Lessons from Themes in Professor Johnbull Nigerian Television Drama Season – 4 Episode 9 (Street School) Towards Curtailing Child Abuse in African Societies

Television is a medium through which society is well informed about social reform, social reengineering and social orientation because of the tenacious relevance of its audio-visual influence on the viewers. What people think about nearly every issue be it politics, religion, government, fashion, culture, is almost exclusively influenced by television. Thus, this study examines lessons on re-orientation of the African Society towards curtailing Child Abuse from themes in Professor Johnbull Television Drama, Season 4-Episode nine (Street School). The study identifies various themes of child abuse in the television drama episode using International Journal Online of Humanities (IJOHMN) ISSN: 2395-5155 Volume 6, Issue 6, December 2020 www.ijohmn.com 33 qualitative research approach of textual content analysis through Video preview and review of themes in Prof. Johnbull Television Drama. The study applied the social cognitive theory as well as framing theory. Data were gathered using a researcher –designed instrument named “Video Content Analysis Checklist on Social Orientation and Themes and Framings (VCACSOTF)”. Findings from the study revealed that vulnerable children suffer maltreatment such as: Sexual abuse, forced child labour in form of street trading/hawking and child trafficking which is a major setback to the realization of child right act on education in Africa. It recommends that similar Television series and programmes should be produced, identified and sponsored regularly on African Television networks such that social orientation against all forms of child abuse could be spread through various broadcast media just as it is being propagated in Professor Johnbull TV drama episode titled ‘Street School’. Further, government in Africa should assist in giving scholarships to indigent and vulnerable street children and that those who participate in child abuse be prosecuted.


Introduction
The African society is still growing in terms of socio-cultural, economic and political towards the attainment of human development. The commonest means to achieve this is the use of modern technology such as internet and television to create a simultaneous awareness about a particular malaise that could forestall the growth of Africa. The channel of communication considered in this study is television. Television, that newest and most versatile medium of mass communication burst over post independence Africa like a skyrocket, and like a skyrocket is already leveling off if not coming down. Unlike radio and press, television in Africa is almost entirely a product of the years since political independence; in some places television is regarded as a national status symbol comparable to an airline or a presidential palace. A regular television service was established in Morocco in 1954 (for just two years), and in the Western Region of Nigeria in 1959, but the rest of the continent remained almost untouched until 1952untouched until , William (1971.
The media plays key role in the construction of child abuse as a major social problem.
Moreover, the issue has been covered across a range of genre (including news programmes, TV drama, films, call-in shows, soap operas) thereby reaching a diverse range of audiences.
While acknowledging the importance of the media in raising awareness, a number of commentators have also noted that the media's interest is very recent and has generally relied on others that is, activists, professional groups) to lay the groundwork. Rather than being in the vanguard, the media has generally brought up what the public need to know in the society. The groundwork for the recognition of child sexual abuse, for example, laid in early activities by feminists and survivors, and involved international links within the women's movement across the world.
The Media has watchdog roles to play in the society in that it acts as a mirror through which the society can see itself. According to Adekanye (2014), television is considered one of the greatest communication mechanism ever invented and operated by man after the Internet as it influences our perception of politics, religion, movies, governance, fashion and culture and serves as a compact frame that creates an intimate medium because it brings the world into our homes. Television remains the most time consuming activity and main source of news and information, a medium through which politics is conducted, humanity's main form of entertainment, and the world's most powerful sales tool, Adekanye (2014).It is through this medium that society is well informed about social reform, social re-engineering and social orientation because of the tenacious relevance of its audio-visual influence on the Therefore, any act that tries to put a stop to certain abnormalities or unnecessary norms in the society is regarded as a social reform. Social reform or social orientation is one of the many facets of social work which serves as the umbrella of various societal services, other aspects include: social service; social justice; social welfare; social health; and social legislation. Social work is a profession which deals various societal problems and issues systematically and scientifically, empowers individuals, groups, and communities, and also requires specific knowledge, skills and techniques to practice,(Nitro,2014) Social reform as a facet of social work is a process through which changes or improvements are made in the society.
It is based on this yardstick that Global Communication sponsors Professor Johnbull family, and society contributes in any forms of abuse either overtly or covertly. From a largely unacknowledged issue (prior to the 1960s), reportage of child abuse has now reached saturation point (Kitzinger, 2004). Child abuse is a form of maltreatment that is directed or melted towards a minor, that is, a child below eighteen years. Apart from intimate partners' abuse or violence, child abuse is the most trending or the most rampant in our society.
However, many works or researches have been done to cater for this ill in the society, but for it to subside or abate; it keeps on increasing and accentuating.
Many studies on child abuse have been carried out in the prints to curb the excesses of this phenomenon (child abuse) by giving social orientation so that people would cease from perpetrating it. Also, lectures have been given against it. This is because children are the hope of tomorrow. They should be built against vices that could jeopardize the growth of a nation. It is on this background that Professor Johnbull TV Drama presented an episode entitled; 'Street School'. In the TV drama, Professor Johnbull gives advice against child labour and vehemently persuades and encourages parents and guardians to discourage children from hawking on the street while their mates are in school. He also gives social orientation against child trafficking and so on and so forth. This act is a way of inculcating the right attitudes on the viewers to have the right social orientation about an ideal society or an ideal societal interaction among the people. However it is a known fact that television is one of the media by which people get information. Television is a major medium through which information is passed to the viewers. It is served as medium through which viewers are entertained, educated and informed about what goes on in the society. Television, by virtue of its audio-visual tendency, people tend to be more comfortable in viewing what is happening in the society. In an increasingly global society, television shapes society's perception of the world ( Pahad, Karkare and Bhatt, 2015). The definitions of childhood vary from country to country and, indeed, religion to religion. The bulk of the countries view childhood in terms of chronological age, while others consider socio economic factors in determining childhood (World Bank, 2005).In some African countries for example, 10 year old apprentices or brides are no longer assumed to possess all the characteristics that industrial countries bundle together into the status of a 'child'. They may be eligible for marriage, but not entitled to make decisions independently of their parents. Different countries invoke different age thresholds of adulthood, even within countries such threshold can diverge-one age for voting, another for employment, and yet another for military services (Satz, 2003).
Child abuse is referred to the kind of maltreatment that a child suffers in the hands of the elderly ones. Abuse can be physical, emotional, and sexual or any treatment that is against This is because the harm may have been unintentional, or because the caregivers did not understand the severity of the problem, which may have been the result of cultural beliefs about how to raise a child. Delayed effects of child abuse and neglect, especially emotional neglect, and the diversity of acts that qualify as child abuse, are also factors.
Main Concepts in the Study are: Child right act, child abuse, child labour, child trafficking and child neglect  The World Health Organization (WHO) defines child abuse and child maltreatment as "all forms of physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, sexual abuse, neglect or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation, resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust or power (WHO,2014). In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) uses the term child maltreatment to refer to both acts of commission (abuse), which include "words or overt actions that cause harm, potential harm, or threat of harm to a child", and acts of omission (neglect), meaning "the failure to provide for a child's basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm or potential harm". The United States federal Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act defines child abuse and neglect as, at minimum, "any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation" or "an act or failure to act which presents an imminent. However, to know exactly who a child is; the following gives an explicit definition of a child. Preamble notes that children need "special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth," reiterates the 1924 Declaration's pledge that "mankind owes to the child the best it has to give," and specifically calls upon voluntary organizations and local authorities to strive for the observance of children's rights. One of the key principles in the DRC is that a child is to enjoy "special protection" as well as "opportunities and facilities, by law and by other means," for healthy and normal physical, mental, moral, spiritual, and social development "in conditions of freedom and dignity." The "paramount consideration" in enacting laws for this purpose is "the best interests of the child," a standard echoed throughout legal instruments on children's rights. Among other DRC principles, a child is entitled to a name and nationality; to adequate nutrition, housing, recreation, and medical services; to an education; and, for the handicapped, to "special treatment, education and care." Other principles are on protection against neglect, cruelty and exploitation, trafficking, underage labor, and discrimination.
 Social Cognitive Theory. The social cognitive theory is also called "social Learning, "Observational Learning, "or Modeling because the theory has its roots in psychology, and as a communication theory was developed by Albert Bandura in the 1960's. The theory states that humans learn behaviours by others performing those behaviours and imitating them. In today's increasingly mediate society, the mass media message becomes the source of observational learning. The theory is based on the fact that people observe and imitate influential models around them. This ranges from family members to TV models and cartoon characters. In other words, people can acquire knowledge, emotional reactions and behavioural pattern by observing others. The theory states that in order to properly learn from the media a person must be exposed to the media, then be able to encode and remember the event, and lastly be able to translate their perception of the media into an appropriate response.
 Framing Theory was first put forth by Goffman (1974), under the title of Frame Analysis. He put forth that people interpret what is going on around their world through their primary framework. This framework is regarded as primary as it is taken for granted by the user. Its usefulness as a framework does not depend on other frameworks. Goffman states that there are two distinctions within primary frameworks: natural + social. Both play the role of helping individuals interpret data so that their experiences can be understood in a wider social context. The difference between the two is functional. Natural frameworks identify events as physical occurrences taking natural quote literally and not attributing any social forces to the causation of events. Social frameworks view events as socially driven occurrences, due to the whims, goals, and manipulations on the part of other social players (people). Social frameworks are built on the natural frameworks. These frameworks and the frames that they create in our communication greatly influence how data is interpreted, processed, and communicated. Goffman's underlying assumption is that individuals are capable users of these frameworks on a day to day basis whether they are aware of them or not. In Frame Analyses, Erving Goffman provides a platform for understanding and interpreting the interaction between individuals engaging speech communication. In the chapter "The Frame Analyses of Talk," the focus is put on how words are exchanged and what is being said, specifically in informal talk or conversation. The concept of framing is introduced through an exploration of why misunderstandings occur in these basic, everyday conversations, Goffman (1974). He argues that they are more errors in verbal framing than anything else. Fairhurst and Sarr (1996) put the framing techniques as followed:  Metaphor: To frame a conceptual idea through comparison to something else.
 Stories (myths, legends): To frame a topic via narrative in a vivid and memorable way.
 Tradition (rituals, ceremonies): Cultural mores that imbue significance in the mundane, closely tied to artifacts.
 Slogan, jargon, and catchphrase: To frame an object with a catchy phrase to make it more memorable and relate-able.
 Artifact: Objects with intrinsic symbolic valuea visual/cultural phenomenon that holds more meaning than the object itself.     Table 3 shows another theme on social intervention against child street-trading. It depicted in a scene whereby a boy intends to take advantage of a minor who sells plantains with the intention to molest the girl sexually. Also an under-age boy who is supposed to be in school is seen hawking breads in the street and unfortunately was nearly knocked down by a car and immediately he was rescued by Carol; who takes her home for proper attention. Flash (one of the characters) also rescued the under-age girl from being molested. Carol that took care of the boy and Flash that rescued the little girl played social orientation role in the society.    Table 5 portrays another theme which is centered on social concern against child abuse. Flash rescues an underage girl who sells plantains from being molested sexually and at the same time he takes the girl (who is living with a woman who is not her mother) home to orientate the woman against street hawking and child abuse.
Research Question 3: What are social orientation themes portraying child physical abuse in Professor Johnbull TV drama series? On the road, the girl that delivers goods to Olaniyi is seen crying.
Olaniyi asks her what the problem is.
The girl says that her madam asks of       In this scene high level of social justice is displayed by the community people in performing their civil right against injustice on children. Also, Professor Johnbull is seen giving advice to the people against child labour, child trafficking and street trading using children.

Discussion of Findings
The analysis in the tables portrays the heinous crime committed against children due to lack of parental care. Child trafficking and child labour are the most vices a gainst children Johnbull. Children are the future adults and because of this fact, they needed to be treated humanely so that there would be better African society. Also, allowing school -age children to be hawking during the school hours should be prohibited by the law enforcement agent.
From the drama, it is seen that children who are supposed to be in school are seen hawking in the street and they are exposed to different kinds of risk such as accident on the road, sexual abuse, psychological abuse, neglect and so on and so forth. A school-age boy was almost knocked down by a car before he was rescued as a result of social intervention of concerned citizens.
According to Pinheiro (2006), violence against children involves hitting ('smacking', 'spanking') children, with the hand or with an implement-whip, stick, belt, shoe, wooden spoon, etc. The author states further that corporate punishment can also involve, for example, kicking, shaking or throwing children, scratching, pinching, biting, pulling hair or boxing ears, forcing children to stay in uncomfortable positions, burning, scalding or forced ingestion (for example, washing children's mouths out with soap or forcing them to swallow hot spices). Table 1 to Table 10 answer the question on social re-orientation themes on child abuse in Prof. Johnbull. They show scenes/discourses, themes/portrayal as well as the pictorial depiction of actions in the video. It is shown here that in modern human society, child abuse such as child trafficking, child labour, and child street-trading are prevalent in Nigeria.

Summary
This study reveals the general consciousness of Prof. Johnbull Television Drama of social re-orientation on child abuse. The abuse as exemplified in the analysis is the kind of maltreatment that children suffer in the society such as: Sexual abuse, street trading/hawking, child labour, and child trafficking. The advocacy against child abuse through media/television helps viewers including children to be conscious of themselves and their environment. The study found out the ways and manners children are abused and maltreated in Professor Johnbull Drama. It also shows the level of awareness the TV drama series creates in the mind of the viewers, both the old and the young.

Conclusion
Child labour and trafficking is at the very peak of all that is wrong. So many young men and women have had their dreams snatched through lies and deceits of people who promise them greener-pastures. These children are a blessing and they deserve good education and a safe environment to grow up. Their dreams should not be stolen because they are the leaders of tomorrow. When they are not well taken care of, they become children of the street or in the street as a result of either physical abuse or psychological abuse; and that expose them to any form of dangers. However, it is the responsibilities of every dick and harry in the society to wake up to the challenges of building children the way they should go and when they grow they will not depart from it. Social orientation against any form of child abuse must be spread through any media of communication just as it is being propagated by Prof. Johnbull drama-season 4-episode 9 titled "Street School". Furthermore, everybody in the society is expected to carry out social orientation role in protecting children just as seen in the characters of Churchill, Carol, Flash, Udok, Samson, Olaniyi and Professor Johnbull trying to safeguard children from being molested and abused psychologically. These It is high time we had more corporate bodies coming to support the entertainment industry like Globacom is doing. "Professor Johnbull has a huge impact on the society because it is a social satire meant to teach and entertain at the same time.
At the normative level, the concept of a child, implicit in moral and legal practices, is that a child is a person who is in some fundamental ways, not developed but rather developing (Schapiro,1999).In the light of these underdeveloped conditions, adult parents or surrogate are needed to act on children's behalf. Parents or surrogates are thus bestowed with some special obligations including the obligation to protect, nurture, and educate children.
These obligations are paternalistic, because adults feel bound to fulfill them, whether the children in question consent to be protected, nurtured, or educated or not. Adults feel justified in treating children paternalistically because children have not yet developed the cognitive, moral and affective capacities to deliberate and act completely in their own interest.

Recommendations
 Arising from the outcome of the study, the following recommendations are put forward:  Films and movies like Professor Johnbull should be produced and sponsored regularly on natural Television stations.
 Child Rights Acts should be implemented to the letter through intervention of law enforcement Agents.