Information a tool for social advocacy protection services for children in Gwagwalada area council, Abuja

Abstract

The challenge of social vices effects among children in Gwagwalada town is worrisome as their life destiny is been truncated. These children or teenagers no longer have interest in education or acquiring any vocational skill that will shape their lives for a better future. So this study is set out to determine available types of social protection services in Gwagwalada, how the services reach the children and the involvement of information managers in the dissemination of the knowledge for child protection. The study adopted the descriptive survey design and the population consisted of all the 120 agencies staff on child protection. Structured questionnaire and interview was used for data collection. The data were analyzed using frequency counts and mean scores of four-scale rating. The finding reveal low level involvement of information managers in packaging, disseminating and communicating knowledge on child protection against social vices by the agencies responsible for designing and coordinating programs. The results also showed dissatisfaction of few teachers and some members of the community over the unavailable access to the knowledge on how to counsel and manage cases of social vices among children when the need arises. The study suggest that adequate integration of the services of information managers into the services of child protection agencies is necessary since their major task is to create and disseminate information to various kinds of information seekers.