Prevalence of Social Maladjustment Behaviours Among Secondary School Students in Benin Metropolis of Edo State, Nigeria

Prevalence, Social Maladjustment Behaviour, Secondary School Student and Benin Metropolis

Abstract

Social maladjustment behaviours are intentional and conscious failure in responding and adjusting to societal expectations, communication and positive acknowledgements in interpersonal interactions. Within the school environment, it could reduce academic interests, involvement as well as the achievement of academic goals. This study describes social maladjustment among in-school adolescents as the consistent and intentional participation in activities that portrays academic indifferences, disruptive, undisciplined, antisocial and violent behaviours, inadequate interaction, shyness and peer influence. To ascertain its prevalence among in-school adolescents, this study examined the percentage based on parents’ socio-economic status, peer influence and sex among the selected school. This study adopted the descriptive survey design on a population of five thousand seven hundred and ninety-four (5794) registered students in mixed public senior secondary schools in Benin Metropolis. The simple random sampling was used to select a sample of three hundred and forty-nine (349) students (162 male and 187 female students). The instrument for data collection titled Social Maladjustment Scale (SMS). The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and Chi square test of differences at 0.05 level of significance. The study found the selected participants to be socially maladjusted irrespective of their parents’ socioeconomic status, peer influence and sex. It was recommended that in-school adolescents should be educated through psycho education on the negative consequences of socially maladjusted behaviours and therapeutic interventions would be effective in  rehabilitating victims and perpetrators.