IMPACT OF COMMUNAL CONFLICT ON THE EARLY CHILDHOODDEVELOPMENT

Abstract

This paper examined the impact of communal conflict on early childhood (the toddlers and the preschool) development in Nigeria. The position of the p a p e r is that communal conflicts in their various dimensions, inter and intra-religious, socio-political and socio-cultural have actually impacted negatively on the social, psychological and physical development of the early childhood. The author was also convinced from reviewed literature that the mental and physical health of the toddlers and preschools are affected by communal conflicts as the growing child is denied opportunities of acquiring social skills for the socio-political development of the country, Nigeria. Though the toddlers and preschools do not contribute to the executing o f the conflicts the impact fe lt by them as the adolescents and the adults. This paper, therefore, recommends among other things that counsellors and government and non-governmental agencies should never relent in advocating and campaigning for peace among the citizenry in any forum available to them. Group and individual counselling are recommended for children to enable them to forget the atrocities of the hostilities. Perpetrators of violence should never be left to go scot-free because to initiate a communal conflict is the worst crime to a nation and humanity in general.