THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POVERTY AND CHILD ABUSE: IMPLICATONS FOR SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE A CASE STUDY OF RURAL COMMUNITIES IN OGHARA, ETHIOPE WEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, DELTA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study focuses on poverty and child abuse relationship. Poverty isthe condition of being without funds or the means to adequately support oneself of one’s family (University of Montana, 2012). The word child abuse is regarded as any form of physical, mental or emotional maltreatment of a child, e.g neglect or sexual abuse, by either of its parents or another adult (Chambers, 1999). A child is one who is below the age of 18years. United Nations on the Convention on Rights of the child defines a child as everyone under the age of 18, and almost laws of other countries. Poverty and child abuse hinder national and individual development, hence there is a global concern and effort to eliminate the duo. The study uses Oghara in Ethiope West, LGA of Delta State as a case study. Using a survey research design, Child Treatment Questionnaire was used to collect data from a sample size of 200 respondents. The research findings are that there are incidents of child abuse in Oghara communities. These include child labor, physical abuse and neglect. Poverty (especially income poverty) was identified to influence child labor. It is recommend that government, private sectors, nongovernmental organization and concerned individuals should help to ensure safe environment for national and individual development, pursue skills acquisition, job and wealth creation programnes, child abuse awareness programmes and enforcement of child abuse laws. It is also recommended that the researcher should send a copy each to a church, mosque, secondary school and community development union in Oghara as effort towards achieving the objective(s) of the study.