CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of the Study
The abuse of a child is for the intent of domestic service, prostitution and other forms of exploitative labour is widespread in Nigeria. In view of the furtive nature of child abuse, precise and reliable figures are quite difficult to get. Child abuse is perceived to be a contemporary method of slavery which has been in existence for a long period of time. Thus from the times of the Romans, it was observed that children were compelled into forced labour, sold, battered, mutilated, neglected and ill-treated at the delight of the father just as children were used as tools when necessary and at the delight of their parents and care takers (Ojomo, 2010). However, it was due to the lack of proper legislation to punish perpetuators that led to major challenge in combating child abusers in the interim, the police and the court resorted to using portions of the country’s penal code, (Olujuwon, 2014). This was however the state of affairs until the Nigeria Child’s Right Act was enacted in 2003. The passing of the Child Rights Act in Nigeria necessitated the need to protect and preserve the rights of the Nigerian child. The Child Rights Act not only specifies that the best interests of the Nigerian child should be central to all actions, but it also provides the duties and obligations of parents, the government and organizations towards children (Akinwumi, 2009).
The Child Rights Act is the most complete legislation dealing with the rights of a child in Nigeria as it covers every situation where a child may be subjected to abuse. Some of the relevant sections which provide for the protection of children include, the prohibition of the use of children in criminal activities, the use of children in exploitative labor; unlawful sexual intercourse with a child; and the recruitment of children into the armed forces, (Child Rights Act sec 26, 28, 31 and 34), while the Child Rights Act as well contains other provisions relating to children with regard to their care and supervision and the custodial possession of children, an important prohibition relates to child marriage.
In Nigeria, child abuse has thrived so well inspite of the legal provisions prohibiting slavery and forced labour in section 34(1) of 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which states that, every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly; (a) no individual shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; (b) no individual shall be held in slavery or servitude; and (c) no individual shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour, (Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999). Sections 223-225 of the criminal code, applicable in southern Nigeria, provide for sanctions against whoever trades in prostitution and aids the transport of human being within or outside Nigeria for commercial purposes, (Criminal Code, 1916). Likewise articles 278-280 of the Penal code, in operation in the northern states of Nigeria forbid and punish the buying and selling of minors for immoral intent, buying or disposing of slaves and unlawful compulsory labour, (Penal Code, 1960). In 1998, the constitutional right project raised the alarm on what they called child trafficking and slavery in Nigeria.
Ebigbo (2016) opined that, the family system in Nigeria is breaking down and as a result, the standard of living has worsened in both urban and rural areas. According to Ebigbo (2016), when a country is troubled, especially in the area of economic, the family is the first to experience the shock and the children suffer most. A lot of people are jobless and the children are exhibiting it. The rate of crime is on the increase both in the urban and rural areas. Jobless parents are having a difficult moment catering for their families. Being unemployed have certain emotional consequences and as a result, it affects the mood of the whole household. It leads to anger and depression which could be exhibited in forms of child abuse.
Moreover, Adidu (2012) emphasized that child abuse may lead in psychiatric disorders such as hopelessness, excessive, anxiety or disassociate identity disorder, as well as increased risk of suicide. Baran (2011) posited that, child abuse exposes them to various kinds of abuse, violence and juvenile crime which often cause behaviour problems among the children. Uchem (2013) opined that, after the official abolition of slave trade and slavery over 200years ago, it has resurfaced in a new dimension referred to as child trafficking. Ehindero (2012) submitted that, a large number of the internally trafficked persons were from rural to urban cities of Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Anambra, Kaduna, Ondo, Oyo, Ogun, Rivers, Edo, and Osun States which are the major destination states in Nigeria.
Nkwocha (2016) noted that, the press employed the use of social media which are the platforms that professional communicators use in broadcasting messages far and wide, rapidly add continuously to arouse the abusers the dangers in abusing/trafficking vulnerable especially children, inform the society on the consequence of such acts. Social media particularly Twitter and Facebook are the two most powerful tools for opinion, molding, orientation, agenda setting, public debate, integration, on the subject matter. According to Okunna (2012), the social media yields a lot of power, as it cut across all sectors in different parts of the world. As a result, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter plays a valuable and significant role in explaining, interpreting and commenting upon event in the society like child abuse and other related issues.
Therefore, as germane as the statement in relation to child abuse would be the level of social media awareness on the issue is indispensable to this study. A lot of children are being abused, raped and smuggled on day-to-day basis to destinations or locations where they are vulnerable to cold-blooded treatment. The importance of the social media as the watch dog of the society have a social responsibility to carry out reports in relations to child abuse across their various platforms in their news feed, sponsored ad, timelines, etc.
Based on the above background, this study will examine the influence of social media as a watch dog in the fight against child abuse in Lagos State, Nigeria.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
In Nigeria, the issue of child abuse has continued to remain a very intractable problem. In the past, this trend has changed both in form and characterization covering a broad range of work activities for children which includes domestic service, bus conducting, industrial work, street hawking with enormous adverse consequences for the children and the nation at large. Due to this unpleasant trend, a child growth, survival, and development is continuously in danger, his/her right to life, jeopardised.
It has been observed that in Nigeria thousands of children were allegedly trafficked across borders and sold as mere commodities per annum over the world. For example, on Friday May 2nd, 2017, a radio station (Rhythm 93.7) broadcasted that the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) Panti, Lagos State arrested a couple (husband and wife) who sold out their twins to a syndicate group who engaged in selling kids in London, (Benzi, 2013). Similarly, another radio state known as Nigeria Info 92.3 FM broadcasted that, the Rivers State Police Command intercepted 64 children from suspected smugglers along Port Harcourt-Bayelsa expresses way, (UNICEF, 2015). It was further reported that, the intercepted children were between the ages of 5 and 16years. Other reports showed that, the children are being smuggled to cities within and outside Nigeria, and as a result has led to an increase in abuses, diseases, illiteracy, undernourishment, trafficking and exposure to dangers in the life of children, (Benzi, 2013).
In Nigeria today, practically, it can be observed that nearly all the streets of Lagos State are littered with beggars most especially children from other states in Nigeria, most especially children from the Northern parts with their guardians seating at the back waiting to take delivery of the money given to them. The most worrisome is the fact that the media that is meant to be the broadcasters of these happenings or events are not doing well enough with the intensity of this reality in order to give an appropriate campaign.
Although, it is observed that a lot of factors contribute to the action of child abuse which ranges from lack of knowledge and illiteracy on the part of the perpetrators, poverty or greediness, (Lotte, 2011). However, the most worrisome is the fact that if the parents or guardians of these children are aware of the legal provision of a child as contained in the Child Right Act together with its consequences.
In addition, the social media is vested with the social responsibility of publicizing, educating and popularization of this act vis-à-vis its agenda setting and mobilization functions. Thus, how the social media have been able to create awareness on the issues of child abuse and the ensuing effect such effort have on children, parents and the country at large forms the problem this research work seeks to unravel.
1.3. Research Objectives
The primary objective of this study is to examine media as a watch dog against child abuse and human trafficking. The following specific objectives are to;
- examine the influence of Twitter in the fight against child abuse in Nigeria
- investigate the effectiveness of social media in raising awareness over child abuse in Nigeria
- evaluate the impact of existing laws against child abuse in Nigeria
- find out the factors contributing to child abuse in Nigeria
1.4. Research Questions
Based on the above research objectives, the following research questions will be poised.
- What is the influence of Twitter in the fight against child abuse in Nigeria?
- To what extent is the effectiveness of social media in raising awareness over child abuse in Nigeria?
- What is the impact of existing laws against child abuse in Nigeria?
- What are the factors that contribute to child abuse in Nigeria?
1.5. Significance of the Study
The findings of this study will help add to the wealth of information presently available on media and child abuse in Nigeria.
In addition, the findings of this study will help enlighten the public on the necessary measures to take in the case of child abuse in the country, and as well as to understand the negative and health consequences of engaging in child abuse.
Besides, the findings of this study will have the capacity to make available a credible pulpit or opportunity for highlighting and demanding the need for relevant federal, state, and non-governmental entities to identify, document, and provide the necessary compensations for the victims and as well as the provision of credible and reliable laws that will punish offenders according to the law.
Furthermore, the results of the study are expected to contribute to closing the gap in literature with respect to understanding the negative influence of child abuse among individuals most especially among children in the country.
Lastly, the study will highlight the importance of social media as a watch dog against child abuse, and as well as influencing public opinions in relation to the subject matter.
1.6. Scope of the Study
The study will highlight the associated problems with child abuse and the effects on teenagers in Nigeria. The scope of this study is the basic qualitative design to extract in-depth and pertinent information. This study is focused on teenagers who have experienced child abuse in various forms, however, teenagers in the Lagos State internally trafficked/displaced persons camp will be the focus of attention for the study as they have experienced various forms of child abuse such as early marriages’, forced labour (slavery), trafficking, among others. The reason for the choice of teenagers is because, they are mostly the victims involved in this act and as a result, they will have the ability to provide firsthand information with accuracy in relation to the subject matter.
1.7. Methodology of the Study
The methodology of this study will be qualitative in nature using primary and secondary sources of information. The primary source shall entail interview while the secondary sources shall be through journals, reports, articles, newspapers, treaties, textbooks and various statutes which would be obtained from online sources. The issue under discussion is a global menace which cuts across the world in general, although there have been few or little literatures on the subject matter, this shall be referred to in discussing the topic at hand.
Purposive sampling will be used to select respondents from population of internally trafficked/displaced persons in Lagos State Camp, Nigeria. This sampling method will be used because it will help the researcher to focus on study participants who have been exposed to child abuse in diverse forms and have experienced sufferings and losses as a result to their exposure to this menace. The study will collect data using the interviews from participants between ages of 10 and 18. Face-to-face interviews will be carried out at the convenience of study participants.
A content analysis approach to data analysis will be used to extract, organize and analyze the data to obtain emergent themes and their interwoven relationships.
1.8. Operational Definition of Terms
Media: is a tool of communication such as television, newspaper, radio, etc., which are seen as a social instrument of communication.
Child Abuse: is the physical, sexual or emotional mistreatment of a child that causes long-term or permanent damage.
Human Trafficking: is the local or international trade in humans, especially for the aim of sexual slavery, forced labour or for the extraction of organs or tissues for ritual purposes, including surrogacy and ova removal.
1.9. Synopsis of the Study
This study is structured into five main chapters. Chapter one entails the background, statement of problems, research objectives, research questions and hypotheses, and significance and scope of the study. Chapter two consists of the literature review that reveals the findings and research that already exists on the topic. Chapter three is for methodology used to organize and carry out this study. The discussion of the results from the content analysis will be presented in the Chapter four. Chapter five provides a summary of the study, conclusion and recommendations.
