Strategic Communication and Children Upbringing in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria
This empirical study investigated the influence of strategic parental communication on children upbringing within Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. Driven by growing concerns over changing family dynamics, rapid urbanization, digital media exposure, and varying child-rearing outcomes, the research examined how planned, purposeful parental communication strategies—specifically authoritative dialogue, active listening, structured feedback, and empathetic conflict resolution framing—shape behavioural, emotional, and social development outcomes in children. Grounded in Symbolic Interactionism Theory and Social Development Theory, the study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey research design. A representative sample of 384 parents and guardians was drawn using multi-stage sampling across Calabar Municipal and Calabar South Local Government Areas. Data were gathered via a structured, validated questionnaire (r = 0.84) titled Strategic Parental Communication and Upbringing Questionnaire (SPCUQ) and analysed using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Multiple Regression analysis at a 0.05 significance level). Findings revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between structured parental communication strategies and positive child behaviour outcomes (β = 0.412, p < 0.05). Active listening and collaborative problem-solving yielded the highest positive correlation with emotional stability and academic focus (r = 0.654, p < 0.05). The study concluded that strategic communication serves as a vital tool for effective parenting in contemporary urban settings. Consequently, it recommended community-based parental communication workshops, school-parent communicative synergy, and media-driven family advocacy campaigns across Cross River State.
Bassey, U. N., & Mathias, O. (2026). Strategic Communication and Children Upbringing in Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State, Nigeria. International Journal of Global Humanities and Management Insights (IJGHMI), 2(4), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.63665/ijghmi-y2f4a001
This study investigated the relationship between strategic communication and children upbringing within Calabar Metropolis, Cross River State. The empirical evidence demonstrates that strategic parental communication—characterized by active listening, constructive feedback framing, and empathetic non-verbal support—is a powerful predictor of positive child behavioral, emotional, and social development. Parents who consciously move beyond unidirectionally authoritative commands toward structured, objective-driven dialogue raise children with higher emotional stability, superior behavioral compliance, and stronger social alignment. Conversely, economic pressures and digital distractions pose real obstacles to domestic communication quality. Ultimately, strategic communication must be recognized not merely as an organizational tool, but as an essential, learnable competence for effective contemporary parenting.
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