Child, Abandonment, Anti-social behaviour, neglect, orphanage

The psycho-social effect of child abandonment on the vulnerable child in Benin City is the central thesis of this study. The study had four objectives which were to; examine the psychological impact of abandonment on abandoned children, evaluate the level of government intervention on child abandonment issues, investigate the level of intervention by
civil society organization on child abandonment and elucidate the psychological effect of child abandonment on the society. The study adopted social learning, maxism and attachment theories and adopted a survey research design method while the population consist of 1,086,882 residents in Benin metropolis, 26 orphanages and officers of Ministry of women affairs and welfare department of the Nigerian Police Force in Edo state command. Out of these numbers 400 were administered with the research instrument. The study amongst others found out that there was a strong relationship between social wellbeing and vulnerable child, abandoned children suffer more from neglect than children under the supervision of their parents or guardians. Finally, the study found out that a relationship existed between child abandonment and antisocial behavior. The study amongst others recommended that government should implement policies that will help in the reduction of child abandonment and that social welfare organizations should collaborate with relevant government agencies in rehabilitating and integrating the abandoned child in Benin City