale with Alfa reliability index of 0.89 and 0.93 were used to collect data for the study. Data generated were analyzed by the use of descriptive (simple percentage, mean, standard deviation and standard) and step-wise multiple regression statistic. The result indicated that there were differences in the Educational status of mothers of delinquent pupils and the nature of delinquency associated with their children and that Educational status of mothers could be a predictor of a child's delinquent status. The researcher recommends grass root campaign for girl child education and reality counseling for all mothers on how to help their children. Women with higher educational status raise children with fewer delinquents; Mothers should be counseled to improve on their Educational status.

I.

hild-rearing practice is a universal human activity.

It is an industry of adult-child relationship where the child benefits in the process of' his/her total development. It is an interaction between the child and the caregiver, in which the child achieves mental, social and physical development, acquires moral values, as well as creative individuality, consolidates language and understands more deeply the cause and effect contingency of the physical world. It is a global human process where all types of family structures (be it the two parents, single mothers, and fathers, adoptive parents, biracial, widows, aunts and uncles older siblings) take the responsibility of nurturing, guiding/modeling the child to be properly brought up.

Child-rearing is a human endeavor, a God-given privilege that requires thorough preparation as well as commitment (Mambula 1999).

Educational status of mothers refers to the level of education of women under study. Women who have not attended schools and those that did and obtained one type of qualification or the other such as Primary School Certificate, GCE, NCE, Diploma, degree ,etc. Educational status of a mother is a characteristic that could influence mother child-rearing practices. Kattey (1995), asserted that educated and high working class women have positive attitudes that contribute towards child-rearing practices compared to low class working women. Research conducted by Iwundu (2002) confirmed that high-class women give their children best moral and academic training and plan the size of their family in proportion to their income and ability. Onyechi and Okere (2000) in a similar study titled 'Sources of parental anxiety' found that there is a significant difference between anxiety level of educated and illiterate mothers when it comes to raising their children. Research by Akinboye (1996), on 'self concept study behavior and health attitude of male and female in Nigeria's adolescents', discovered that both poor, rich, educated and non-educated parents have concern for their children's progress and well-being. But there was a significant difference in the parents' level of support based on education and economic status. The finding also shows that educated and high socioeconomic parents give better moral and financial support to their children than the illiterates and low socio-economic parents.

Psychogenic theory of by McCord, McCord, and Zola, (1959) identified low-class education, economic and poor or faulty culture as sources of delinquency in children. From their research, they discovered that delinquents from low socio-economic status and low education parents and living in poor cultured society differed from non-delinquents in the extent of parental rejection, an inconsistency of punishment and discipline. The Sociogenic theory postulated by Resis and Rhodes, (1964) and Spergel (1964) stated that delinquency is rooted like the social structure and the particular patterns of neighborhood and community life. Communities, where delinquent gangs abound, are of high population density, low educated population, low socio-economic status and high rates of family disorganization.

The way educated parents interact with their children especially in issues of discipline, could influence the level of their children's development. Dobson, (1984) and Afe and Egbochuku (2001) posited that in rearing children, emotional characteristic of each stage of a child needs consideration while disciplining the child. The level of Parents education could help to deal the situations very well. Inability to handle it will lead to the development of traits like violence, aggression, stress, resentment, anxiety, and desire for revenge among developing children.

Okocha and Egbochuku (2007) stated that parenting featured with physical abuse especially in early childhood could lead to delinquency at the adolescence stage. In their study 'physical abusive parenting a hindrance to civic and grassroots development discovered that there are differences between those that have parents of low and high educational background. They concluded that the educational status of parents could influence their childrearing practice.

Good child-rearing practice among Borno State mothers seems to have been affected as many childrearing mothers have a poor educational background. Their poor education background has effect on their ability to practice the best child care in raising their children and their choice of child care supplement. Consistency in care, love, security training communication and other basic needs given by mother with a degree of sameness, consistency, and continuity are no longer obtained. Coincidentally, it delinquent behaviors are now common among primary school pupils in Borno State. Could this be due to the educational status of child-rearing mothers in Borno State? This study is designed to determine whether the educational status of mothers and their rearing practices are predictors of juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State, Nigeria.

The study determines:

1. The types of child rearing practice educated and illiterate mothers in Borno use to supplement their child-rearing practices 2. The differences in child-rearing practices and juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils due to Educational status of mothers in Borno State, Nigeria.

3. The differences in the nature of juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils due to mothers' educational status in Borno State, Nigeria.

IV.

The following research questions were answered in the course of the study. V.

Child rearing practice and educational status of mothers in Borno State has no significant relationship with juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State, Nigeria.

This study is a survey. It was used to determine the Educational status of child rearing mothers of delinquent pupils in Borno State primary schools. It is used to determine whether pupils' delinquent behavior is associated with their mothers' educational status. This method is used because the study is behavior related and questionnaire and rating scale were therefore used to collect data. Jen, (2002) noted that the survey is suitable for behavior related studies that deal with relationship between two or more variables.

The study population consisted of the mothers and the teachers of the delinquent children of six to eleven (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11) years in public primary schools in Borno State. A total of 940 delinquent pupils were identified and assessed by their teachers. The mothers of these delinquents automatically become the second sample. At the end of the field work, the questionnaire filled by eight hundred (800) mothers are paired with the delinquency rating scale filled by the teachers of their delinquent children were found to be useful for the study.

Two sets of researcher made instruments (55 questionnaire items for mothers and 26 items for delinquency rating scale for teachers with an Alpha reliability of .89 and .93 respectively were used to collect data. Descriptive statistic was used to answer the three research questions raised in the study and standard and step-wise multiple regression analysis was used to test the null hypothesis at an alpha level of P <0.05.

Three raised research questions, and null hypothesis was answered and tested respectively. When a group mean of child practices is higher than the total means of the child-rearing practice, it is good. When the standard deviation is less <1 or exactly ?1, the deviation within the group child rearing practice is not much. When groups mean of delinquency is higher than the total means it means that the delinquency is high.

When the standard deviation is less <1 or ?1 the difference within the group is not much, but when it is >1 within the group, it is much. When the F-ratio value is more than F critical, there is a positive statistical relationship between the educational status of mothers and child rearing with juvenile delinquency.

Research Question1: What are the types of child-rearing practice mothers of different educational status use in rearing their children in Borno State? Table 2 above shows that all mothers have above average score in child-rearing practices but mothers with post-secondary educational qualification have higher mean in child rearing practices while the illiterate mothers have a lower mean in child rearing practices. The Table also shows that children of noneducated mothers have higher levels of academicrelated delinquency but a lower level of personal social and physical related delinquencies. Children of mothers with post-secondary education have a lower level of academically-related delinquency but have a higher level of personal and physically related delinquencies. There is high variation in practices and delinquencies among groups as all the standard deviations are above 1 one (1).

Null Hypothesis: Child-rearing Practices and educational status of mothers in Borno state has no significant relationship with juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils, in Borno State, Nigeria. The result shows that independent variables entered in the equation, educational qualification of mothers and child rearing practices yielded a multiple R=.825, reflecting the contribution of educational qualification of mothers and child-rearing practice on juvenile delinquency. The R square .697 indicates 70% of the variance observed in juvenile delinquency among pupils was accounted for by the educational qualification of the mothers and their child-rearing practices.

Further analysis shows the relationship between the educational status of mothers and juvenile delinquency of f-ratio of 14.354 which is more than the f critical value of 3.85. This implies that there is a positive statistical relationship between the educational qualification, and mothers' and child-rearing practices and juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State. A change of one standard deviation in educational qualification of mothers and child rearing practices produce a change in standard deviation in juvenile delinquency.

The null hypothesis of child rearing and educational qualification of mothers have no significant relationship with juvenile delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State", is therefore rejected. It equally means that when mothers are educated, they practice better child-rearing which helps in developing the child to have less delinquent behavior.

Analysis of results in this study revealed that:

Regarding question one that sought for the types of child -rearing practices mothers use in Borno State; The research shows that child-rearing mothers in Borno use varieties of child-rearing practices to raise their children. The most commonly used is Nanny Childcare while the sibling/relation care is the least used. The total of 637 out of 800 sample used are educated mothers accounting for 79.6% of the sample. It means that about 79.6% of mothers that use varieties of childrearing care to supplement their child-rearing practices in Borno state are educated. It equally means that 79.6% of sampled delinquent children in Borno State are children of educated women of different educational levels.

The highly educated women have better childrearing practices than the illiterate mothers. The finding in respect of null hypothesis indicates that Educational Qualification and child -rearing of mothers is a predictor of child delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State.

The findings in this study seem to agree with finding by Iwundu, (2000) that highly educated women have less delinquent children because they plan the seizes of their family. They also have better economic stands, and education wise, they know better the problems obtained in the different child-rearing practices used in rearing children. Their level of education helps them direct their children academically. The high mean of physical and personal social related delinquencies observed could be due to some issues that call for another research.

Childrearing practice is the stronger variable that has significant predicting strength on juvenile delinquency and educational qualification of mothers can contribute much. When a child is not given proper cares, the child will tend to be delinquent.

Findings of the study show that educated and non-educated mothers in Borno State use varieties of child-rearing practices to raise their children though most of those that use supplement Childs-care are educated mothers. Highly educated mothers have better child rearing practices. The study shows that children of higher educated mothers have less academically related delinquency.

The researcher recommends that enlightenment or sensitization should be made across the Local Government Areas in Borno state, Nigeria and to all stake-holders on the need for Girl Child Education, and reality counselling for all children-rearing mothers or how to help their children. If this is done, delinquency among children will be less.