INFLUENCE OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AMONG ADOLESCENT HOME ECONOMICS STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN OHAFIA LGA OF ABIA STATE

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State. Juvenile delinquency, expressed through behaviours such as truancy, stealing, drug and alcohol abuse, examination malpractice, cultism, and violence, has continued to threaten the moral, social, and academic development of adolescents in Nigerian secondary schools. Home Economics students, who are expected to imbibe values of discipline, home management, and responsible living through their subject curriculum, are not exempted from this trend, raising concern about the gap between the values taught in Home Economics and the observed conduct of students. The study was guided by five objectives, namely to identify the causes of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students, determine the forms of delinquent behaviour prevalent among them, examine the influence of family background on delinquency, assess the influence of peer group association and the school environment, and determine strategies for curbing delinquency among this group of students. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and the study covered public secondary schools offering Home Economics in Ohafia LGA. A structured questionnaire was designed as the instrument for data collection, administered to Home Economics students and teachers, and data collected was analysed using mean scores and simple percentages. The study is expected to reveal the extent and forms of delinquent behaviour among Home Economics students, the major contributing factors, and possible intervention strategies.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Adolescence is a critical stage of human development characterized by rapid physical, emotional, social, and psychological changes. It is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood during which young people search for identity, test boundaries, and are highly susceptible to influences from family, peers, school, and the larger society.

Juvenile delinquency refers to the participation of a minor in illegal behaviour or conduct that violates accepted social norms and school regulations. Family instability has been identified as one of the strongest predictors of delinquent behaviour among Nigerian adolescents, with children from broken or poorly supervised homes showing a greater tendency toward antisocial conduct than those from stable family units (Ugwuoke & Duru, 2015). In a similar vein, a study conducted among secondary school students in Enugu State found that adolescents raised in chaotic or unstimulating home environments, and those exposed to strong peer pressure, were significantly more likely to display disruptive and risky behaviour than their counterparts from calmer, more supportive homes (Adimora, Akaneme, & Aye, 2018). Peer influence has itself been shown to be a major driver of delinquent conduct among Nigerian secondary school students, with a correlational study of adolescents in Ibadan Metropolis finding a significant positive relationship between the strength of peer influence and the level of delinquent behaviour exhibited by students (Lasisi, Olaifa, & Alabi, 2021).

Beyond the home and peer environment, the school itself plays a critical role in either checking or reinforcing delinquent tendencies. A study on the implementation of the Social Studies curriculum for moral development in Nigerian junior secondary schools found that weak integration of values-based instruction into everyday school practice limits the extent to which the curriculum can shape students' character and discipline (Kabir, 2023). This finding is particularly relevant to Home Economics, a subject whose curriculum is built around food and nutrition, home management, clothing and textiles, child development, and family living, and which carries a strong values-based orientation intended to instil discipline, responsibility, self-reliance, and sound family values in students. However, evidence from other parts of the country suggests that delinquent behaviour among secondary school students continues to have measurable negative effects on academic performance, as shown in a study of students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, where delinquent students consistently underperformed academically compared to their well-behaved peers (John-Nelson, Ihunwo, & Ohanyiri, 2021).

Ohafia LGA, like other parts of Abia State, has witnessed reports of indiscipline among secondary school adolescents, ranging from truancy and disrespect for teachers to more serious cases of theft, substance abuse, and involvement in cult-related activities. It is against this background that this study sets out to investigate the influence of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Despite the value-laden nature of the Home Economics curriculum, cases of indiscipline and delinquent behaviour continue to be reported among adolescent students offering the subject in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA. Evidence from elsewhere in Nigeria shows that this apparent contradiction is not unique to Ohafia; family instability and poor parental supervision have consistently been linked to delinquency regardless of the academic subjects students are enrolled in (Ugwuoke & Duru, 2015), while the consequences of unchecked delinquent behaviour, including deteriorating academic performance, have been documented among secondary school populations elsewhere in the country (John-Nelson, Ihunwo, & Ohanyiri, 2021).

This gap between the values taught in Home Economics and the actual conduct exhibited by students raises important questions. Is juvenile delinquency among Home Economics students in Ohafia LGA linked to factors within the home, the school, or the peer environment? Without a clear, context-specific understanding of these issues, efforts by schools, parents, and policy makers to address indiscipline among adolescents may remain largely ineffective.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

1. Identify the causes of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA.
2. Determine the forms of delinquent behaviour prevalent among adolescent Home Economics students in the study area.
3. Examine the influence of family background on juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students.
4. Assess the influence of peer group association and the school environment on delinquent behaviour among these students.
5. Determine strategies that can be adopted to curb juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What are the causes of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA?
2. What forms of delinquent behaviour are prevalent among adolescent Home Economics students in the study area?
3. To what extent does family background influence juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students?
4. To what extent do peer group association and the school environment influence delinquent behaviour among these students?
5. What strategies can be adopted to curb juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

Ho1: Family background has no significant influence on juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA.

Ho2: Peer group association and the school environment have no significant influence on juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in secondary schools in Ohafia LGA.

1.6 Significance of the Study

The findings will be beneficial to students, Home Economics teachers, parents, school administrators and counsellors, curriculum planners, and future researchers, providing empirical data to guide school-based intervention and counselling programmes and to strengthen the values-based content of the Home Economics curriculum.

1.7 Scope of the Study

This study is limited to the influence of juvenile delinquency among adolescent Home Economics students in public secondary schools in Ohafia LGA of Abia State, covering causes, forms, family/peer/school influence, and curbing strategies.

1.8 Limitations of the Study

Financial and time constraints restricted the scope to Ohafia LGA. Some respondents were reluctant to give truthful responses to sensitive questions relating to delinquent behaviour.

1.9 Definition of Terms

Juvenile Delinquency: Illegal or antisocial behaviour engaged in by a minor, which violates the law or accepted social and school norms. Adolescent: A young person, typically between ages 10–19, in transition between childhood and adulthood. Home Economics: A field concerned with home, family, and consumer resource management, taught to build practical skills and values for responsible living. Secondary School: A post-primary institution providing education to adolescents. Influence: The effect one factor has on another. Peer Group: Individuals of similar age or social standing who interact with and influence one another.

REFERENCES

Adimora, D. E., Akaneme, I. N., & Aye, E. N. (2018). Peer pressure and home environment as predictors of disruptive and risky sexual behaviours of secondary school adolescents. African Health Sciences, 18(2), 218–228. https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v18i2.4

John-Nelson, I., Ihunwo, A. E., & Ohanyiri, M. (2021). Effects of juvenile delinquency on academic performance of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Kabir, A. I. A. (2023). Challenges against implementation of Social Studies curriculum for moral development in Nigerian junior secondary schools: Ilorin as case study. International Journal Pedagogy of Social Studies, 8(1), 47–60.

Lasisi, A. K., Olaifa, A. S., & Alabi, M. A. (2021). Correlational study of peer influence and juvenile delinquency among secondary school adolescents in Ibadan Metropolis. University of Ibadan Institutional Repository.

Ugwuoke, C. U., & Duru, O. U. (2015). Family instability and juvenile delinquency in Nigeria: A study of Owerri Municipality. IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 20(1), 40–45.