SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS OF PARENTS AND STUDENTS' ATTITUDE TOWARDS MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN EDO STATE

Abstract

Marriage and divorce are important social
institutions that have a big effect on how teens feel and
act. In Nigeria, parental socio-economic status (SES)
significantly influences adolescents' perceptions of
familial dynamics, stability, and prospective marital
choices. This study examined the socio-economic
position of parents and the views of Junior Secondary
School students in the Egor Local Government Area of
Edo State, Nigeria, towards marriage and divorce.
The research utilised a survey design, directed by
three research questions and three hypotheses. The
population consisted of 7,674 Junior Secondary
School pupils from twelve public institutions. A multi
stage sampling approach was employed to choose a
sample of 240 Junior Secondary School 3 (JSS3)
pupils, consisting of 130 males and 110 females,
which represents roughly 3.13% of the total
population, from six zones within the local
government territory. Data were gathered through a
standardised questionnaire named Family
Background Influence on Students' Attitude towards
Marriage and Divorce (FBISAMD), which underwent
validation by experts and shown reliability with a
Cronbach Alpha coefficient of 0.78. The researcheralong with trained research assistants, gave out the
surveys. The data were examined utilising
descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, and chi
square analysis at a significance level of 0.05. The
results indicated no substantial disparity in the
average responses of male and female students on
their attitudes towards marriage and divorce in the
Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The study
identified a significant impact of parental socio
economic position on students' attitudes about
marriage and divorce. It is advisable for educational
and community programs to integrate
understanding of family background and offer
counselling regarding the social and economic
factors that affect attitudes towards marriage and
divorce