EFFECTS OF MARITAL BREAKDOWN ON CHILD PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Ojo Sunday Stephen, Agara Jummai Jakonda and Pojwan Martina Alexander
Department of Social Development
Nasarawa State Polytechnic Lafia, Nasarawa State.
E-mail: Steven234_1@yahoo.com
Abstract: The institution of marriage is highly valued in Nigeria. Couples enter into marriage with the hope of staying happily married. Unfortunately, this is hardly the case as previous researches on marital breakdown in Nigeria revealed that marriages are ending in divorce and separation at a very fast rate. The research objective is set at exposing the nature and causes of marital breakdown and also to highlight the effects on the personality development of children. The paper revealed that marital breakdown in Nigeria is commonly associated with economic, social, cultural and gender factors and creates a lot of stress and dilemma in children adversely affecting their personality. Children from broken homes exhibit behavioral difficulties much more than children from stable homes. The paper therefore recommends that educational and religious institutions should persuade parents to treat marital tensions sensibly without instigating their children to take sides. This will reduce post traumatic effects on children.