IMPACT OF BROKEN HOME ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT OF SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of broken homes on academic performance and psychosocial adjustment of secondary school students in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State. The descriptive survey design was used in this study. The research instrument used for this study was a questionnaire tagged (BHAP) which was adapted by the researcher. The population of this study covered the teachers in selected secondary schools at Kosofe Local Government, area Lagos State where data was collected using simple random sampling. Collected data was analyzed using chi-square and descriptive statistics. Demographic data such as gender, age, and qualification were used. Findings showed that broken homes have significance on student’s academic performance. It was concluded that there is a significance difference between students from broken homes and students from intact homes. It was therefore recommended parents should be educated on the importance of living together and the negative effect of broken home on the academic, social and emotional state of the child.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Family is the basic unit of a society and it’s the most important component of the society. According to Alfred Adlers (1973), a family which parent are separated or divorced would affect the individual because every child has a problem in which both the mother and father are to attend to, for example the mother is supposed to teach the child some moral attitudes or behavior while the father is supposed to teach the child (son) how to be a responsible man and to be responsible for the society and to be able to overcome the individual psychological problems like problems of work, problem of friendship, problem of love. It may be alternated to the word “house” but a house is more appropriately referring to the material structure whereas home refers to the intangible things that bind together the family members. It has the immeasurable love and care that keeps together the mother, father and their children. The family is an essential factor for a human well-being, everything about a man, his background, attitude, all his achievements, his honour and dignity, rallies on the structure of the man’s family. Marriage on the other hand can be seen or viewed at as a legal union of two people i.e. a man and woman in love as husband and wife. In Nigeria marriage is regarded as an institution which every person gives much importance.

Umahi, (2009) states that, marriage is a system by which a society recognizes a man and a woman bounded by love to stay together as couples, have a sexual relationship and expect children which they will bring up together. In Nigeria when a person is married he or he is expected not only to have children but also to give them the psychological emotional, moral and economic support with adequate education which will be of help to them in future. Couples have the duty to give their children education which will enable them live happily, be stable emotionally, and acquire worthwhile knowledge, understanding and skills.

Egbo (2012), views broken home as a place where the parents engage themselves in quarreling, fighting suspecting, keeping late hours to the detriment of the children’s primary drive for food, sleep and other basic needs. Broken homes could be due to divorce, separation or death. If there is no love, understanding and peace in the home children suffer and pay severely for it. Those children may be defective behaviorally and often they are not given worthwhile education training and skills which in turn may have a carryover effect which is always detrimental to the progress and stability of the society. Studies have shown that divorce though frowned at is on the increase amongst our youths. Hake (2000) lamented that after couples have made solemn and sacred contracts before the public, friends well-wishers and family members as their witness to be together till death put them apart, the same couples fall victims to broken home within a short period in our modem society.

When a home is broken, affected in many ways for example are the girls who may run into men in order to pay their school fees. Some of them may get pregnant in the process which might which might warrant them to quit schooling entirely (Okoye, 2001). Nwosu (1991) noted that some girls take to prostitution in a bid to also pay their school fees which may be difficult for their single parent. Boys also may give in to robbery roistering in the school, joining criminal gangs and exhibiting all form of social vices.

Empirical evidence has equally shown that children from intact-homes will be well taken care of and better socialized life for example a child with a good mother and father care whereby serves as a good model to the child in which the child does not turn into a deviant and more also, peer pressure challenges would be avoided through the supervision and help of both parent. This is due to the fact that the process of socialization depends on both parents playing complimentary roles in raising such children; which will definitely impact positively on the later during school years. On the other hand children from single parent homes are likely to suffer deprivations and denials of some rights and opportunities that will have negative psycho-socio impact on them in school years. Studies have equally shown that children from broken homes are usually associated with anti-social behaviours and poor academic records.

Adolescence in simple terms is a distinct phase of life. From Literature it is a period of 13-18 years of an individual’s life. It is a period of rapid psychological and social expansion. Agubosi (2003) stated that it is the era of peer grouping when the adolescents spend most time with their age group. This stage is a period of storm and stresses (Bolarin 1999, Olayinka 1997) and identifies formation (Osarenren 2001) Adolescence is a transitory period between childhood and adulthood. During this period an individual is seen neither as a child nor an adult. Hall in Salami & Alawode (2000) claimed that adolescents are characterized by emotional instabilities and hyperactivities, which cause them to experience storms and stress. Erickson in Salami & Alawode (2000) opined that identity formation creates tension in the adolescents to the extent that some of them become confused about their personality.

The period of adolescence is very important to development of an individual. Any laxity on the part of the parents in assisting and guiding the adolescents may result in academic backwardness and development of unwholesome behaviours. The foundation of what a person becomes in the society is laid in the home and at the initial stage of life. Parents therefore have important roles to play in seeing to it that the youths acquire the appropriate social, psychological, moral and academic development.

In Nigeria, the parental roles are culturally determined. Maternal role is that of childcare and home making while the paternal role is that of economic responsibilities and discipline of children. Generally, it is the responsibility of the family, to train and bring up the child in the norms and values of the society. They are to be responsible for the psychological and emotional welfare of the child. The parents are mainly responsible for the educational and career development of their children. However, divorce and separation of various kinds or death of one spouse may leave the role in the hands of a single parent. Single parenting can be defined as a situation in which one of the two individuals, involved in the conception of the child is being responsible for the upbringing of the child Henslin (1985). The family lays the foundation of education before the child goes to school and the personality that the child takes to school is determined by the home Maduewesi & Emenogu (1997). Fadeye (1985) in Salami & Alawode (2000) pointed out that both parents have roles to in child education. The father is to provide the necessary tools for the educational advancement while the mother is supposed to supplement the father’s efforts in this regard. When the father is absent and the mother is not privileged enough to cater for all the basic needs as well as supervise the academic performance of the child he/she (the child) will be backward or withdrawn. The same thing occurs when the mother is absent and the father is not privileged enough Ortese (1998).