CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

The household is the most important part of civilization. It is at the heart of the socialization process, and it is here that the young are well-integrated into the adult world. It is commonly believed that a kid is not born sociable or human. Only through interacting with people in the surroundings does he develop his true human essence and identity. This remark implies that the environment (including the family) and culture give content and direction for the individual's growth in society (Allport 1949, kluckhohn and Marray1949) Parents, as the primary socializers, must be aware of their children's growth patterns. This will improve the right raising methods for each youngster, as well as create ways to deal with their various social issues. As a result, teenagers born to the same parents differ substantially, and one raising approach may not be appropriate for all of them. Parents, as the kid's first instructors, are responsible for socializing and teaching the kid the society's acceptable values and custom. Their inability to use the optimal strategy for each child has an impact on the child's social life. Onyejiaku (1991) goes on to say that human socialization is inherently complicated. No teenager is born with the knowledge of right and wrong, as well as a comprehension of society's acceptable patterns of behavior. Individual socialization necessitates a kid's long-term instruction in order for the youngster to adopt acceptable adult attitudes, beliefs, values, customs, roles, and expectations. Anti-social behavior in teenagers might previously be linked to parental marital status. Absenteeism from school and class, school dropout, smoking, drug addiction, intoxication, prostitution, cultism, thievery, and other forms of antisocial behavior are all frequent among teenagers. Most teenagers engage in these aberrant behaviors as a way of distracting themselves from their issues in life. Children's planning is a joint obligation of both parents who live together as husband and wife. There is frequently less control and supervision of the teens' behavior in most homes where one or both parents are absent due to divorce, death, or natural catastrophe. Adolescents' social behavior is the foundation for their productive and successful participation in society. The socialization process helps a person understand his place in the social matrix as well as the methods and values of the wider society in which he will ultimately assume adult responsibilities. Contrary to popular belief, the family continues to influence an individual's personality through adolescence. According to Pringle (1962), the capacity for integration and creativity has roots in family living. To him, a happy, good, and united home provides a conducive and encouraging environment.

In the process of rearing and training of adolescents, the family as the first agent of socialization of the child has great formative capabilities, creating meanings and relationships with the person, who in turn exerts certain impacts on the house. Adolescents with various personality traits have parents that are overprotective, over demanding, rejecting, or accepting. An authoritarian parent's child will grow up to be aggressive, intolerant, role-oriented, violent, and conformist. Adolescents from democratic backgrounds are more open-minded, gregarious, tolerant, and courteous. Adolescents from laissez-faire homes, on the other hand, are more likely to display traits like pomposity, vulgarity, impulsive conduct, insensitivity, and a lack of morality.

Statement of the problem

 The sort of household a kid comes from has an impact on his or her mental disposition and behavioral pattern. Children from divorced and separated households are frequently more maladjusted than those from intact households. The repercussions include low self-esteem, withdrawal syndrome, inferiority complex, absenteeism, lawlessness, criminal inclinations, and a proclivity for lying in defense. According to Okwubunka (1988), adolescents from divided households lack confidence in their social abilities, which is an indication of an inner social anxiety. These youngsters grow up to be nervous, neurotic bullies, cheaters, and liars. The adult's careless, unorganized, disorderly, and indiscipline lifestyle has infiltrated the young person. Part of this careless attitude often leads to divorced or separated relationships, which has negative consequences for teenagers' social behavior patterns. Human behavior is a collection of interconnected characteristics that make up a well-organized person. A person's personality pattern largely determines who he is and what he does in a particular scenario and with other people. As a consequence of these inherent characteristics, most teenagers have developed behaviors that are distinct from those of the general population. Suicide, cultism, robbery, sexual practices, lying, cheating, and other social behaviors are shown in their clothes, dancing, drinking, drug use and addiction, suicide, cultism, robbery, sexual practices, lying, cheating, and other ways. Unfortunately, in most situations, these developing individuals are protected, supported, or even harbored by members of the family or society.

Objective of the study

The following are the objective of this study

1. To examine the relationship between parental marital status and teenage social behavior

2. To investigate how teenagers from single parent home have more personal social problems than those from intact homes

3. To assess the impact of divorce on the social behavior of teenager from divorced homes

Research question

1. What is the relationship between parental marital status and teenage social behaviour?

2. Do teenagers from single parent home have more personal social problems than those from intact homes?

3. What is the impact of divorce on the social behaviour of teenager from divorced homes?

Significance of the study

This research will be useful to the general public. The home, society, as well as this generation, must follow conventional social values and conventions. Severe and crippling negative values harm society, such as inadequate child upbringing, single-parenting, divorced and separated spouses, and violence, to name a few. Adults, including parents, children, and society should acknowledge and respect the institution of marriage, as well as their responsibilities and duties to their children and communities.

Scope of the study

The aim of this research is to  examine the relationship between parental marital status and teenager social behaviour.Parents, as the primary socializers, must be aware of their children's growth patterns. This will improve the techniques of child raising that are used with each kid, as well as design ways to cope with their myriad social issues.

Limitation of the study

Finance, lack of research material and time factor were challenges the researcher encountered during the course of this study

Definition of terms

Social Behaviour: Social behavior is behavior among two or more organisms within the same species, and encompasses any behavior in which one member affects the other. This is due to an interaction among those members.

Marital status: marital status, are the distinct options that describe a person's relationship with a significant other

References

1. Anake, P.M (2018) Parental marital status and adolescent’s social behaviors

2. Asif, H. , Akbar, H.(2016) Behavioral problems of adolescents. International journal for social sciences. 4(2), 238-244

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