EXPERIENCES OF ADOLESCENT’S REGARDING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND THEIR PERCEIVED HEALTH CONSEQUENCES IN IBADAN NORTH-EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OYO STATE

Abstract

Corporal punishments also referred to as physical punishment is a disciplinary method in which a supervising adult deliberately inflicts pain upon a child in response to a child’s unacceptable behaviour and/or inappropriate language. Corporal punishment kills thousands of children each year and injures and disable many more. It is a hurtful method of child discipline with a rising prevalence in Africa and Nigeria. Administering physical punishment as standard child rearing process on adolescents comes with so many unfavorable consequences to the adolescents. The study was designed to investigate the mode of child discipline to serve as an insight into the conditions in which adolescent’s find themselves today, the experience of corporal punishment, and the perceived health consequence of corporal punishment among adolescents in Ibadan North East Local Government Area The study was a descriptive cross-sectional survey that used a multi stage sampling technique. The study population were adolescents in senior secondary school (SS1-3) in Ibadan North East Local Government Area. The instrument used for collection of data was a self-administered questionnaire titled. A pre-test was done and a descriptive analysis and chi square test was carried out to check the reliability of the questionnaire. The hypothesis raised were tested at 95% level of significance. The study was carried out among three hundred and thirty (330) students in both public and private school in Ibadan North East Local Government Area. The mean age of the respondents was 15.2 ± 3.1years. Findings from this study revealed that Physical Punishment is the most popular method of child discipline among adolescents, with fathers being the highest perpetrators (47.9%) compared to the mothers (44.5%). Findings from this study revealed that physical punishment experienced by adolescent within the month preceding the study includes slapping, knock on head, weeding of grass, painful body postures, washing of plates and clothes among others. Findings from the study also shows there is a statistically significant association between experience of corporal punishment and adolescent’s ethnic group and religion. Muslim students are more likely to experience corporal punishment than Christian students. In the same vein, students of Hausa descents are more likely than students of Yoruba descent to experience corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is the most adopted mode of discipline compared non-physical punishment used on adolescents in their home as revealed in this study. From the research it is obvious the respondents perceive corporal punishment as a social norms and will likely use it as a mode of discipline too as majority of the respondent thinks corporal punishment will make them a better person in life. The study recommends that Public enlightenment should be carried out to parents to enlighten them on health consequences and negative effects of corporal punishment on their children. Also, children and adolescent rights should be well established and thought to them. Corporal punishment should be clearly defined to establish the severe mode and also the extent of use allowed by parents on their child/children by the Government.