Abstract:

Parents play a fundamental role in the upbringing of healthy and well balanced children. Sometimes these individuals whose union has bring into existence these youngsters are separated by divorce, work, death, abandonment among others leading the children to live with only a parent or guardian. This inquiry explores how the self-worth of in-school adolescents from separated families is impacted by the degree of parent education, the basis of separation and their custodians.  The researcher utilised the descriptive survey design. Simple random sampling technique was utilised to select two schools each from Ilorin, East, South and West LGAs respectively, making 6 schools all together. Three hundred respondents from separated families were purposively selected through consultation with school counsellors. The instrument used is an adapted form of Rosenberg measure of self-worth, which was validated and tested for consistency yielding co-efficient of 0.67. The study considered the flexibility of the self-worth of the in-school adolescents from separated families. Data amassed were subjected to analyses employing the Analysis of Variance. The outcomes of the inquiry revealed that the self-worth of the adolescents from separated families was undesirably affected particularly where their parents lack formal education. Similarly, the self-worth of respondents from parents whose unions have been legally dissolved was far worse. School counsellors should identify in-school adolescents from separated families particularly those from parents with no formal education and those from divorced parents and develop intervention strategies to assist them develop healthy and high self-worth. Also, counsellors should focus on refining the quality of parenting among single parents to help them lift the self-worth of their children/wards.

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