CHAPTER ONE
 INTRODUCTION
1.1      BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
A number of factors determine how far a child can go in life. In most cases his association with friends and family may not necessarily be in the majority but may be needed factors of enhancing his academic performance. This study is to find out the cause of conflicts in the home and some basic socio-¬psychological effects of conflicts in the home on a child's academic performance.
Conflict is a militating factor on a child's academic performance. It affects the child both socially and psychologically. It is a deterrent to the child in his social environment and intellectual progress. According to Staple R. (1999), a disharmonious home promotes aggressive, neurotic, jealous, delinquent unco-operative children, while harmonious home promotes co-operative, good adjustments, superior academic performance and independent children.
The home is an institution where people needing care live in. It is a dwelling place of a family which originated from marriage. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman such that the children born are recognized as the offsprings of both parents. Demo D. H. (1998) defines marriage as an established practice in all human societies in one form or another, that is the reason why marriage is called an institution.
The home is a reflection of the society and so, if the home is defective, the child being the product of the home will be affected. Most of the social¬ problems we encounter in Nigeria today, is traced or connected with the social errors that evolved in the conflicts in the homes. It is very important to note that the stages of marriage, if not well met, can establish conflicts in the home. The conflicts in the home leads to development of lack of conscience and excessive prohibition which produces unrealistic, severe moral constraints and above all these lead to uncompromising social behaviours that cause poor performance.
Factors that influence academic performance of the child are numerous. They could be negative or positive factors. For example, bad habits like sleeping always, laziness, non challant attitude of the child towards his studies, can affect the child's academically. It is the duty of the parents from the onset to help the child by teaching him the right thing to do and encourage him through reinforcement. Arditte J. A. (1999), stated that "The ideal family life when created will motivate the child and help  in his  academic  performance". The  child needs  care, socially, emotionally, physically, mentally and psychologically. Couples often disagree when  it  comes to  roles  and  responsibilities, due  to  the  fact  that  both   parties want to win the argument. Constant disagreement in the home leads to marital conflict which affects the child's academic performance.
As opined by Olayinka (2005) "a peaceful home tends to be a pleasant environment for raising healthy children who will become good citizens in future". But a conflicting home is a fertile ground for breeding delinquent children. The socio-psychological effects of conflicts such as denial or indifference hostility fear and confusion affects the child's academic performance.
Research reports suggest that a child from conflict home experience more problems in adjustment than children who grow up in intact families. Most of the research effort suggests that children from conflict homes are more likely to have difficulties in school and to be more aggressive, less pro-social, more depressed, and more likely to abuse substances and participate in delinquent acts than their peers from intact families.