10 - Latchkey Experiences of School-Age Children in Low-income Families in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria
Corresponding Author(s) : Mildred Ekot
Africa Development,
Vol. 37 No. 3 (2012): Africa Development: Special Issue on Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Lives in Africa
Abstract
The study investigated the Latchkey experiences of school-age children (5-13 years) from the perspectives of mothers in low-income families in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A proportionate stratified random sample of 200 was drawn from high density areas of the five strata making up the study area. Data collected were analysed using frequencies, percentages and means and revealed the latchkey arrangement common in the area including, hiding the house key at the backyard or other places for children to gain entrance to the house after school, dropping the key in a neighbour’s house or shop, opening the house door through a window, while only two per cent reported giving duplicate keys to their children to take to school. Some of the respondents also reported that even though their children were home alone after school they were closely monitored by neighbours and relatives. Other parents reported that their children remained home alone without any form of supervision till either parent returned home, or were monitored by older siblings. While this social arrangement was not the preferred mode of raising children, a number of positive effects were attributed to it including learning to be independent and responsible, self reliance and competence in household chores for girls.
Keywords
Download Citation
Endnote/Zotero/Mendeley (RIS)BibTeX
- Akwa Ibom News Online, 2011, ‘Child Witches’, (www.akwaibomnewsonline.com). 9 January 2012.
- American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010, ‘Home Alone Children’, Available online at http://aacp.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/ 46_home_alone_children.pdf. 25 October 2011.
- Bartholomew, R. 2011, ‘Battle over Nigeria’s Child witches’, (http//http://barthsnotes.com/2011/05/26/battle-over-nigerias-child-witches/). 9 January 2012.
- Barlow, D. and Durand, V. M., 2008, Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach, Cengage Learning.
- Bee, H., and Boyd, D., 2007, The Developing Child, (11th ed.), Boston: Pearson Inc.
- Belle, D., 1999, The After-School Lives of Children: Alone and With Others While Parents Work, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
- Berk, L. E., 2001, Development through the Lifespan, 2nd ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
- Brandon, P. and Hoffreth, S., 2003, ‘Determinants of out-of-school childcare Arrangements among children in single-mother and two-parent families’, Social Science Research, Vol. 32, pp. 129-147
- City of Phoenix, 2011, ‘Latchkey Children’, (http:/phoenix.gov/index.html). 9 October 2011.
- Collins English Dictionary: Complete and Unabridged, 2003, Harper Collins Publishers. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/HaperCollinsPruductsaspx?English). 26 October 2011.
- Ekot, M.O., 2011a, ‘After- School Care Arrangements for School-Age Children by Dual-Income Female Bank workers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State’, Paper presented at the 5th IFHE-Africa Regional Conference held at University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana on 26th to 28th September, 2011.
- Ekot, M.O., 2011b, ‘The Role of Children in Income Generating Activities of Poor Rural Families in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State’, Paper Presented at the First Annual National Conference of Family and Consumer Science Society of Nigeria (FACSSON), Held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on 14-18 November, 2011.
- Galambos, D.L., and Maggs, I., 1991, ‘Out -of -School care of young Adolescents and self-reported Behaviour’, Developmental Psychology, Vol. 27 pp. 644-65.
- Goyette-Ewing, M., 2000, ‘Children’s After-School Arrangements: A Study of Self-Care and Developmental Outcomes’, Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, Vol. 20, pp. 55-67.
- Klavs, I., Rodrigues, H. A., and R. Hayes, R., 2006, ‘Factors associated with early sexual debut in Slovenia: Results of general population survey’, Sex Transmission Infections, Vol. 82, pp. 478-483.
- Leung, K.C., Robson, W.L., Cho, H. and Lim, S. H., 1996, ‘Latchkey Children’, Journal of Royal Society of Health, Vol. 116, pp. 356-359.
- Makungu, C. M., 2011, ‘Young people in self-care: behaviours and experiences in farming households in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania’, Masters thesis, Durham University. Available online at http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3245/. 22 November 2011.
- Marshall, N., Coll, G., Marx, F., McCartney, K., Keefe, N., and Ruh, I., 1997, ‘After- School Time and Children’s Behavioural Adjustment’, Merrill Palmer Research Quarterly, Vol. 43, pp. 497-514.
- Miller, C., 2002, ‘Family Influence on Adolescent Sexual and Contraceptive Activity’, Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 39, pp. 22-26
- Mulhall, P., 1996, ‘Home Alone: Is It a Risk Factor for Middle School Youth and Drug Use?’, Journal of Drug Education, Vol. 26, pp. 39-48.
- Osgood, D., Wilson, J., O’Malley, M., Bachman, J. and Lloyd, D., 1996, ‘Routine Activities and Individual Deviant Behaviour’, American Sociological Review, 61: 635-655.
- Pettit, G.S., Laird, R.D., Bates, J.E., and Dodge, K.A., 1997, ‘Patterns of After- school care in middle childhood: Risk factors and Developmental Outcomes’, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 42 1: 515-538.
- Posner, I. and Vandell, D., 1994, ‘Low-income children’s After-school Care: Are they beneficial effects of After-school Programmes?’, Child Development, Vol. 65, pp. 440-456
- Rice, F.P., 1995, Human Development: A Lifespan Approach, 2nd ed., New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
- Roche, K.M., Ellen, J. and N. M. Astone, N.M., 2005, ‘Effects of Out-of-School Care on Sex Initiation among Young Adolescents in Low-Income Central City Neighbourhoods’, Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 159, pp. 68-73.
- Ruiz-Casares, M., 2010, ‘Between Freedom and Fear: Children’s Views on Home Alone’, British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 2560-2577.
- Ruiz-Casares, M., and Heymann, J., 2009, ‘Children home alone unsupervised: Modeling parental decision and factors in Botswana, Mexico and Vietnam’, Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 33, pp. 312-323.
- Rupatsisikira, E., Ogwell, A., Siziya, E.O. and Muula, S., 2007, ‘Prevalence of Sexual Intercourse among School Going Children Adolescents in Coast Province, Kenya’, Tanzania Health Research Bulletin, Vol. 9, pp. 159-163.
- Santrock, J.W., 2005, Children, 8th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill.
- Santrock, J.W., 2006, Lifespan Development, 10th ed., New York: McGraw Hill Shumow, L, 2011, ‘Latchkey Children’, (http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2158/Latchkey-Children.html). 15 December 2011.
- Vandell, D. & Shumow, L., 1999, ‘After-School Child Care Programs’, in R. Behrman, ed., The Future of Children, 9th ed., Los Altos, CA: David and Lucille Packard Foundation.
References
Akwa Ibom News Online, 2011, ‘Child Witches’, (www.akwaibomnewsonline.com). 9 January 2012.
American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010, ‘Home Alone Children’, Available online at http://aacp.org/galleries/FactsForFamilies/ 46_home_alone_children.pdf. 25 October 2011.
Bartholomew, R. 2011, ‘Battle over Nigeria’s Child witches’, (http//http://barthsnotes.com/2011/05/26/battle-over-nigerias-child-witches/). 9 January 2012.
Barlow, D. and Durand, V. M., 2008, Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach, Cengage Learning.
Bee, H., and Boyd, D., 2007, The Developing Child, (11th ed.), Boston: Pearson Inc.
Belle, D., 1999, The After-School Lives of Children: Alone and With Others While Parents Work, Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Berk, L. E., 2001, Development through the Lifespan, 2nd ed., Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Brandon, P. and Hoffreth, S., 2003, ‘Determinants of out-of-school childcare Arrangements among children in single-mother and two-parent families’, Social Science Research, Vol. 32, pp. 129-147
City of Phoenix, 2011, ‘Latchkey Children’, (http:/phoenix.gov/index.html). 9 October 2011.
Collins English Dictionary: Complete and Unabridged, 2003, Harper Collins Publishers. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/HaperCollinsPruductsaspx?English). 26 October 2011.
Ekot, M.O., 2011a, ‘After- School Care Arrangements for School-Age Children by Dual-Income Female Bank workers in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State’, Paper presented at the 5th IFHE-Africa Regional Conference held at University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana on 26th to 28th September, 2011.
Ekot, M.O., 2011b, ‘The Role of Children in Income Generating Activities of Poor Rural Families in Mkpat Enin Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State’, Paper Presented at the First Annual National Conference of Family and Consumer Science Society of Nigeria (FACSSON), Held at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on 14-18 November, 2011.
Galambos, D.L., and Maggs, I., 1991, ‘Out -of -School care of young Adolescents and self-reported Behaviour’, Developmental Psychology, Vol. 27 pp. 644-65.
Goyette-Ewing, M., 2000, ‘Children’s After-School Arrangements: A Study of Self-Care and Developmental Outcomes’, Journal of Prevention and Intervention in the Community, Vol. 20, pp. 55-67.
Klavs, I., Rodrigues, H. A., and R. Hayes, R., 2006, ‘Factors associated with early sexual debut in Slovenia: Results of general population survey’, Sex Transmission Infections, Vol. 82, pp. 478-483.
Leung, K.C., Robson, W.L., Cho, H. and Lim, S. H., 1996, ‘Latchkey Children’, Journal of Royal Society of Health, Vol. 116, pp. 356-359.
Makungu, C. M., 2011, ‘Young people in self-care: behaviours and experiences in farming households in Kilombero Valley, Tanzania’, Masters thesis, Durham University. Available online at http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/3245/. 22 November 2011.
Marshall, N., Coll, G., Marx, F., McCartney, K., Keefe, N., and Ruh, I., 1997, ‘After- School Time and Children’s Behavioural Adjustment’, Merrill Palmer Research Quarterly, Vol. 43, pp. 497-514.
Miller, C., 2002, ‘Family Influence on Adolescent Sexual and Contraceptive Activity’, Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 39, pp. 22-26
Mulhall, P., 1996, ‘Home Alone: Is It a Risk Factor for Middle School Youth and Drug Use?’, Journal of Drug Education, Vol. 26, pp. 39-48.
Osgood, D., Wilson, J., O’Malley, M., Bachman, J. and Lloyd, D., 1996, ‘Routine Activities and Individual Deviant Behaviour’, American Sociological Review, 61: 635-655.
Pettit, G.S., Laird, R.D., Bates, J.E., and Dodge, K.A., 1997, ‘Patterns of After- school care in middle childhood: Risk factors and Developmental Outcomes’, Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 42 1: 515-538.
Posner, I. and Vandell, D., 1994, ‘Low-income children’s After-school Care: Are they beneficial effects of After-school Programmes?’, Child Development, Vol. 65, pp. 440-456
Rice, F.P., 1995, Human Development: A Lifespan Approach, 2nd ed., New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Roche, K.M., Ellen, J. and N. M. Astone, N.M., 2005, ‘Effects of Out-of-School Care on Sex Initiation among Young Adolescents in Low-Income Central City Neighbourhoods’, Archives of Paediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 159, pp. 68-73.
Ruiz-Casares, M., 2010, ‘Between Freedom and Fear: Children’s Views on Home Alone’, British Journal of Social Work, Vol. 40, no. 8, pp. 2560-2577.
Ruiz-Casares, M., and Heymann, J., 2009, ‘Children home alone unsupervised: Modeling parental decision and factors in Botswana, Mexico and Vietnam’, Child Abuse & Neglect, Vol. 33, pp. 312-323.
Rupatsisikira, E., Ogwell, A., Siziya, E.O. and Muula, S., 2007, ‘Prevalence of Sexual Intercourse among School Going Children Adolescents in Coast Province, Kenya’, Tanzania Health Research Bulletin, Vol. 9, pp. 159-163.
Santrock, J.W., 2005, Children, 8th ed., Boston: McGraw Hill.
Santrock, J.W., 2006, Lifespan Development, 10th ed., New York: McGraw Hill Shumow, L, 2011, ‘Latchkey Children’, (http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/2158/Latchkey-Children.html). 15 December 2011.
Vandell, D. & Shumow, L., 1999, ‘After-School Child Care Programs’, in R. Behrman, ed., The Future of Children, 9th ed., Los Altos, CA: David and Lucille Packard Foundation.