DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WORK

The development of children and youth is an integral concern for the future of any society, and street hawking especially by girls has been a common thing in most parts of developing world. It is a common phenomenon in Nigeria today which appear to be prevalent in the urban areas. Hawking is a form of trade in which the seller carries goods from one place to another in search of prospective buyers. Child-Street hawking refers to the selling of goods carried out by a person below the age of eighteen (child-street hawker). According to Anyanwu, 2017), Street hawking refers to a wandering like movement in which an individual carries his or her goods with a tray on the head or by means of transportation such as wheel barrow, bicycle or trolley in search of customers. This is usually accompanied by at least one form of advertisement - shouting the name of the item on sale, using bell or special mannerism to attract the attention or interest of the
public. It is a trading activity characterized by movement across street in residential
areas in which the hawker aims at selling his goods to any interested buyer. Ezenwa
(2011) opines that an adolescent street hawker is a person under the age of 15 years
who hawks goods and renders services on the commercial road or street.

This study investigated communication and employee job satisfaction of the hospitality sector. Data were primarily sourced through the online administration of two hundred (200)questionnaire out of which same number (200) were found usable for the empirical analysis. The descriptive (frequency, mean and percentage) and inferential statistics (regression) were adopted for the study’s analysis. It was revealed that: there is a significant relationship between communication and employee job satisfaction in the hospitality sector; modern communication channels, such as social media and technology-mediated communication, significantly influence employee job satisfaction in the hospitality sector; and while organizational culture was found to significantly mediate or moderate the relationship between communication and employee job satisfaction in the hospitality sector, leadership styles did not. Based on these findings, it was recommended that: organizations should focus on enhancing their communication strategies; it is essential for organizations in the hospitality sector to actively promote a positive and inclusive organizational culture; and it is still crucial for organizations to invest in leadership development programs.

The rehabilitation of female inmates in correctional institutions remains a pressing concern in criminal justice systems worldwide, particularly in developing nations like Nigeria. This study investigates the impact of correctional services on the rehabilitation and reintegration of female inmates at Oko Prisons in Benin City, with a focus on the role of institutional programs, social workers, and governmental support. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 86 female inmates and correctional staff through structured questionnaires and descriptive statistics. Findings reveal that while correctional facilities offer basic rehabilitation programs such as vocational training, religious services, and mental health support systemic issues including overcrowding, underfunding, limited infrastructure, and a lack of qualified personnel severely constrain outcomes. Moreover, social workers, though pivotal in fostering behavioral change and reintegration, remain underrepresented in Nigerian prisons. The study underscores the need for a holistic, gender-sensitive reform of correctional policies to address the socio-economic, psychological, and health-specific needs of incarcerated women. Recommendations are proposed for institutional investment, intersectoral collaboration, and policy restructuring to ensure effective rehabilitation and reduce recidivism among female inmates

This study investigates the determinants of depression on the academic performance of undergraduate students in the University of Benin City. The research aims to examine the relationship between depression and academic performance, identify the determinants of depression among undergraduate students, and explore the implications for university support services. The findings of the study reveal that depression has a significant negative impact on the academic performance of undergraduate students, with factors such as academic pressure, social isolation, and financial stress contributing to the development of depression. The study highlights the need for universities to provide accessible mental health support services, academic counseling, and stress management programs to support undergraduate students' mental health and academic success. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on depression and academic performance, providing insights for university administrators, mental health practitioners, and policymakers seeking to address the mental health needs of undergraduate students.

This research work seeks to examine the assessment of depression and anxiety among the University of Benin students, using the Faculty of Social Sciences. The study made use of a questionnaire to obtain data from respondents. Five objectives were set for the study. The study found that there was no difference between male and female students based on depression and anxiety. The results of the analysis conducted revealed that there was no significant difference between younger students and older students based on depression and anxiety. The results of this study also show that course levels did not significantly predict depression and anxiety. However, the findings suggest that students who use substances reported significantly higher levels of depression and anxiety than those who do not use substances. Lastly, students with a family history of psychiatric illness reported significantly higher depression and anxiety than students with no family history of psychiatric illness. The study made recommendations that were directed toward university administrators, mental health professionals, policymakers, and students, aiming to address the underlying factors contributing to mental health challenges in the university population.

Graetz (2006) asserts that all learning takes place in a physical environment with quantifiable and perceptible physical characteristics, be it in a large lecture hall, underneath a tree, or in front of a computer screen. Lizzio, Wilson and Simons (2002) identified the learning environment as a major variable in the interacting system of thelearning process. Learning environment and how it is perceived by the students or learners have been identified as having major influence on both learning processes and outcomes. In this regard, Frenzel, Pekrun and Goetz (2007) reports that numerous studies have clearly demonstrated the significant relationship between perceived learning environmentand student achievement. Randhawa and Michayluk (1974) attribute much of the reliable variance in student performance to the aptitude of the learner and the environment of learning. In the view of Zhu,Valcke, Schellens and Li (2009), the quality of student learning seems to be closely related to their perceptions of the learning environment. In view of the foregoing, recent years have witnessed an increasing global interestand concern among all educational stakeholders regarding the role of learning environment in education cutting across all levels, from the most basic level of learning, to to the most advanced levels of tertiary education.

The impact of domestic violence on academic performance of students: implication for social work practice in Benin Metropolis, Edo State.” is written to critically examine the impact of domestic violence on academic performance of students in Benin City. The study also aims to examine the types or forms of domestic violence against students in Benin City. The Researcher obtained data from both secondary and primary sources like questionnaire, The paper concludes that the issue of domestic violence can not be over emphasized, this is becausedomestic violence are ofdifferent formsand can come in different ways such as psychological,emotional, economic, just mention but a few, Thus, the paper recommends the following Comprehensive and extensive premarital counseling should be given to intending couples on how to manage their marital relationship in order to avoid domestic violence. There should be public enlightenment through the mass media on the negative effects of domestic violence against students or children, especially at homes and schools. Social workers should vigorously teach against domestic violence in their places of workshops. Youths should be encouraged and taught to detest and not imitate brutish treatment of children around them. The community should socialize its members to the beliefs, values, knowledge, customs and norms of domestic violence. This would help to reduce domestic violence. Punishment given to grievously offending parents should be publicized, so that it can serve as deterrence to others. Social workers should organize seminars and outreach programmes to enlighten the people on the need for a violence free society with the home as the cradle.Young couples planning to get married should beguided on the ways to avoid violence in the intimate relationship of marriage. The government should establish and fund counseling centers at the community, and Local Government levels and employ professionalsocial workers tohelp victims and perpetrators of domestic violence

The relevant of this study is that it will raise awareness about the social workers in community, reducing stigma around seeking help. Educates the public on the supportive roles social workers play, therefore fostering a more supportive environment for survivors. Informs policy makers about the critical roles of social worker, advocating for better resources and support. Encourages the creation of policies that support the training and employment of more social worker specialized in handling sexual violence cases.

The study examined the effect of rehabilitation programmes on prison inmates. The main objective of the study is to examine the impact of correction institutions in the rehabilitation of female inmates in Benin City. Simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample of 60 female inmates in both Oko Prison and Benin Prison. It was discovered that the rehabilitation programmes were not very successful due to lack of fund, inadequacy of rehabilitation equipment, lack of trained personnel, lack of manpower and poor management of rehabilitation programmes among others. The findings show that prisons have not successfully achieved their objective according to the Nigerian Prison Act of (2001) which is to reform and rehabilitate offenders to be good and useful citizens. Therefore, rehabilitation programmes in the prisons are not as effective as expected. Based on the findings of the research, it was recommended that the prison authority should provide earning schemes to female inmates to enhance their
effective reintegration and rehabilitation into the society; rehabilitation programmes should not be left in the hands of prison officials alone. Social workers, NGOs and others should be fully involved in rehabilitation of inmates, government should consider a form of compulsory savings scheme for convicts involved in prison work. A matching grant or a percentage of the amount saved should be given to a prisoner when due for release. This will assist in resettlement of the ex-convicts with the skills acquired while in prison amongst other things.

his study sought the Correlates of Broken Homes and the Undergraduate Students Academic Performance in the University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State. The major institution for humans is the family, also known as the household or home. Using a survey research method approach, this study investigates the major causes of broken homes among undergraduate students in the university of Benin, challenges they faced, coping strategies they employ to deal with the challenges and the institutional establishments available to help them. The findings of this study reveal that divorce or separation and prolonged parental absence are the major causes of broken homes. It also found that while both students from broken and intact homes face challenges, it is often more intense on those from broken homes. A majority ofthe respondents indicated that participating in study groups with their peers has helped them cope with some of the challenges. The study also found that institutional establishments are in place to help the students to cope with their challenges, although some are unaware of them. The study recommends that better programs should be established to help the students and also awareness programs to inform them the availability ofthe programs in the University of Benin. The study contributes to the literature on the impact of family structure on academic outcomes.