Working Mothers and Child Rearing Practice as a Factor to Juvenile Delinquency among Primary School Pupils in Borno State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated work status of mothers as a factor of child delinquency among primary school pupils in Borno State, Nigeria. The study determined the differences of mothers work status and the nature of delinquencies associated with children of working and non-working group of mothers. The populations of the study were all mothers of delinquent pupils in primary schools in Borno State and their delinquent children. Data was collected from eight hundred mothers of work and non working status and the teachers of their delinquent children for the study. Stratified and purposive sampling was used to select the sample. Two types of self-made instrument: 55 items questionnaire and 26 items child delinquent rating scale with Alfa reliability index of 0.89 and 0.93 were used to collect data for the study. Data generated were analyzed by the use of descriptive statistic (simple percentage, mean and standard deviation) and standard step-wise multiple regression at alpha level of p< 0.05. Result indicated that there were differences in work status of mothers of delinquent pupils and nature of delinquency associated with children of mothers within work status groups. It is also observed that there is significant relationship between work status of a child rearing mothers and juvenile delinquency. It is recommended that strategies for reality counselling approach should be used for both working and non-working mothers on how to help their delinquent children. Government should also come up with concrete policy on how to care for children and working mothers by enforcing the policy of day care programme in places of work to solve numerous problems associated with where working mothers keep their children while working. This will also improve and enhance mother-child bonding.