Influence Of Parental Socio-economic Status On The Incidence Of Child Abuse And Neglect Among Primary School Pupils In Aguata Education Zone Of Anambra State.

neglect and exposure to domestic violence. Physical abuse involves deliberately using force against a child in such a way that the child is either injured or is at risk of being injured. It may consist of just one incident or may happen repeatedly. For those who survive, the emotional scars are often deeper than the physical scars (Loo, Bala, Clarke and Hornick, 1999). This type of abuse includes excessive beating, slapping, sticking, kicking, battering, burning, bruising, corporal punishment among others (Wikipedia, no date).

According to Loo, Bala, Clarke and Hornick, (1999) sexual abuse occurs when a child is used for sexual purposes by an adult or adolescent. It involves exposing a child to any sexual activity or behaviour. Sexual abuse does not always consist of penetration. Okpala (2010) sees sexual abuse as a form of  child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent or caregiver abuses a child through sexual stimulation. There are eight forms of sexual abuse; penetration – intercourse, incest, rape or sodomy, attempted penetration, oral sex, fondling – touching, or kissing a child’s genitals, making a child fondle  the  adult’s genitals, sex talk – telling “dirty” stories; voyeurism – forcing the child to undress, spying on a child in the bathroom or bedroom, exhibitionism  –  showing sex organs to a child, forced observation of sexual acts, showing pornographic materials, group sex including a child. Exploitation – sexual exploitation such as enticing children to pornographic sites or materials on the internet, luring children through internet to meet for sexual liaisons, exposing children to pornographic movies or magazines, child prostitution or  using  a child in the production of pornography, such as film or magazine.

Neglect includes the situation in which children have suffered harm, or their safety or physical, psychological or emotional development has been endangered as a result of the caregivers’ failure to provide for or protect them (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003). Neglect is often chronic and it usually involves repeated incidents. Neglect includes failing to provide a child with  love, safety and a sense of worth. Another aspect of child abuse is emotional abuse. This is a difficult category to document since the effects of emotional value tend to become apparent over time. It involves harming a child’s sense of self and can include acts (or omissions) that result in or place a child at risk of serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional or mental health problems (Kassan 2005). There are four forms of emotional abuse: Verbal abuse; psychological maltreatment; inadequate nurturance/affection; and exposure to non-intimate violence (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2003).

Exposure to domestic violence is another form of child abuse.  In  this case, children are exposed to violence between persons who have intimate relationship. These children display emotional and behavioral problems as though they were physically abused. Child labour/exploitation is also a form of child abuse. It takes different forms like hawking of all kinds of  items,  excessive house working, selling in shops, restaurants, hotels, among others when the children should have been in schools or at home studying or doing