Project – Single Parenthood and Social Adjustment among Adolescents: A Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Ilorin West, Kwara State

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Adolescence is an important developmental period during which individuals experience substantial physical, emotional, psychological and social changes. During this stage, young people increasingly develop independence, establish relationships outside the immediate family and learn behavioural patterns that influence their subsequent adjustment to society. The family remains an important context within which these developmental processes occur because parents provide emotional support, supervision, guidance, economic resources and socialisation. The importance of supporting children and adolescents is particularly significant in Nigeria, where children and adolescents constitute a very large proportion of the population and continue to experience challenges associated with poverty, education, protection and family well-being. The 2024 Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents in Nigeria, produced by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning with technical support from UNICEF, emphasises the importance of family and social environments in promoting children’s development and well-being (Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning & UNICEF, 2024).

Family structure is one of the social conditions that can shape the experiences of adolescents. A single-parent family generally refers to a household in which one parent assumes primary responsibility for raising and providing for children because of circumstances such as divorce, separation, death, abandonment or other family conditions. Single parenthood does not necessarily produce negative outcomes for every child, because the quality of parenting, social support, economic circumstances, parent-child relationships and the wider environment can influence how adolescents respond to family circumstances. Nevertheless, research has shown that family structure and household living conditions can be associated with differences in children’s experiences. Using Nigerian household data, Mberu (2007) found significant disadvantages in the living conditions of single-adult-headed households compared with two-parent households, illustrating how household structure can intersect with material and social conditions in Nigeria.

Social adjustment refers broadly to the ability of an individual to interact effectively with others, cope with social expectations, maintain relationships, regulate behaviour and function appropriately within family, school and community environments. For adolescents, social adjustment may be reflected in peer relationships, cooperation, communication, acceptance of social norms, emotional stability and the ability to respond appropriately to interpersonal challenges. Family experiences may influence these processes because parents provide models of interpersonal behaviour, guidance and emotional support. Research on children experiencing parental separation has found associations with social relationships, internalising and externalising behaviours, academic outcomes and other dimensions of adjustment, although the magnitude and direction of these associations can vary according to family and individual circumstances (Lansford, 2009). Similarly, a more recent systematic review of single-parenthood and adolescent well-being found evidence of increased risks across some psychological, academic and behavioural outcomes while also identifying protective influences such as parental warmth, resilience and social support (Shiny & Starlet, 2025).

The relationship between single parenthood and adolescent adjustment cannot be explained solely by the presence or absence of one parent. Family processes occurring within single-parent households may be more directly relevant to adolescents’ experiences. Financial pressure, parental workload, reduced supervision, parent-child conflict, emotional distress and limited time for interaction may create challenges for some single parents and their children. At the same time, supportive parenting, effective communication, stable routines and assistance from extended family members and other social networks may protect adolescents from adverse outcomes. Van Dijk et al. (2020), in a meta-analysis involving 115 samples and more than 24,000 children from divorced families, found that parenting behaviours and interparental conflict were associated with children’s psychosocial adjustment and that parenting processes could mediate relationships between family conflict and child adjustment. This suggests that the quality of family interactions may be important in understanding adolescent adjustment rather than family structure alone.

Parental availability and supervision are particularly relevant during adolescence because young people require both increasing independence and appropriate parental guidance. A parent who is responsible for the economic and emotional needs of the household may face considerable demands that can affect the amount of time available for direct supervision and interaction with adolescents. However, the consequences of parental separation or single-parent living are not uniform. Lansford (2009) noted that the relationship between parental divorce and children’s adjustment can be influenced by factors such as family income, interparental conflict, parenting, parental well-being, the timing of divorce and the child’s circumstances before the divorce. Similarly, Størksen et al. (2006), in a large longitudinal study of Norwegian adolescents, found that parental divorce was associated with indicators including anxiety, depression, subjective well-being and school problems, while parental distress contributed independently to adolescent distress. These findings suggest that parental well-being and family processes should be considered when examining adolescent adjustment.

The Nigerian context provides additional reasons for examining single parenthood and adolescent social adjustment. Nigerian adolescents develop within family and community environments shaped by economic conditions, cultural expectations, religious values, schooling and extended-family relationships. Evidence from Nigeria has demonstrated that family type can be relevant to adolescent psychological adjustment. Oyefeso and Adegoke (1992), in a study of Yoruba adolescents, examined psychological adjustment according to family type and reported differences in adjustment among some groups of adolescents. Similarly, Azuka-Obieke (2013), using adolescents from five secondary schools in Lagos, examined single parenting in relation to psychological well-being and academic performance and reported that adolescents appeared to benefit psychologically and academically where both parents provided an orderly and nurturing home environment. Although these studies cannot be used to assume identical outcomes in every Nigerian locality, they provide Nigerian evidence supporting further examination of the relationship between family circumstances and adolescent adjustment.

The issue is particularly relevant to secondary-school adolescents in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State because the school environment provides an important setting in which social adjustment can be observed. Adolescents spend substantial time interacting with teachers and peers, participating in academic and extracurricular activities, following school rules and developing social relationships. Difficulties in social adjustment may therefore become evident through withdrawal, peer difficulties, poor cooperation, aggression, disciplinary problems, difficulty forming relationships or inability to cope appropriately with social expectations. At the same time, adolescents from single-parent households may have very different experiences depending on the circumstances that produced single parenthood, the quality of the parent-child relationship, economic resources and availability of social support. Consequently, rather than assuming that single parenthood automatically produces poor adjustment, this study seeks to empirically examine how selected dimensions of single-parent family experience—parental support, parental supervision, parent-adolescent communication and economic/family stability—relate to the social adjustment of adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area. This approach is consistent with evidence showing that family processes and protective factors can shape children’s adjustment outcomes (Leon, 2003; van Dijk et al., 2020).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The family constitutes an important social environment for adolescent development, yet not all adolescents grow up in two-parent households. Some adolescents live with only one parent as a result of death, divorce, separation, abandonment or other family circumstances. The existence of single-parent households is not itself evidence of poor parenting or maladjustment, and many adolescents raised by one parent develop successfully. However, some single-parent families may experience additional economic, emotional and supervisory demands that can affect family functioning. Nigerian evidence has identified differences in household living conditions between single-adult and two-parent households, while international research has associated parental separation with a range of child and adolescent adjustment outcomes (Mberu, 2007; Lansford, 2009). The problem is therefore not simply the existence of single parenthood but the extent to which particular family experiences associated with single parenthood may influence adolescents’ ability to adjust socially.

A second problem concerns parental support and supervision. Adolescents require guidance while simultaneously developing greater independence, and the availability of a parent to provide emotional support, monitor behaviour and offer guidance may influence their ability to navigate peer and school relationships. Single parents may have substantial responsibilities involving income generation, household management and child-rearing, which may make consistent supervision more difficult in some circumstances. The literature suggests that parenting processes are important pathways through which family conditions can influence child adjustment. Van Dijk et al. (2020) found significant associations between parenting dimensions and psychosocial adjustment among children in divorced families, while the 2025 systematic review by Shiny and Starlet identified parental warmth and social support as protective factors for adolescents in single-parent families. There is therefore a need to examine whether parental support and supervision are associated with social adjustment among adolescents in the selected schools.

A third problem relates to communication and the emotional relationship between single parents and adolescents. Effective parent-adolescent communication can provide opportunities for young people to discuss school experiences, peer relationships, personal concerns and behavioural challenges. Where communication is limited or characterised by conflict, adolescents may have fewer opportunities to obtain parental guidance when dealing with developmental and social pressures. Research on family processes after parental divorce indicates that parent-child and interparental processes are relevant to adjustment, while longitudinal evidence has linked parental divorce and parental distress with adolescent psychological well-being and school-related difficulties (van Dijk et al., 2020; Størksen et al., 2006). Nigerian research has likewise examined psychological well-being among adolescents in single-parent families, indicating the relevance of family relationships to adolescent outcomes (Azuka-Obieke, 2013). The problem is therefore whether the quality of communication between single parents and adolescents is associated with their social adjustment within the school environment.

A fourth problem concerns family and economic stability. A single parent may have to combine the responsibilities of providing income, caring for children, supervising schoolwork and managing household affairs. Economic constraints may affect access to educational resources, social opportunities and other forms of support, although the effects differ across families. Mberu (2007) found that single-adult-headed households in Nigeria experienced significant disadvantages in living conditions relative to two-parent households, while recent systematic evidence indicates that financial strain and reduced parental monitoring can act as pathways linking single parenthood with adolescent difficulties (Mberu, 2007; Shiny & Starlet, 2025). Despite existing evidence from Nigeria and other settings, there remains a need for location-specific evidence concerning adolescents attending secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area. The present study therefore examines the relationship between single-parent family conditions and adolescent social adjustment, focusing specifically on parental support, parental supervision, parent-adolescent communication and family/economic stability.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between single parenthood and social adjustment among adolescents, using selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State, as the focus of the study.

Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. examine the relationship between parental support and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area;
2. determine the relationship between parental supervision and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area;
3. examine the relationship between parent-adolescent communication and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area; and
4. assess the relationship between family/economic stability in single-parent households and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions will guide the study:

1. What is the relationship between parental support and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area?
2. What is the relationship between parental supervision and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area?
3. What is the relationship between parent-adolescent communication and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area?
4. What is the relationship between family/economic stability in single-parent households and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

The following null hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between single parenthood and social adjustment among adolescents in selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The study will be significant to parents and guardians, particularly single parents, because it will provide information concerning family conditions that may be associated with adolescents’ social adjustment. The findings may help parents appreciate the importance of emotional support, supervision, communication and stable family environments in the social development of adolescents.

The study will also be useful to secondary-school teachers and school administrators. Teachers interact with adolescents regularly and may observe changes in peer relationships, classroom behaviour, cooperation, withdrawal and other aspects of social adjustment. Findings from the study may assist schools in identifying students who may require additional guidance, counselling or social support.

The study will be valuable to school counsellors and educational psychologists because it will provide evidence concerning the relationship between family circumstances and adolescents’ social functioning. The findings may help counsellors design family-sensitive interventions and provide appropriate support to adolescents experiencing difficulties associated with family transitions.

The study will also be relevant to government agencies and policymakers responsible for education, children and family welfare. Nigeria’s 2024 situation analysis of children and adolescents highlights persistent challenges affecting children’s development and emphasises the need for policies and interventions that improve children’s well-being and reduce deprivation (Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning & UNICEF, 2024). Evidence from this study may therefore contribute to discussions concerning school counselling, family support and adolescent development programmes.

The study will contribute to academic knowledge in Guidance and Counselling, Psychology, Sociology, Education and Family Studies. It will provide location-specific evidence concerning single parenthood and adolescent social adjustment within secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

Finally, the study will serve as a reference for future researchers interested in family structure, adolescent development, social adjustment, parenting, school counselling and related areas. It may also encourage further comparative research involving adolescents from different family structures and geographical locations.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The study focuses on Single Parenthood and Social Adjustment among Adolescents: A Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area, Kwara State.

The geographical scope of the study is limited to selected secondary schools in Ilorin West Local Government Area of Kwara State.

The population scope covers adolescent students enrolled in the selected secondary schools. The study will focus on adolescents who fall within the age range normally associated with secondary-school education.

The conceptual scope covers two major variables: single parenthood and social adjustment.

For the purpose of this study, single-parent family experience will be examined through four dimensions:

1. parental support;
2. parental supervision;
3. parent-adolescent communication; and
4. family/economic stability.

Social adjustment will be considered in terms of adolescents’ ability to maintain positive peer relationships, cooperate with others, communicate appropriately, comply with social expectations, manage interpersonal challenges and function effectively within the school environment.

The study does not assume that every adolescent from a single-parent household experiences poor adjustment. Rather, it seeks to determine empirically whether the identified dimensions of single-parent family experience are significantly related to adolescents’ social adjustment.

1.8 Operational Definition of Terms

Single Parenthood: A family situation in which one parent assumes primary responsibility for the upbringing, care, supervision and support of a child or children.

Single-Parent Family: A household in which an adolescent lives primarily with one parent because of circumstances such as death, divorce, separation, abandonment or other family conditions.

Adolescent: A young person undergoing the developmental transition between childhood and adulthood. In this study, the term refers specifically to students within the adolescent age range enrolled in the selected secondary schools.

Social Adjustment: The ability of an adolescent to interact appropriately with others, maintain satisfactory relationships, regulate behaviour and respond effectively to social expectations within the family, school and wider community.

Parental Support: Emotional, social, educational and practical assistance provided by a parent to promote the child’s development and well-being.

Parental Supervision: The monitoring, guidance and regulation of an adolescent’s activities, behaviour, relationships and responsibilities by a parent.

Parent-Adolescent Communication: The exchange of information, feelings, opinions and concerns between a parent and an adolescent in a manner that allows both parties to understand one another.

Family/Economic Stability: The degree to which a family provides relatively consistent material resources, living arrangements, routines and support necessary for the adolescent’s development.

Peer Relationship: The social relationship an adolescent maintains with other young people of similar age or developmental status.

Social Behaviour: The manner in which an individual behaves and interacts with other people within a social environment.

School Adjustment: The extent to which an adolescent is able to participate effectively in school activities, follow school rules, maintain relationships with teachers and peers and cope with academic and social demands.

Parental Separation: A situation in which parents no longer live together as spouses or partners while one or both continue to have parental responsibilities.

Family Structure: The organisational arrangement of a family, including the number of parents or caregivers responsible for raising children and the relationships among household members.

1.9 Organisation of the Study

The study will be organised into five chapters.

Chapter One presents the introduction, background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research objectives, research questions, research hypothesis, significance of the study, scope of the study and operational definition of terms.

Chapter Two will review relevant literature on single parenthood and social adjustment among adolescents. It will comprise the conceptual review, theoretical review, empirical review and summary of the literature reviewed.

Chapter Three will present the research methodology, including research design, population of the study, sample size, sampling technique, research instrument, validity and reliability of the instrument, method of data collection and method of data analysis.

Chapter Four will present the analysis and interpretation of data collected from respondents. Descriptive statistics will be used to answer the research questions, while the stated hypothesis will be tested at the 0.05 level of significance.

Chapter Five will present the summary of findings, conclusion and recommendations based on the findings of the study, together with suggestions for further research.

Project – Single Parenthood and Social Adjustment among Adolescents: A Study of Selected Secondary Schools in Ilorin West, Kwara State