Perceived Effects of Single Parenting on Youths of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State

This study was an assessment of perceived effects of single parenting on youths of Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State. Three research questions were raised as a guide to achieving the main aim of this study. In addition, theory of Functionalist propounded by Emile Durkheim (20th century) was adopted to offer a theoretical base for the study. The descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed to study 393 youths sampled from a population of 267,400 indigenes using multi-staged sampling technique. Instrument was a validated and reliable questionnaire designed in line with the objectives. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and same revealed that single parenting has an overall perceived negative effect on youths’ educational status, moral conducts, and physical development of the area. The effect of single parenting on youths’ educational status includes difficulty in attending university level of education (3.71±0.66), poor academic supervision by parents (3.56±0.19), and low academic status (4.19±0.36). Similarly, the effect of single parenting on youths’ moral conducts were poor etiquettes (3.66±0.35), deviant behaviors (4.28±0.80), and lawless tendencies (3.90±0.14). Lastly, the effects on physical development includes inability to establish cordial relationships (3.12±0.72), economic and financial challenges (3.96±0.68), and lack of meaningful occupation (3.72±0.71). As a result, it was recommended that divorce among parents should be condemned culturally; parents should priotize children education as mandatory; Federal Government should declare free education for indigenes as a nation’s major oil producing zone, member Communities should maintain healthy and harmonious relationship and State attend to indigenes foremost concerning employment and rural development.