ROLES OF COUNSELLING ON MARITAL CONFLICT AMONG YOUNG COUPLES IN KARU L.G.A. OF NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the roles of counselling in managing marital conflicts among young couples in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria. With rising cases of marital instability, especially among newlyweds, the research sought to understand how professional counselling interventions address conflicts related to gender roles, religious background differences, level of education and temperamental traits. The study employed a descriptive survey research design, involving a sample of 380 young couples (married between 1 and 5 years) selected through multistage sampling from selected couples within Kodakpe district of Karu Local Government. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Roles of Counselling in Marital Conflict Questionnaire (RCMCQ). Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (independent t-test) were employed to analyze the data. The findings revealed that counselling significantly contributes to conflict resolution across the examined dimensions, with respondents who received counselling showing higher levels of conflict management and marital stability than those who did not. Specifically, counselling enhanced understanding of gender roles, improved adaptation to religious background’s dif erences, strengthened mutual respect despite dif erences in levels of education and promoted healthy temperamental crisis management. The study concludes that counselling plays a vitpreventive and curative role in stabilizing young marriages. It recommends the institutionalization of premarital and marital counselling within religious and community structures, increased public awareness, and integration of family life education in the society. The findings contribute to the broader understanding of how counselling can foster sustainable family systems in Nigeria.