THE EFFECTS OF MARITAL SEPARATION ON CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT IN ONITSHA: A HISTO-RELIGIOUS APPROACH

Abstract

The family remains the fulcrum of the society and marital separation is one those factors that negates the holistic development of the child which the resultant effects influences the society negatively. This research observed that marital separations in Onitsha are caused by Socio-religious factors cum marital infidelity, religious and social incompatibility, economic factors, and biological factors among others. Marital separation in other words is an enemy of the family that creates psychological imbalance, economic hardship, educational retardation, and social disharmony in the lives of the children affected. As a result of these effects the child and the society at large is endangered. Hence, this work discovered that most of the churches in Onitsha have employed many measures to avert marital separation such as marriage course, marriage counseling, religious endogamy, prayer and deliverance programmes including frequent marriage seminars and banquet which serves as an avenue to constantly educate the partners on their roles in the family.