ROLE OF RADIO IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHILD ABUSE
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ROLE OF RADIO IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST CHILD ABUSE
Chapter one
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Despite being viewed as God’s great gift and future leaders, children are often abused and neglected. The United Nations selected 1979 as the “International Year of the Child” and created a list of children’s rights.
According to the United Nations, every child has the right to love and understanding; adequate food and health; free education, play, an identity, and special attention for the handicapped regardless of race, gender, religion, nation, or social origin (Nwokedi, 2016).
Unfortunately, the United Nations reports that many people are unaware of their rights. This is why child abuse is prevalent in many countries around the world, including Nigeria today.
According to Young (2001) and Nwokedi (2016), “child abuse and neglect are an integral part of the modern world, including African society and Nigeria in particular.”
Corporal punishment is commonly used as a result of disobedience in any youngster. These include caning, and in some Nigerian tribes, unpleasant punishments such as rubbing pepper into the genital region are used.”
As stated by Akinyemi (2013), child abuse “is any act of misuse of a child in any form, it is situation where a child is not being provided the much needed necessities of life, where a child is maltreated physically, sexually or emotionally and this is detrimental to the future growth and development of such a child” .
Child abuse can induce worry, agitation, guilt feelings, and neurotic illnesses, and it also has an impact on society because most of these young delinquents go on to become armed robbers and kidnappers.
The majority of today’s dare-devil criminals were once youthful delinquents. It is a cycle that will continue until government civil society groups, parents, schools, and religious institutions take the bull by the horns and stop this unspeakable deed in our society (Akinyemi 2013). Child abuse has a severe influence not only on the child, but also on national development.
The level of education and social support provided to Nigerian children now determines their future leadership. Abuse of children is the most devastating aspect of nation-building, as it destroys the child’s existence and future. Children are humanity’s ticket to survival on earth.
It is thought that the mass media has always been the primary avenue for making these programmes known to the people of the country. Without a question, the mass media is effective in spreading inventions and mobilising people for a specific course of action that benefits the nation.
It indicates that the media may be an effective weapon for mobilising and educating people about the importance of participating in the implementation of the campaign against child abuse (Anorue, Obayi, & Onyebuchi, 2011).
Olayiwola (1991:33), referenced in (Anorue, Obayi & Onyebuchi, 2012), summarises it by stating that, “some kinds of communication on some kinds of subjects, brought to the attention of some kinds of people under some kinds of situations (via some kinds of channel) “have some kind of influence.”
The media, namely the broadcast media (radio and radio), has not been left out of attempts to eradicate child abuse in the country as part of their many societal responsibilities.
Broadcast media, by definition, is influential, particularly in terms of raising awareness, mass mobilisation, and sensitization, influencing public opinion, and drawing attention to critical socio-cultural concerns in society.
Broadcasting is the principal means of delivering information and entertainment to the people in almost every country on the planet (Nwokedi, 2016). When discussing the impact of broadcasting on society, Adaba (1997), referenced in Emakpor (2008, p.5), claims that “no other medium can deliver as large and instantaneous an audience to politicians or government as broadcasting can.”
Secondly, there is a widespread assumption that broadcasting is a powerful medium that can be found everywhere, including homes, workplaces, and transportation. It is similar to a second skin through which most people maintain contact with their immediate surroundings and the world at large.”
According to Byers (1999, p. 51), it is a catch-all word for four different types of child maltreatment. They include physical violence, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect.”
Armstrong (1993, p. 3) supports this classification by defining child abuse as “child neglect by their parents or carers; emotional or psychological abuse of children; physical abuse, and child sexual abuse (CSA)”.
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