THE EFFECT OF MARITAL INSTABILITY ON CHILDREN



Obiekwe (2000) summarized the effects of marital instability on children in the following ways: Juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, teenage pregnancy, prostitution, gangster, alcoholism, armed robbery and violence. In looking at the effects of marital crises on children, Ajai and Ipaye figured out some of the behaviours that children from unstable homes use to portray as follows: lacking in respect for authority, disorderliness, early indulgence in drinking, smoking and delinquent behaviour. The effects of marital instability on children can now be reviewed.


JUVENILE DELINQUENCY
One of the major facts in the study of human development is the impact of the home in shaping the growing child. Most of the causes of juvenile delinquency stem from the home of the delinquent child concerned. The child enters into the family unspecialized. There are some values parents must transmit to the child, which will enable him to adjust well to the society. Failure to do this may result in many things as juvenile delinquency. Moreover, situations do arise where a growing child who needs all the necessary care and attention from both parents is faced with the uncertainties of a broken home (Anigbo, 2002).
            Hollis (1949) quoted by Anigbo (2002) observed that the dangers of lack of peaceful co-existence between husband and wife in a family result to breeding offsprings that do not belong to the family and this leads to juvenile delinquency when such children are neglected. According to him the absence of proper parental guaradiance, the child unconsciously seeks for outside sources of such satisfaction, thereby giving room for the internalization of immorality. He showed that children's needs should be* provided by the parents, but a situation whereby the parents are not living peacefully, they feel less concern of their children. Children as young people will now begin to look outside for the fulfillment of their needs. In doing this, they are prone to be affected by immoralities around them.
According to Ezeh (2000) young children from homes froth wife marital problems pick up any form of behaviour from their parents with far-reaching consequences for the society as a whole. He perceived that parents contribute in the production of the personality of the children of such home. When the child is not properly provided for, such child will then be allowed to riot without any form of control especially as their needs are not met. He viewed that in the extreme case, the possibilities of delinquent disposition for the children of such home become obvious and to the detriment of the whole society.
Moreover, he pointed out that parents who are emotional apart, even though they may remain physically together most often than not have children that develop perfect negative methods of getting out of trouble or what they want, which is to the detriment of the longer society. Awake (2004) view that an unstable families may lead to the feeling of insecurity for child which may continue throughout his childhood and adolescent. It is also observed in it that the criminal tendencies among our youths are attributable to the upbringing of our children. They maintained that no child is born a criminal, he learns feelings like hostility from those he relates with from the beginning of his life. His parents are his man teacher and, whatever they do will be copied and imitated. It is also noted in it that the effects of marital crises on children are greater when they are still at their tender age and their parents are in a poor economic position.
Ajai and Ipaye (1997) observed that some couples still undergo separation or divorce as a result of failure of one or both parties to perform their marital obligations, adultery, maltreatment etc. They saw marital crises as what do not only affect the couple involved but also have tremendous effects on the offspring's of the marriage who are deprived of love by either or both parents. The effects do not just appear immediately at the point of such conflict but does appear later in the life of the children involved. They also, perceived that the tension and quarrels, which precede divorce, create negative emotional conditions within the home. The child is disturbed when the relationship between the parents is not cordial.
In trying to show the association between delinquency and broken marriages, they noted that delinquency is caused by inadequate socialization.
According to them, marital instability affects the academic performance of children in schools. He demonstrated this by comparing intact homes and unintact homes. He said that children from intact homes have fewer absences, higher grade point average, lower negative teacher behaviour ratings, and higher positive teacher behaviour ratings than those from unstable homes.
The various contributions have helped to deepen our understanding of the causes of marital instability and the effects of marital instability on children.
From the area of study, it has be found out that children from unstable homes often than not are worst off when compared with the children from united homes. This means that it is only when something goes wrong with the parent-child relationship those serious cases of delinquency result.
The present paper therefore, is unique and vital as it discusses the effects of marital instability on children of Akpawfu Town. The researcher was prompted to embark on the study because little or no such study has been conducted in the study area.
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