Confrontation

The outcome of the result presented in Table 4.2 indicated that there was no significant interaction effect of treatment and family size on children‟s social competence. This is against the fact that children from large families had higher score in social competence than their counterparts from small and medium size families as presented in Table 4.3. This findings further strengthened findings of Conticini and Hulmes (2006); Pushpalata, et al (2009) that reported no significant association of family size with social competence. Thus, a combination of treatment and family size will produce no significant effect on social competence of street children. This finding is in contrast to some studies that found family size to be significant in relation to social competence and treatment (Keith and Campbell, 2000; Kehinde, 2011; CSC 2009).

4.3.13 Two-way interaction Effects of Gender and Family Size on Social Competence of Street Children

Results obtained in Table 4.2 produced evidence that the interaction effect of gender and family size was not significant on social competence of street children. The implication of this is the fact that gender and family size are not the sole determinants of social competence of street children. Thus the moderating effects of gender and family size on children‟s social competence was not significant. The findings further complemented the findings of Ogundayo (2007) who found no relevance of gender to

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social competence of adolescents. This finding is in line with the findings of Kehinde (2011) who reported no statistical significant interaction effect of gender and emotional intelligence on the social competence of participants. Gbadamosi (2012) also reported no significant interaction effect of gender and school location on the participant‟s environmental knowledge, attitude and practice. This study however ran contrary to some findings that reported significant interaction effect of gender and family size on participant‟s social competence (Ashimolowo, et al 2010; CSC, 2009; Chen and Ravallion, 2008). The plausible reason for the non-significant interaction effect of gender and family size on social competence of street children might not be unconnected with the fact that the two were not significant on social competence when presented separately and this might be responsible for the result obtained when combined.

4.3.14 Three-way interaction Effect of Treatment, Gender and Family Size on Social Competence of Street Children

Result obtained in Table 4.2 revealed that the three-way interaction effect of treatment, gender and family size on social competence of street children was not significant; however, participants from large family size had higher social competence compared to those from small and medium family size. This notwithstanding, interaction effect of treatment, gender and family size was not significant. With this finding, it implies that, given the same treatment, participants regardless of whether male or female, from small, medium or large family size will not influence their social competence. This finding is in consonance with the findings of Kehinde (2011) who reported no significant interaction effect of treatment, gender and emotional intelligence on the social competence of the participants. The result obtained here might not be unconnected with the fact that the treatment modes in their two experimental groups were effective and significant on the social competence of the participants barring gender and family size.

This implies that the experimental groups gained tremendously from their exposures to the treatment modes.

Notwithstanding the results, the STT treatment mode was more effective on social competence of participants than that of SCA treatment mode and Control group. The explanation that could be given for this is the use of theatrical elements in the STT that

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made the participants to be actively involved in the activities and the consequent higher social competence recorded. This further confirmed the findings of Pushpalata and Chandra (2009) who reported that social competence of children were influenced by a number of variables. The result is also in consonance with the findings of Gbadamosi (2012) who observed no significant interaction effect of treatment, gender and school location on participants environmental knowledge, attitude and practices. However, the result obtained in this study is a departure from the findings of Olatundun (2008) who found significant interaction effect of treatment, gender and school location on participants‟ environmental knowledge and attitude.

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CHAPTER FIVE

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.0 This chapter focuses on conclusion and recommendations. Furthermore, implications of the findings, contribution to knowledge, limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies are also presented.

5.1 Summary of Findings

Findings from the study are summarized as listed in this section.

1. The nature of activities engaged in by street children in Oyo, Oyo state of Nigeria are: hawking, food vending, truck pushing and services. However, services such as „car watching‟, car washing, scavenging, call girls and drug peddling common among street children in urban and metropolis were rare in the study location, though, begging and beggars‟ guides that were not included in the study exist in some of the locations involved in the study.

2. Two categories of street children involved in the study were children of the street and children on the street. Majority of the children engaged in street activities on part-time basis with few ones as full time street children.

3. Reasons for children‟s engagement in street activities ranged from economic to non-economic reasons. There were both convergent and divergent views on the reason for engaging in street activities among the participants. The convergent views range from poverty, family related issues, financial problem, unemployment, lack of support to other non-economic reasons. Divergent views were those of willingness, peer-influence, pleasure, freedom and avarice.

4. Problems involved in street activities by children were: problems of mix-up and miscalculations of items, insult from different quarters, the use of abusive language, embarrassment, stealing of money and products, harassment, psychological and physiological problems, language problem, lack of cooperation and in-fighting, armed-robbery attack, strife and disturbances.

5. Prominent among the risks involved in street activities were; accidents, health risk, sexual harassment and molestation from different quarters, attacks by

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robbers, anxiety, risk of arrest by law enforcement agents, risk of abduction by kidnapers, poor performance in school and eventual drop out.

6. There were mixed reactions on societal attitudes toward children involvement in street activities with some viewing such children‟s activities as a means of survival and assistance to their family while some other people viewed such children as miscreants in the society.

7. Suggestions for solving problems of street children ranged from government, society, leaders to individual street children themselves. For instance, some of the participants suggested that government should give them money „to sustain their hunger‟ so that they too can enjoy themselves as other Nigerians; government should be „considerate on those of them struggling every day‟; government should increase the salary of their parents in order for them to be able to sustain the family without any stress‟.

8. There is significant effect of treatment on social competence of street children.

The children in the STT group had higher adjusted posttest mean score in social competence than those in the SCA group and the control group.

9. Gender has no significant effect on children‟s social competence.

10.Family size has no significant effect on street children social competence.

11.The 2-way interaction effect of treatment and gender on children‟s social competence is not significant.

12.The interaction effect of treatment and family size on children‟s social competence is not significant.

13.The 2-way interaction effects of gender and family size on street children‟s social competence are not significant.

14.The 3-way interaction effects of treatment, gender and family size on street children‟s social competence are not significant.

5.2 Implications of the Findings

A panoramic view of results obtained in this study has shown that socio-cultural animation and shade-tree theatre as community-based approaches have greatly influenced social competence of participants in the study. The study also established superiority of

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the two treatment modes over that of the control group in enhancing social competence of participants. The implication of this result is a pointer to the review of approach to the issue of street children phenomenon which may be tackled through participatory approach. With this, participants will be active as against passiveness characteristic of some previous studies on street children phenomenon. The implication of the foregoing therefore is that the hitherto quick-fixing solutions to the menace of street children, which was less effective, resulted from the nature of strategies adopted in such studies. Thus, street children need be adequately involved in the course of finding solutions to their problems generally.

In like manner, the higher social competence recorded by the participants in the shade tree theatre group over other groups is implicit on the kind of approach to be adopted on street children phenomenon. The implication of this finding is the need to incorporate fun, games, role- playing and theatrical elements that are capable of captivating children and sustain their continuous interest and active participation in such activities. This would go a long way in the attainment of the purpose of such action.

Furthermore, findings from this study have also revealed that the moderating effect of gender and family size was not significant on the social competence of participants. The implication of this finding is the fact that, barring participants‟ gender-male or fegender-male as well as family size – small, medium or large, their social competence could be enhanced if they are exposed to the treatment. Thus, it is implicit that in treating issues relating to social competence of street children, the emphasis should be on the treatment and not gender or family size. Thus, participants should be treated equally without recourse to their gender or family size.

Moreover, implicit in the non-significance of moderator variables of gender and family size is the fact that parents and the general attitude of the society towards child preference in terms of male to female child preference should be jettisoned since both gender can perform favourably if exposed to similar tasks. Taking decisions in favour of a particular sex therefore is inimical and capable of depriving such children opportunities to develop their potentials. Similarly, children from different family background and size should be treated equally since findings have shown that even children from large family size could perform creditably with their counterparts from small and medium family size.

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