Home economics education as a panacea to parent and elder abuse in Kaduna state

Introduction
Home economics is a field of study whose major objective is to improve the
wellbeing of individuals, families and society through education. Attention is
centered on
the family because the family is seen as the primary social Structure in the
society , providing care, protection, and support for family members (Owolabi,
1987).
Home Economics is the area of study that provides the necessary knowledge guiding
and assisting human being to be able to attain a more self-reliance and fulfilled
life (Maaji 2018).Home Economics is also seen as the study of activities
that relates to the home and the family, it is a field of study that is concerned
with improving and strengthening family life, (Olaitan & Agusiobo, 1984).
The Nigerian Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) (2007) noted that
Home Economics affords students the opportunity of developing manipulative skills
thereby improving their dexterity as they tackle problems associated with life and
living. Anyakoha in Maaji (2018) described Home Economics as a field of study that
is concerned with improving family life. It does this by finding out the needs of
individuals and families, finding ways of meeting these needs, improving the goods
and services which families use, preparing people for employment and family life.

The Canadian Home Economics Association (CHEA) (1996) agrees with the fact that
Home Economics clearly focuses on the individuals and family well-being. Home
Economics
is concerned mostly with foods and nutrition, clothing and textile, home
management, consumer education, housing and interior decoration, child development
and family
living. McArthur (2009) viewed Home economics as both a profession and a practical
science concerned with the home and family. The author further stated that it
encompasses
many areas of study that have impact on the family. These areas include as outlined
by Brown and Paolucci (2008) include Human Development and Family Relations.
Brown and Paolucci further stated that the mission of home economics is;
to enable families, both as individual units and generally as a social
institution, to build and maintain systems of action which lead (1) to maturing in
individual
self-formation and (2) to enlightened, cooperative participation in the critique
and information of social goals and means for accomplishing them (p.23).
To fulfill this mission, Home Economics Eduaction either directly or indirectly try
to transform its recipients in their thinking and environmental conditions in the
future. One of the unnoticed yet prevalent problems in the society is parents and
elder abuse which are forms of domestic violence.

Generally, domestic violence is violence or other abuse by one person against

another in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. The National
Coalition
Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) defined domestic violence as the willful
intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other�abusive
behavior�as
part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one person to
another especially between two or more people that share a realtionship (NCADV,
2019).
NCADV (2019) asserts that domestic violence is an epidemic that affect individuals
in every community�regardless of age, economic status, sexual orientation, gender,
race, religion, or nationality.
It is often accompanied by emotionally abusive and controlling behavior that is
only a fraction of a systematic pattern of dominance and control. Domestic violence
can result in physical injury, psychological trauma, and in severe cases, even
death. The devastating physical, emotional, and psychological consequences of
domestic
violence can cross generations and last a lifetime. It includes physical violence,
sexual violence, psychological violence, emotional abuse, elder abuse and parental
abuse.

This study is concerned with parental abuse abd elder abuse. Parental abuse is
defined by Cottrell () as �any harmful act of a teenager that physically harms
another
person, in this case the parents.'Margar (2019) viewed parental abuse as the
situation where an older child causes physical, psychological or financial damage
to a
parent with the intention of controlling the relationship. Similar to this is elder
abuse, elder abuse is "a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action,
occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which
causes harm or distress to an older person (The World Health Organisation (WHO)
(2010)
It encompasses any act of commission or omission that results in harm or threatened
harm to the health and welfare of an older adult (Sellas and Krouse, 2009)
This issues have experienced the secret cult silence in the society given little
attention. This study intends to explore how Home Economics Education can be a
panacea to elder abuse and parental abuse.

Home Economics Curriculum in Nigeria

The Home Economics curriculum in Nigeria refers to the content that is taught in
Home Economics at various levels of education in Nigeria including basic education,
senior secondary and tertiary education levels.
Generally, the the aims of Home Economics education are summarized by Baaba in
Abbas (2014) are as follows:
� To educate youth for family living
� To educate youth for the role of future homemakers, intelligent consumers and
producers of goods.
� To prepare young people for living a full well-rounded life in the home,
community and nation.
� To improve the services and goods used by the families.
� To construct research to discover and meet the changing needs of individuals
and families.
� To advance the community, national and world condition (Maaji, 2017).
The Home Economics curriculum in Nigeria include but not limited to the following
areas
1 Foods and Nutrition
2 Clothing and Textiles
3 Home Management
4 Family and Child Development
5 Sex Education
6 Entrepreneurship Education
7 Population Education

The teaching of Home Economics has taken a new dimension to meet today�s human
needs, in its present development and its potential values as it prepares
individuals to be self-reliant and self-employed, it reduces the rate of
unemployment in the country.
Home Economics curriculum if properly implemented in our school systems, it will
bring about a positive transformation of the citizens (Ekpo, Aaron, Abang, 2014).
On the International Day of Families (recognized and promoted by the United
Nations), IFHE headquarters issued a press release, a day of great significance for
home
economists around the world, and it included the information listed below.
Improving the quality of life of families is the focus of the Home Eonomics
curriculum,
in areas such as helping them:
1. to obtain good nutrition,
2. to take care of their health,
3. to accumulate financial knowledge and skills to have safe homes,
4. to start a new business, or
5. to make best use of their income for the wellbeing of their family.

The Home Economics curriculum attempts to cater for these areas. Deficiencies in
these could areas results in social problems which includes parental abuse and
elder abuse.

Concept of Parent Abuse

Parent abuse is a form of domestic violence. It occurs mostly between parents and
there children in reverse where the children abuse their parents physically,
emotionnaly and psychologically.
Parental abuse can be defined as �any act perpetrated by a child or adolescent that
causes a parent to feel threatened, intimidated and controlled� (Kennair and
Mellor, 2007, p. 204). Parental
abuse can constitute of any form of physical, psychological, emotional or financial
abuse (Bobic, 2004; Eckstein, 2009; Kennair & Mellor, 2007). Other types that are
less frequently related
to parental abuseare sexual abuse and neglect (Giurani & Hasan, 2000; Movisie,
2009)

Parent Abuse as stated by Cotrell (2001) and Bobic (2004) may appear in one or a
combination of five forms which are ; physical, verbal, psychological, emotional,
and financial. McArthur (1990) stated that in some instances parent battering has
gone as far as parricide. Post (1982) related that in a majority of the cases
involving
adolescent parricide, extreme child abuse has been a major factor. The child had
been abused by the parent and retaliated.

In a study by Cornell and Gelles (1982), sons were found to be slightly more
violent than daughters and to use more severe forms of violence. Mothers were more
likely
to be victims of abuse than fathers (Cornell & Gelles, 1982). They also were more
likely to experience severe violence.

Physical abuse includes

ysical abuse
� hitting, punching, slapping or kicking
� shoving and pushing
� breaking things
� punching holes in the walls
� throwing things
� spitting

Verbal abuse includes but not limited to

� yelling
� arguing, challenging ( �I don�t have to do anything you say!�)
� being sarcastic or critical, belittling
� laughing in the parent�s face
� name calling ( �You bitch!�)
� �I hate you!�
� swearing at the parent

Psychological and EMotional abuse

� intimidating the parent, making the parent fearful
� maliciously playing mind games, trying to make the parent think he or she is
crazy
� making unrealistic demands on parents, such as insisting they drop what they�re
doing to comply with the child�s demands

� purposely not telling the parent where they�re going or what they�re doing
� running away from home or staying out all night
� lying
� threatening to hurt, maim or kill the parent or someone else
� making manipulative threats, such as threatening to run away, commit suicide or
otherwise hurt themselves without really intending to do so
� degrading the parent or other family members
� withholding affection
� controlling the running of the household

Financial abuse
� stealing money or parent�s belongings (sometimes referred to as �borrowing�
without permission)
� selling possessions, their own or the parents�
� destroying the home or parents� belongings
� demanding parents buy things they don�t feel they can afford
� incurring debts the parents must cover (e.g. as a result of damage to or theft of
others� property)
In most cases, verbal abuse preceeds the other forms of abuse. Envision (2019) puts
it that Parent abuse is not an argument or disagreement, nor is it an anger
management issue. It is control and power that the teen/young adult wants to have
over their parent. They control, manipulate and try to intimidate. This abuse is
ongoing and not on an occasional or one-time basis.

COncept of Elder Abuse

Elder is someone who is above at the age of 60 and above (Omakaro 2013).Hensil
(2009) viewed an elderly as a member of a family, tribal group, or village who is
advanced in years and has
influence and authority within the community. The population of Elder persons 65 &
over is currently estimated to be at 5,419,309, while that of 60-64 represent
2,372,193; The Nigerian public sector which is the highest employer of labour peaks
its retirement age at 60 (National Population Commision [NPC], 2008).
In absolute numbers, the elderly age 60 & over constitute 7,791,502 to the total
population age which is an increase from 4,598,114 in 1991 and is expected to reach
9,748,718 in 2020 (NPC 2008).

Elder abuse is defined as: �(a) intentional actions that cause harm or create a
serious risk of harm (whether or not harm is intended) to a vulnerable elder by a
caregiver or other person who stands in
a trust relationship, or (b) failure by a caregiver to satisfy the elder�s basic
needs or to protect the elder from harm� (Wallace & Bonnie in Pillemer, Burnes,
Riffin &�Lachs 2015)
Elder abuse includes harms by people the older person knows, or has a relationship
with, such as a spouse, partner, or family member; a friend or neighbor; or people
that the older person
relies on for services. Many forms of elder abuse are recognized as types of
domestic violence or family violence since they are committed by family members.
Paid caregivers
have also been known to prey on their elderly patients (Wallace & Bonnie, 2003).

forms of elder abuse as outlined by Mentalhelp.net (2019) and

RelationshipsAustralia (2017) are one or more of the following:

Physical abuse. Any time a caregiver or other person uses enough force to
cause unnecessary pain or injury to an older person, even if they are attempting to
�help,�
the behavior can be considered abusive. Behaviors that are abusive include hitting,
pushing, kicking, burning, or biting. Physical abuse can also extend to over or
under-medicating, depriving the person of food, or exposing them to severe weather.
These acts can be deliberate or unintentional (Mentalhelp.net 2019).
Sexual abuse. This includes the infliction of non-consensual sexual contact
or sexual exploitation of any kind (Mentalhelp.net 2019).
Emotional or psychological abuse. This type of elder abuse is more difficult
to assess because there are no physical signs of abuse. It involves behaviors
such as name-calling, insults, threats, isolation from others or treating the elder
like a child (Mentalhelp.net 2019).
Social abuse is forced isolation that prevents or restricts the older
person�s contact with friends, family or the community. This could involve
withholding
or controlling mail or phone calls, preventing them from attending religious or
cultural events, or taking over their home without consent. Social isolation often
allows other forms of abuse to take place (RelationshipsAustralia, 2017).
Financial or material exploitation. This can range from misuse of an elder�s
funds to stealing. It also includes improper use of legal guardianship
arrangements,
powers of attorney, or financial misrepresentations (Mentalhelp.net, 2019).
Neglect. This is the failure of a caregiver to provide goods or services
necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish or mental illness and includes
abandonment,
denial of food or health related services (Mentalhelp.net, 2019).
Self-neglect. Sometimes older adults harm themselves by self-neglect.
Examples include not eating, failure to go to doctor�s appointments, take
medications, etc (Mentalhelp.net (2019).

Abuse of the elderly in some ways parallels child abuse. Both small children and
elderly parents are in a dependent position. They must rely on others for very
basic needs. In
both cases the victim is assumed to be loved and protected. The caregivers for both
the child and the elderly adult may see these wards as a source of emotional,
physical and financial
stress (Steinmetz, 1980), Victims of elder abuse tend to be widows living in their
own homes (Powell & Berg, 1987).

Prior to 1985 researchers believed that a primary reason for elder abuse was the
dependency of elders on others for basic needs (Steinmetz, 1983; Douglas, Hickey, &
Voel,
1980). Current research has found the opposite to be true in a majority of cases. A
study by Pillemer (1985) of 42 cases of elder abuse showed a strong association
between dependency of
the perpetrator and physical abuse. Powell and Berg (1987) studied 60 cases of
elder abuse selected from the files of a North Central Texas unit of the Adult
Protective Services Division.
The study showed that 80% of the elder abuse victims reside in their own homes and
at least 50% of these individuals are functionally independent. They further state
that when relatives
move in with the elder person they may not do so in order to care for the person.
They may be moving in against the person's wishes and using the person's resources
while subjecting the
victim to other forms of abuse.

Theory Explaining Parent and Elder Abuse

Situational Theory

Situational theory: This is one of the earliest theories developed to explain elder
abuse (Pillemer & Wolf 1986, 198). The basic premise of this theory is that as
stress associated with certain situational and structural factors for the abuser
increases, the likelihood increases of abusive acts directed at a vulnerable
individual who is seen to be an elder person. The situational factors that lead to
elder abuse include the following: first, elder people�s related factors. These
include physical and emotional dependency of some elder people on care givers, poor
health, impaired mental status, and a difficult personality among the abused
elder people. Second, structural factors: these include factors like economic
strains and social isolation among the abused elder people. Third, care-giver
related
factors: these include factors such as life crisis, �burn out� or exhaustion with
care giving, substance abuse, problems and previous socialization experiences with
violence. (Pritchard 2009; Sheena et al. 2013; Phelan 2013). From the above theory,
a few deductions can be made. To begin with, all the possible causes brought out
in situational theory are relevant in explaining elder abuse. A number of them have
been proved correct by previous empirical research on elder abuse. For instance,
many studies undertaken especially in elder care institutions have established
that high levels of stress and burdens associated with elder care is one of the
main
causes of elder abuse in elder care institutions (Iborra 2009; Anetzberger 2012;
WHO 2012). Empirical evidences have also shown that since for some older people,
old
age is characterized by memory loss, cognitive impairment, difficulty
communicating and changes in mood (Kamwengo 2004; Boyle 2010; Alzheimer�s Society
2012; World
Alzheimer Report 2013), their behavioral impacts on caregivers are likely to be
very stressful. Consequently, stress can make some caregivers to lose their temper
and end up mistreating older people in one way or the other. The above analyses
also seem to be in line with the history of elder abuse. For instance, in the
popular
mythology and ancient folklore, there are tales which describe particular
practices, such as the abandonment of the old people in the woods for being non-
productive
and, therefore, a burden on the family (Reinharz 1986; Carp 2000; Phelan 2013).
Notwithstanding the above positive aspects of situational theory in thinking about
possible causes of elder abuse, the theory has been criticized on a number of
grounds. To begin with, it has shown the picture that the perpetrators of elder
abuse
are caregivers in elder care institutions. It has also given the impression that
perpetrators of elder abuse are those who abuse substance and those who have
experienced violence in their
lives. Besides this, it has also provided the thinking that elder abuse is only
suffered by those elder people who are frail and who depend on caregivers for their
survival. All these tenets are not entirely true. (McCluskey & Hooper 2000). Of
course, this is to be expected because there are no universal truths but only
relative truths and only at that particular time. (Fook 2002; Mullaly 2009; Gray &
Webb 2013). The situation that is obtaining on the ground is that elder abuse takes
place at all levels of society. For instance, it takes place at individual level,
institutional level, community level and larger society level with multiple
abusers. (World Report on Violence and Health 2002; Iborra 2009; HelpAge
International 2012; Jackson 2014; Guedes et al. 2015). In the same vein, elder
people who are energetic, independent and who fend for themselves also suffer
abuse. For example, Pillemer�s and Nhongo�s studies have indicated that abused
elders may actually be less dependent on care givers (Pillemer 1985; Nhongo 2008).
This means that fresh theories and studies to explain the risk factors behind abuse
of older people are still needed. Because of the above limitations, I argue that
situational theory has highlighted the potential risk factors that can be used to
explain abuse of older people but with a number of limitations. It is particularly
inadequate in explaining the causes of elder abuse among the more energetic and
independent older people. The above limitations bring in another theory which has
addressed some of the aforementioned limitations. This is the ecological theory.

Home Economics Curriculum as a Panacea to Parental Abuse and Elder Abuse

The Home economics curriculum has a well-rounded approach to solving family-related

problems in our current society, is well positioned to instill practices (all kinds
of practices) in individuals, households, and communities so that they can live
and work to their potential in the global society of today and tomorrow. Home
economists
have known for some time that individual commitments, values, and behavior matter,
and that they can be among the most potent sources of change (Brown, 1993). This
will
also adress the problem of parental abuse and elder abuse.

I believe that due to the compulsory nature of Home Economics at the basic
education level, values and morals can be instilled to avoid future problems of
parental abuse and elder abuse.
Home Economics curriculum generally focus on changing attitudes and behaviors and
the development of skills that will ensure the financially and physically healthy
outcomes for all (Hira 2013).

Elders are similar to children in behaviour and approach. Home Economics curriculum
emphasizes child care and development with contempt for child abuse. Care of elders
and effects of elder abuse can
be taught simultaneously with child care, abuse and development in Home Economics
education.

Caregiving is an important part of the family life and child development aspect of
the Home Economics curriculum. Home Economics curriculum place empahsis on
caregiving in family life and child development which can also be transmitted
to parental and elders care.

The Home Economics curriculum has embedded in it peace enhancement and conflict
resoultion in the family. This to a large extent can stop or curb parental abuse
and elders abuse in the Nigerian society.

Conclusion

The importance of Home Economics curriculum in curbing domestic violence especially

parental abuse and elder abuses cannot be over-emphasized. The Home economics
curriculum not only helps in the preparation of skilled and knowledgeable citizens
but also helps in developing good values and morals that can prevent the occurence
of parental abuse and elders abuse either by their children or caregivers. Although
the Home Economics curriculum did not directly make provision for solving problems
of
parental and elder abuse, the family life and child development component of the
curriculum can to some extent cater for this due to the similarity between child
and elder.

Recommendations

Based on the facts discussed in this study, the following recommendations were
made:

1. The silence on the issues of parent and elder abuse should be discontinued as in
the case of child abuse.
2. Issues regarding parent abuse and elder abuse should be included at all levels
in the Home economics curriculum.

3. Caregiving for elders should also be included in the family life component of
the Home economics curriculum and given the treatment it deserves.

4. Morals instruction should be embedded in the Home Economics curriculum to cater

for social problems such as elder abuse and parent abuse.

5. Home Economics curriculum education should emphasize more research on how to

curb social problems such as elder abuse and parental abuse through the Home
Economics subjects.

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