ABSTRACT
This study explored
the influence of area boys on behavioural disorder among adolescents of Shomolu
Local Government Area of Lagos State. Descriptive research survey design was
employed for the assessment of the opinions of the selected respondents, with
the adoption of questionnaire. Three hundred representatives were selected in
this study, to represent the entire population of the study. Three null
hypotheses were formulated and tested with the application of the independent
t-test statistical tool at 0.05 level of significance. The result showed that:
(1) A significant difference exists between the
activities of the area boys and the level of adolescents’ study habits.
(2) A significant difference exists between area
boys’ activities and their desires to watch pornographic film.
(3) There is a significant difference between
the activities of the area boys and the degree of their moral values in the
community.
All the hypotheses
were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the results obtained in
this study, it is recommended that Government should look into the activities
of the area boys and girls in Nigeria,
particularly, in Shomolu Local Government Area. It is important to note that
most of the area boys are graduates, and some of them are professionals.
Therefore, both the states and federal governments should ensure that these men
and women are carefully catered for, by way of employing them and keeping them
busy, because an idle hand or mind, they say, is the devil’s workshop. So, they
should be rehabilitated for them to change and turn a new leaf.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
Title
Page i
Certification
ii
Dedication
iii
Acknowledgements
iv
Abstract
v
Table
of Contents vi
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.1
Background to the Study 1
1.2 Statement
of the Problem 8
1.3 Purpose
of the Study 9
1.4 Research
Questions 9
1.5 Hypotheses 10
1.6 Significance
of the Study 11
1.7 Scope
of the Study 12
1.8 Definition
of Terms 12
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 13
2.1 Introduction 13
2.2 The
Street Children of Nigeria 13
2.3 Decoding
the Chaos of Lagos 23
2.4 Wikipedia 24
2.5 The
Fear of Area Boys 28
2.6 Area Boys – a
growing menace on the Streets of Lagos 33
2.7 Causes
and Solutions to Youth Violence in Nigeria 44
CHAPTER THREE: Methodology 48
3.1 Research Design 48
3.2 Population
of the Study 48
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Technique 48
3.4 Instrument 49
3.5 Validity
of the Instrument 50
3.6 Reliability
of the Instrument 50
3.7 Procedure
for Data Collection 51
3.8 Data
Analysis 51
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 52
4.1 Hypotheses
Testing 52
4.2 Summary
of Findings 55
CHAPTER FIVE: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations 56
5.1 Summary
of the Study 56
5.2 Conclusions
57
5.3 Recommendations 58
References 60
Appendices 63
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background to the Study
Lagos
city is a meeting point of different ethnic groups from various parts of the
country as well as people from other parts of the world. This city as in most
cities of developing countries, has the existence of a wide divide between the
‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’ which gave birth to a situation of apparent
existence of affluence and poverty. The city also prides itself with the
abundance of different sub-cultural groups in the state. One of such
sub-cultural groups is the phenomenon of ‘Area Boys’ sub-cultural group, whose
activities to some extent constitutes social problems to all and sundry in the
state. Lagos today, is one of such urban centres where this culture is
predominant and, it seems to be assuming a dangerous proportion.
In
the past, especially during the 1960s, one would agree that it is a matter of
pride to be called a Lagos
boy, ‘Omo Eko’. It can be said, also, that it is a matter of pride to be known
as a boy from a particular area of the city such as Isale Eko, Campus Square,
Idumagba, Olowogbowo, Isale Ofin and Lafiaji. Hence it was common then to see people
being identified with their areas of residence. This type of identification
gave momentum to a sense of belongingness, which encouraged competition in all
walks of life, particularly imports and commercial activities. However, all these may not suggest that every boy or girl
in Lagos then
was well behaved or good mannered. There were pockets of juvenile delinquents
regarded as “the do nothing” who were
involved in petty theft and other various juvenile crimes.
The
youths who indulge in petty theft and other various delinquent behaviour were
known as ‘Jaguda’. Hence, whosoever was classified as ‘do nothing’ or involve
in stealing was called ‘Jaguda-Eko’. This made Sonowo (2003) to note that in Lagos today, this era of
pride and respectability is gone and has been replaced with that of fear,
chaos, violence and anarchy caused by another generation of Lagos boys”.
From
the sayings of Sonowo (2003) above, one can say that the emergence of “Area
Boys” started with the reality of ‘Jaguda’ – Eko notion in Lagos Island.
The
word “Area Boys” connotes a youth characterized by social unrest. The term has
generated lots of concern by the adults society and every responsible citizen.
A careful search into the
dictionary to find the closet words that can best describe “Area Boys” is the
word ‘miscreant’ meaning a person who has done something wrong or illegal.
The
United Nations report best explains ‘Area Boys’. A growing menace on the
Streets of Lagos. A group of armed Street Children on the rampage on the
streets of Lagos
harassing motorists and pedestrians and extorting money from them (UN 14 July,
2005).
‘Area
Boys’ are people who are likely to indulge in negative issues like:
-
Crime as a way of life and means of
livelihood.
-
taking of drug and peddling it.
-
Homosexuality (male)
-
Prostituing (female)
-
Thuggery
-
Assassination etc.
A
critical analysis of the social character of adolescents and youths may support
the view that it was greatly affected by alienation from the wider society as a
result of which they were more prone to expression of violence in the face of
economic hardship. The fact that the adolescent and youths generally were severely affected by failure
of the educational system, unemployment, a weak relationship with family and
community life occasioned by breakdown of the traditional family structure and
the collapse of the traditional mechanisms for social mobility and social
conflicts resolutions to some extent, made them to be mostly isolated from the
society which they were familiar with, yet, could hardly be part of it. These
perceived problems, which are common in urban centres in Nigeria have to
some reasonable extent, created a situation where children are found on the
streets without adequate parental supervision and subjected to its various
temptations, that form the veritable workshop for criminal apprenticeship.
The
adolescent children between the ages of twelve and eighteen represents the
future of any society. They need a lot of investing in, moral wise,
educationally and all the positives concerning man moulding qualities. It is a
very vulnerable age. Vulnerable in the sense that it is susceptible. The
adolescent is in the age of adventure. He is ready to explore anything he sees
from the immediate environment.
One
of the pet names for ‘Area Boys’ is ‘Alaye’. A kid with the title ‘Alaye’
automatically gain the respect of his colleagues, soon that ‘Alaye’ kid will go
beyond the adoption of the notorious pet name to begin, the very acts of
‘Alaye’ in his immediate environment.
On
environmental sanitation days, he leads others to block the street road with
planks and benches borrowed from the ever present stalls and shops around and
begin to beg for money. it starts like that, later, they will become hostile to
the motorists that refuse to comply.
Again,
the “Area Boys” syndrome is like a breast cancer in the immediate environment.
It is eating up every jobless youth and every child is a likely candidate,
especially, the homeless child.
Adolescence
is a period of storm and stress, of transition between childhood and adulthood,
of confusion and conflict both for himself, his parents, his peers and the
society in general. As a result of many physical, social and economic changes
taking place in the adolescent’s environment, he is bound to have conflicting
ideas, values, and beliefs about himself.
Akinboye
(1984) noted that the physiological and psychological changes are often either
intimately or remotely related to many of the situations which create
behavioural problem in the adolescent such as peer group influences, delinquent
behaviour, sexual, moral and ethical concerns.
From
the views of Akinboye (1984) above, it can be said that an adolescent can
resist or accept the negative situation seen around his environment. one of
such situation is the violent and intimidating traits of ‘Area Boys’.
Adolescents often revolt against all imposed truth and authority of the adult
because to them life is idealistic. Their revolts hinge on the development of
morals and values. It is believed, to some extent, that the development of
moral values during adolescence is closely related to the adolescent’s
environmental experience in which the ‘Area-Boys’ have domineering influence.
Based on the fore goings in this background to the study, it is reasoned that
the phenomenon of ‘Area Boys’ have attained alarming proportion. These gangs of
youths constitutes urban nuisance and criminal menace. They have been of
increasing public concern and posed the worst challenge to the rule of law in Lagos thereby making the
city to acquire the notoriety of the country’s epicenter of social unrest.
Thus, it is in line with this perceived reality that this study tries to
investigate the influence of “Area – Boys” activities on the behaviour of
adolescents in the society.
1.2 Statement
of the Problem
The
reality of “Area Boys” in the country comes with its attendant shortcomings.
Adolescents in the society have come to accept the norms and values held by the
“Area-Boys”, sadly, these adolescents are ones that will later become the future
leaders. This negative behaviour exhibited by the adolescents is carried on to
the adulthood. Thus, the occurrence of physical assaults by the leaders of
virtually all the legislative arms of government in the country, other
misdeamenour are displayed by the leaders of the country and this has earned
the nation a negative image at home and abroad.
The
“Area Boys” concept is gradually assuming a national prominence and this calls
for a thorough study to understand the circumstance that necessitates its
emergence and acceptance by the writer populace, especially, the adolescents in
the society.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The
objectives of this study were to:
(1)
Investigate the influence of “Area-Boys” on
the level of study habit exhibited by the adolescents.
(2)
find out the influence of “Area-Boys” on the
degree of their moral values displayed in the community.
(3)
Examine the influence of “Area-Boys” on the
level of their desire to watch pornographic films.
1.4 Research Questions
The
questions that were asked and which answers are sought for, in this study are:
(1)
Will there be any significant influence of
the “Area-Boys” on the level of study habit exhibited by the adolescent?
(2)
Can there be any significant influence of
the activities of the “Area-Boys” on the degree of their moral values?
(3)
Will there be any significant influence of
the activities of the “Area-Boys” on their desire for pornographic films?
1.5 Hypotheses
The
hypotheses so generated in this study were:
(1)
There will be no significant difference
between the activities of the area boys and the level of study habit exhibited
by the adolescents in school.
(2)
There will be no significant difference
between the activities of the area boys and the adolescents degree of moral
values.
(3) There will be no significant difference
between the activities of the area boys and the level of their desires for
pornographic films.
1.6 Significance
of the Study
The
findings of this study will be of great benefits to:
(1)
The Federal and State Ministry of
Information and Communication. It will afford the Ministry, the opportunity of
understanding the need to re-absorb the
“Area-Boys” into the main stream society, so as to reduce the effect of
the “Area-Boys” on the citizens, especially the adolescent youths who are the
strength of the society.
(2)
The Federal and State Ministry of Youth and
Sport will see this study a veritable instrument in solving the problem of area
boys in Lagos State.
(3)
Private and Corporate Organisations
interested in having more insight into how to provide social responsibility
initiatives will find this work resourceful.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
This
study looked into the activities of the “Area-Boys” in Shomolu Local Government
Area, Lagos State and its influence on the behaviour
of the adolescent.
1.8 Definition
of Terms
“Area-Boys” Group
of young criminals who terrorize their neighbourhood and engages in violent
criminal activities within Lagos Metropolis.
“Alaye”
Owner of the world and one in charge of Lagos
environs.
“Influence”
The effect that somebody or something has on the way a person thinks or
behaves.
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