Abstract
The problem of broken homes and its effects both on the particular family and the society have doubtlessly continue to place considerate burden on the individual, the family, the community and the society at large, as they have seriously constituted clogs in the wheels of national development and survival. Broken home produce children deprived and denied of quality education, adequate parental care and wider opportunities, and consequently, must times turn out to be social deviants and delinquents with constitution of nuisance in the society as their major stock in tread. Therefore, the center crux of this study is to explore extensively the problems of broken homes and its effects on the family and society with the aim of educating the readers on the menace of this phenomenon. The study will also make recommendation on how best the society can assist in checking the continue occurrence of the incident of broken home.
INTRODUCTION
The
family is the child first place of contact to the world. The child as the
result acquires initial education and socialization from parents and other
significant persons in the family. Agulanane (1999) pointed out that the family
lays the Psychological, moral and spiritual foundation in the overall
development of the child. Structurally, family/homes is either broken or
intact. A broken home in this context, is one that is not structurally intact,
as a result of divorce, separation, death of one parent and illegitimacy.
According to Frazer (2001) psychologically home conditions arises mainly from
illegitimacy of children, the label of adopted child, broken home, and parent
deprivation. Such abnormal conditions of the home are likely to have
detrimental effect on the development of the child.
Family
environment according to Levi-straus is a group manifesting organizational
attributes, finding its origin in marriage (i.e. husband and wife), and
children, including other relatives or kin group, united by moral, legal,
economic, religions prohibitions, as well as socially patterned feelings of
love affection, attraction, piety and care etc: regulation of sexual
intercourse among its members and relatives.
Family
environment which can be broken or intact exert a directional influence on
behavior and personality development of a child. Children from broken home are
at great risk in terms of Psychological problems. This is supported by the
report of London institute of Psychiatry (2008) which pointed out that people
from the broken homes are more prone to psychotic illness in which
schizophrenia. This is mental illness in which a person becomes unable to link
thought, emotion and behaviors leading to withdrawal from reality and personal
relationships.  ÂÂÂ
 Every
society across the globe has its peculiar problems and challenges. Nigeria
indeed is not an exception. As a developing country, she faces her own share of
social, political, economic and cultural problems, which have in no small way
adversely affected the well-being of the populace. One of such problems is the
increasing rate at which homes break-up, which in consequence has contributed
immensely to the country