THE IMPLICATIONS OF DIVORCE IN THE KINGDOM OF BENIN
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
THE STUDY’S BACKGROUND
The family that results from a marriage has some basic functions that distinguish it. According to Bilton, Bonnett, Jones, Sheard, Stanworth, and Webster (2001), in all societies, the family must perform some basic functions such as conception and birth, regular intercourse, socialization, and maintenance functions such as providing economic support and physical protection for children as they mature. Indeed, each spouse provides emotional support and companionship to the other (Filani, 2005).
Today, the influence of industrialization and urbanization has affected Nigeria’s social system, a component of which is the marriage system. As new cultural patterns, aspirations, and behavioral norms emerge, and as traditional social ties change, social control weakens.
The family is a sensitive institution that monitors all of these changes and responds to them by becoming disorganized. Because the traditional family structure has been so severely disrupted, the functions have been equally disrupted, and many of its important roles are now known to be associated with many people.
forms of insecurity
According to Filani (2005), marital instability is a breakdown in communication between couples that results in constant arguments, verbal and physical aggression, psychological ill health, emotional and physical separation, and sometimes divorce. Filani also stated that marital instability can occur as a result of a spouse’s death, desertion, mutual separation, or legal separation.
Divorce appears to be the most common and well-documented of these marital instability factors. Divorce, according to Bohanna (2003), is a complex phenomenon in human relationships that occurs in six stages: emotional divorce, economic divorce, legal divorce, co-parental divorce, community and psycho, divorce. According to Lands (2005), divorce becomes the climax of a long story of unhappiness and provides a legal way out of a situation that one or both parties consider intolerable.
A marriage literature review reveals a number of factors that contribute to divorce in marriage. For example, Thornton (2001) identified age and age at marriage as the two most powerful predictors of divorce; Otite and Ogionwo (2001) argued that childlessness in a marriage can lead to divorce in Nigeria;
Olayinka (2007) emphasized the importance of communication in marital stability; and Ezenkwu (2008) and Decker (2007), respectively, emphasized extramarital sex and discrepancy in mate traits. Lack of children, economic factors, communication problems, interference of in-laws, and education of spouses were identified as causes of divorce by Olusanya (1970) and Yagoob (1984).
‘The prevalence of divorce cases in today’s world cannot be overstated. According to Weikel and Wilson (2006), divorce in the United States increased by 79 percent between 1970 and 1977, and one-third or more of marriages between the ages of 25 and 35 will end in divorce.
Grebe (2006) also stated that in 1976, a National Centre for Health Statistics study predicted that by the early 1980s, 49 percent of all marriages would end in divorce, and that in 1983, there were 10.5 marriages per,000 people and 5.0 divorces per 1,000 people in the United States (National Centre for Health Statistics Personal Communication) (2004).
In Nigeria, there are currently no statistics on marital insecurity. However, on a weekly basis, newspapers in Lagos and its environs frequently report cases of marital discord. In the Weekend Concord of September 22nd, 1990, Solana (1990) reported the case of kids (aged 12 to 16 years) from broken homes. According to him, these kids have become a nuisance at Lagos City Hall during parties because they parade and fan invitees in an attempt to earn a living.
From 1984 to 1988, 1,697 marriages were registered in Kwara State by the Ministry of Information and Culture for both the Churches and the Marriage Registry. There were 12,104 divorces between 1984 and 1988. (Court case file, Child Welfare Centre and Oja-oba Area Courts, Ilorin). According to these records, the divorce rate is 71 percent, with approximately 7 divorces for every marriage (7:1). According to Ahmed (1990), the rate of divorce in Ilorin and its environs is increasing at an alarming rate.
This divorce rate should strike counsellors as a serious therapeutic problem because it is one of the most terrifying sources of psychological, social, and educational problems in society.
Counsellors should find practical solutions to minimize marital disorganization because it affects a large proportion of families. Divorce has been shown to have social, psychological, and educational consequences for children.
divorced parents, divorced spouses, and even the general public Katu (2008) emphasized that the majority of social misfits found in Nigerian cities are the result of broken homes. Frank (2000) also stated that spouses have been found to experience loneliness, stress, and strain.
In light of this, experts are needed to find ways to ensure marital stability in order to avoid constant marital relationship breakdowns. Thus, Olusanya (2000) discovered that education has a positive effect on marital stability and concluded that the more educated the spouses are, the more stable their marriage will be. In a previous study, Click and Norton (2001) discovered that men who complete college have a lower divorce rate than men who only complete high school or leave college without graduating.
As a result, education promotes a greater sense of responsibility within marriage. The goal of this study is to discover what married students at tertiary institutions in Ilorin believe are the causes of divorce in order to find solutions to our society’s incessant divorce cases.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Divorce has a wide range of consequences that affect children in Benin City and throughout Nigeria. Some of these issues are as follows:
i. There is an increase in domestic work and redistribution of household chores, leaving children with little or no time for their studies.
ii. In security, stepparents do not lavish love and affection on their stepchildren. As a result, these children suffer from mental retardation, personality development, and are generally unhappy. They exhibit behavioral responses such as lying, stealing, building, and being absent from school.
iii. It has also been observed that children from broken homes face additional issues such as a lack of basic material needs such as food, clothing, and learning materials, among others.
iv. Closing a gap in the children’s lives because there is no adult to guide and direct their behavior and desires as children learn through limitation.
STUDY PURPOSE
The researcher is interested in researching the effects of divorce on children in Benin City. Due to the recent trend of divorce, there has been a decrease in the performance of children in schools, which has most Edo State indigenes concerned about where we are headed. In light of this, the purpose of this research is to identify the causes and consequences of divorce on children in Benin City, Nigeria.
Also, to educate married couples and the general public in Benin City about the effects of divorce on children, to encourage them to live harmoniously in order to raise children who will successfully fit into society and become useful to themselves, and to make necessary recommendations.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDY
This study will provide the researcher with a thorough understanding of the effects of divorce on children in Benin City in particular and Nigeria in general, because whatever happens in the home has an impact on the children in society.
As a result, it is critical to educate young people who have yet to marry about the causes and consequences of divorce on children in Benin City and throughout Nigeria. This will cause young people to be cautious when selecting life partners.
Finally, the findings of this study will provide understanding of the problems experienced by divorced parents and children from divorced homes, as well as assurance about their future.
QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
a. What are the consequences of divorce on children in Benin City?
b. Does divorce have an impact on the behavior of children?
c. Do couples understand that problems in their marriage can lead to divorce?
d. Do psychological and emotional disturbances cause academic and social backwardness in children in society?
e. Do stepmothers’ insecurity and unruly attitude toward children from divorced homes cause them to steal in society?
f. What are the most likely factors that can lead to divorce?
THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVE This research focuses on divorce and its consequences in the Benin Kingdom, and it is limited to Benin-speaking indigenes in Edo State.
DEFINITION OF TERMSFamily: A group of two or more people who are related by blood, marriage, or adoption and live together; all such people are considered members of the same family.
Marriage is the union of a man and a woman as husband and wife.
Couple: two people seen as husband and wife.
Divorce: the legal dissolution of a marriage in which the husband or wife has sexual relations outside the matrimonial home.
Disloyalty or a state of being unfaithful to the husband or wife sexuality outside the matrimonial home is referred to as infidelity.
Youngster: A young person or young boys and girls who have not yet married.
Early marriage: When either of the spouses is not ready for marriage before getting married.
Universal escape: Methods for regaining freedom from marital tensions
Family goals are the aims and objectives that a family strives to achieve in order to live a better life.
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