CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

In today's environment, many parents find it difficult to raise their children to the best of their abilities. According to Baumrind (2013), Parenting style is a psychological term that refers to the typical methods that parents employ to raise their children. Diverse theories and perspectives abound regarding the optimal approaches to parenting, as well as varying levels of time and energy that carers are willing to commit. Parental participation starts as soon as the baby is born. This has to do with giving birth, nursing, and, as a parent, valuing the cry of the child. O’Connor (2010), believed that many parents create their own parenting style based on a range of events and conditions, which may alter over time as their children grow into their own personalities and experience different stages of life. Parenting style is largely determined by one's own parents and culture, but it is also impacted by the temperaments of the parents and the children. The majority of parents learn parenting skills from their parents; some of these skills are accepted, while others are rejected, based on the way the parents interacted with their children.

Brown and Brown (2016) discovered that 70% of teenagers in state-run facilities in Nigeria were raised without a parent. Homicide, rape, assault, and robbery are a few instances of juvenile delinquency. By 2020, prevalence rates will have increased significantly from roughly 50% in the mid-1980s and early 1990s to over 85% (McLeod, 2012). In America, laws govern parental responsibility, which includes media and physical supervision to protect kids from violent and pornographic images that could violate their morals, as well as physical supervision to prevent kids from hurting themselves or others. For instance, online content filtering software prevents teenagers from accessing pornographic content. When a tiny child is found wandering the streets, the police or another citizen picks them up and takes them home to find out why they are wandering. According to Heaven and Newbury (2014), In Nigeria, a consent decree outlines the divorce and separation process in detail. It protects children from the negative effects of unstable marriages by requiring couples to provide sufficient financial support, grant one partner child custody, and grant the other partner visiting rights in the event of an impending divorce. Moreover, there are numerous civil society and state-run organisations that support the rights of married couples and adolescents. The goal of all these steps is to make sure that kids never experience parental discontent. Unexpectedly, in modern nations like Japan, proceedings involving minor offenders might be dropped without a hearing and handled at the family level. In conclusion, delinquency is a global problem that can be lessened by stable family structures. In Africa, the rate of adolescent delinquency is concerning. Domestic abuse and poverty, according to Baumrind (2013), are the main reasons why people become delinquent in West Africa. This, however, may be disputed because some parents of low-income families have managed to create functioning families, while some children of high-income families grow up to become troublemakers in society. In a violent country like Nigeria, young boys and girls are taught that using violence to solve problems is appropriate. Young offenders have become a bigger problem in South Africa due to the country's unfavourable economic conditions, which include unemployment, poverty, and the availability of firearms. A myth inside society is the idealised portrayal of the "happy family." Research indicates that domestic violence is on the rise, affecting over three million teenagers annually (Fleisher, 2015).

Through the process of socialising with violence, the child forms a bond with his or her aggressive parent and learns that using violence as a solution to problems is acceptable. The stage of physical and mental growth known as adolescence falls between puberty and the age of legal adulthood. Juvenile is often associated with  children, yet it can appear physically, psychologically, and culturally at any time..

According to Okorodudu (2010), By establishing emotional connection, enforcing behavioural boundaries, and modelling relationships, parents play a crucial role in serving as social control and attachment models for their children (2012). The strength of the bond between parents and adolescents influences the emergence or avoidance of behavioural issues. When parents monitor behaviour, enforce discipline, show appropriate warmth or support, and employ non-coercive approaches, adolescents are more likely to develop outstanding behaviour. Okorodudu (2010) pertains to Socially inappropriate behaviours are referred to as problem behaviours. any actions that go against morality, expectations, beliefs, or society standards. Among these include acts of violence, truancy, carelessness, immorality, drinking, vandalism, cheating on tests, leaving the classroom, drug use, and occultism. according to Okorodudu (2010), Growing up is a time of stress and upheaval for kids. He realised that the rebelliousness that characterised the time was a result of the hostile and inhospitable surroundings. He concluded that the kind of environment that teenager was raised in was the primary cause of behavioural issues in children. Collins et al (2010) found that juvenile exposure to electronic media and gadgets has grown, which has been linked to negative impacts on adolescent behavior. According to Steinberg (2010), Of all the parenting philosophies, authoritative parenting yields the most beneficial outcomes. Poor parenting, according to Magawi (2014), exacerbates adolescent health problems and increases criminality rates.

An juvenile delinquent is a young person, usually under the age of eighteen, who commits a crime against a state or federal law. Adolescents are still immature and do not think like adults, They are more prone to make errors or commit crimes that are beyond their control.The number of children engaging in delinquent behaviour is rising in Nigeria. In the past 20 years, children have committed crimes ranging from minor theft to violent robbery and murder. Concerns over the severity of teenage criminality and behavioural problems are growing among the public and police (Wu, Chia, Lee and Lee 2018). According Wu, Chia, Lee and Lee (2018) Between 1996 and 2020, the rate of  juvenile delinquency increased from 367 to 538 per 100,000, according to the study. According to them, the majority of adolescent arrests in 1996 were for petty offenses like theft, with around 38% of those arrested for shoplifting and 18% for simple theft.

children' conduct is shaped and molded in large part by their parents. Coste (2015) recognises, from this vantage point, the contributions of Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist best known for her studies on parenting styles. Baumrind distinguished three parenting philosophies: permissive parenting, authoritarian parenting, and authoritative parenting based on the demands and responses of parents. There is a close correlation between the parenting style that parents choose and deviant behavior (Coste, 2015). According to Howeve, et al. (2011), Parents of young people are more often held accountable for the behaviour of their offspring. Certain courts can penalise parents for the careless or antisocial behaviour of their children.

As a result, the goal of this study was to determine the Sociological Impacts Of Parenting Among Children In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa State. It focuses on the role of parents in children behavior. The ability of a family to stay together in the face of adversity helps to protect children from criminality. According to Howeve, et al. (2011), The likelihood of  deviant behavior among children is one of the most important effects of broken families. As a result of their misbehaviour and illegal conduct, these children must be removed from their homes and local schools and placed in residential treatment programs because their actions are deemed unlawful..

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

In Nigeria, the number of children involved in deviant behaviours is rising. Over the past twenty years, juvenile have been involved in a variety of crimes, from small-time theft to large-scale robberies and murders. Concerns about the severity of  behavioural issues have grown among the public and law enforcement this as a result of poor and bad parenting practices among residents in the study area  (Wu, Chia, Lee and Lee 2014).  According to Wu, Chia, Lee and Lee( 2014), between 1986 and 2020, the rate of juvenile delinquency increased from 367 to 538 per 100,000. They stated that shoplifting accounted for around 38% of juvenile arrests in 2020 and simple theft for 18% of juvenile arrests, with the majority of juvenile  being detained for small-time offences like stealing. Their study's findings also indicate that 15% of all crimes were classified as major crimes, including robberies, extortions, and rioting, the study further showed that parents are the root cause of these criminal  behaviors among  young children the study noted that parents have neglected their roles as parents in the lives of their children causing the children to be wayward. 

Kring, Davison, Neale and Johnson (2017) show that there are two main components included in the diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder (ADP): "A pervasive pattern of disregard for others' rights since the age of 15; and ii. The presence of a conduct disorder prior to the age of 15 (frequent lying, truancy, running away from home, theft, arson, and deliberate destruction of property, inconsistent work patterns, breaking the law, irritability, physical aggression, debt default, recklessness, impulsivity, failure to plan ahead, and a lack of remorse for wrongdoings”. Eke, (2014) identifies criminal and status offences as the two primary types of deviant  behavior that children in Nigeria participate in. Theft, arson, rape, drug offences, murder, burglary, pickpocketing, and armed robbery are among the crimes. She did, however, list truancy, lying, running away from home, and other status crimes. Boroffice (2014) thinks that child behavour is predisposed to by a number of elements, including parental  influences,. The threat of homelessness on our city streets is already a societal issue for the government, the people, and Karu. Teenagers may flee from home or school due to conflicts with parents as a result of bad parenting, which also run the risk of exposing them to unfavourable associations (Okorodudu and Omoni, 2015).

Okorodudu and Omoni (2015) additionally noted that children may display deviant  behaviour towards the greater community, vandalism, destruction of public property, maiming and killing of parents, and suicide thoughts. The juvenile offenders who belong to gangs are teenagers and young people who engage in criminal activities. Numerous studies on the triggers for parenting and child behavior have been conducted. juvenile is a turbulent and stressful time which requires good parenting. The Nasarawa State Government had developed and implemented many strategies to reduce juvenile delinquency in our community, but without success therefore it is  important parents play key role in moral upbringing of their children to help reduce deviant behavior  (Okpako, 2014). It is to this the study centres on Sociological Impacts of Parenting among Children in Karu L.G.A Nasarawa State

1.3     OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

Generally, this study examines Sociological Impacts of Parenting among Children in Karu L.G.A Nasarawa State. The specific objectives of the study are to

1 To investigate the impact Parenting Style of Culture Adopted and Practice in In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa

2 To examine the impact of parenting style on child behavior In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa

3 To examine the causes of deviant behavior among children In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa

4 To proffer solutions to the problems of deviant behavior through effective parenting in Karu L.G.A Nasarawa

1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

The following research questions shall guide this study and in the course of this research, we shall attempt to find answers to the following questions:

1 What is  the impact Parenting Style of Culture Adopted and Practice in Karu L.G.A Nasarawa?

2 What is the impact of parenting style on child behavior In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa?

3 What are the causes of deviant behavior among children In Karu L.G.A Nasarawa?

4 What are the solutions to the problems of deviant behavior through effective parenting  in Karu L.G.A Nasarawa?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The study contributes to the academic literature sociological impacts of parenting among children in karu l.g.a nasarawa state, particularly in the Nigerian context, which may have different socio-cultural dynamics compared to other regions. Findings can be used for comparative studies with other countries or regions, providing a broader understanding of how parenting impacts juvenile delinquency globally. Furthermore  the study will serve is a guide for other researchers to further their research.