TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the
Study
1.2 Statement of the
Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Research Questions
1.5 Research Hypotheses
1.6 Significance of the
Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Operational
Definition of Terms
CHAPTER
TWO
LITERATURE
REVIEW
2.1
Concept
of Socio-economic Status
2.2
Concept
of Peer Pressure
2.3
Concept
of Adolescence
2.4
Environmental Determinant of
Behaviours
2.5
Family Process and the Impact on Adolescents
2.6
Peer Influence and the Risk Behavior of Adolescents
2.7
Adolescent behavioural patterns and
Socioeconomic Status
2.8
Social
Learning Theory
2.9
Social Control Theory
2.10 Summary
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction
3.1 Research Design
3.2 Population of the
Study
3.3 Area of the Study
3.4 Sample and Sampling
Technique
3.5 Instrumentation
3.6 Validity of the
Research Instrument
3.7 Reliability of the
Research Instrument
3.8 Method of Data
Analysis
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS, ANALYSIS, SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS
4.0 Introduction
4.1 Data Presentation
4.2 Respondents’
Demographic Data
4.3 Testing of
Hypotheses
4.4 Summary of the
Findings
4.5 Discussion of the Findings
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION, RECOMMENDATIONS AND COUNSELLING IMPLICATIONS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of the
Study
5.3 Conclusion
5.4 Recommendations
5.5 Counselling
Implications
APPENDIX
QUESTIONNAIRE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the
Study
Adolescence is the transitory
period the individual passes through in his /her growth from childhood to
Adulthood. Studies have shown that the period consists of pressure which may be
either internal or external to the young adult (Adams, 2006 & Schneider,
2010). Besides being a transitory period, they posited that it is a time of
self-definition for the young individual. The high-risk behaviors of
adolescence are the result of multiple causes, often beginning in early
childhood, that change with age and are interrelated in complex ways. These
causes operate at ecological (e.g., socioeconomic status, neighborhood,
cultural context, social-relational (e.g., family members, peers, teachers),
and individual (e.g., genetic dispositional factors and temperamental
characteristics, sex) levels, that unfold against the backdrop of biological,
neuro-cognitive, and emotional maturation and shifts in age-related
social-developmental processes.
Research in the past two
decades has highlighted the central role of genetics as a major factor
contributing to the most troubling and costly outcomes of adolescent
risk-taking, including violence, criminal activity and substance use disorders
(Jaffee, 2005; Taylor, Iacono, & McGue, 2000). However, there is mounting
evidence that genetic influences on a variety of problem outcomes reflect a
complex interplay between inherited and environmental risk, with genetic risk
leading to pathological behavior for some youth only when the primary
socializing environment also is adverse (Cadoret, Winokur, Langbehn, &
Rroughton, 1996; Reiss & Leve, 2007; Tienari, 2004).
Families, socioeconomic status
and peers, the most significant socializing contexts for the emergence of adolescents’
behavioural patterns, are the foci of this paper. Socioeconomic status on adolescents’
behavioural patterns can only be understood in light of the simultaneous
influence of other socializing contexts, particularly the peer context that
will be discussed in the next section, but also broader contextual conditions
that add to, shape, and moderate the effect of the family (Bronfenbrenner,
1979; Collins, Maccoby, Steinberg, Hetherington, & Bornstein, 2000).
Conditions such as family poverty, family income, parental education level,
neighborhood violence, single parent family status, major family disruptions
e.g., (divorce, death of a parent), and cumulative family adversities all have
demonstrated effects to increase adolescents’ behavioural patterns (Amato &
Keith, 1991; Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997; Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls,
1997).
Parents are one of the most
important and influential elements on the lives of their children. They have
the power, ability to shape, sustain and develop their children's who will be
interested, creative and tolerant, through their positive involvement in the
learning process and educational activities. On the other hand parents who do
not involve in their children educational process are also considered to be
capable of repressing and destroying the motivation and ability of their
children through neglect and indifference to their achievements. "A
child’s capability to succeed in school depends on how successfully the child
is managed by his /her parents in the home environment. It is an environment
where the child learns the skills, attitudes and behavior which could mould
them into a productive and successful student. However, not every child comes
from a home that could provide them with the requisite educational resources
necessary for their academic success. In accordance with that, a parent’s
socioeconomic status plays an important role in providing these educational
resources and it appears to impose the greatest impact on the child’s educational
outcomes"( Vellymalay, 2012). Socioeconomic status has a relatively strong
impact on parental involvement compared to other factors. However, there is a
question as to how far the strength of the parent’s socioeconomic status could
inspire a child to achieve academic success.
Parental involvement has a
positive impact on student achievement at all socioeconomic levels, though
involvement is probably more important for low socioeconomic schools, as they
are more likely to have lower test scores and graduation rates.
"Regardless of income, ethnicity or background, students with involved
parents are more likely to earn higher grades and test scores, have better
attitudes, behavior and attendance, and graduate and go onto additional
education.
Higher parental involvement is
associated with higher educational expectations, enrollment in gifted and
talented programs, and positive perceptions of school"(Henderson, 1988).
While parent involvement positively affects a student’s academic achievement,
low Socioeconomic families are least likely to be involved in their students’
education (Turney & Kao, 2009; Ratcliff & Hunt, 2009; Van Velsor &
Orozco,2007; Machen, Wilson, & Notar, 2005; Abdul-Adil & Farmer, 2006).
Low Socioeconomic families are often working all of the time to take care of
their families, and they have no time to participate in their child’s education
on campus (Ratcliff & Hunt, 2009). Based on a study involving low
socioeconomic mothers, mothers want to be involved in their child’s education,
but the other problem is that they are less comfortable around teachers, and so
they do not get involved (Machen, Wilson, &Notar, 2005).
In contemporary society, peer
group influences have become increasingly pronounced and studies have shown
that adolescents were more likely to increase behaviour that receives peer
group approval (Arnett, 1992; De Vries, 1995; Allen, 2005; Clark & Loheac,
2007). Adolescents spend far more time in the exclusive company of their peers
than their counter parts did in the past. Changes in the family roles that
forced women into paid jobs have greatly reduced the quality time families
spend together thus making peer groups a viable alternative for the young
individuals (Clark & Loheac, 2007). Peer groups appear to answer
adolescents concerns about many things including their changing bodies.
According to Schneider (2010)
becoming a peer group member meets many adolescents concerns about social
expectations such as developing independence from their parents, learning
decision-making skills and acting on their own. However, these young teenagers
find social expectations confusing and the ways of achieving them even more
challenging. Peer influence on adolescents has been reported as being shrouded
in myths and fear by parents. Parents perceive peer influence as a clog in the
wheel of socializing their children desirably (Schneider, 2010). According to
You (2011) perceived support from peers gives adolescent students a sense of
motivation which enables them to see the importance of pursuing academic
success This is because adolescents who are accepted by their peers are more
likely to be psychologically healthier and self-confident than those rejected
by their peers (Allen et al., 2005). However, Kiran-Esen (2012) reported
significantly negative relationship between peer pressure and self-efficacy
expectation (social and moral) in adolescents and that academic self-efficacy
was higher in adolescents who were experiencing low level of peer pressure.
There are a variety of
negative health indicators that show a peek during adolescence, namely homicide
rates, non-intentional injuries, driving under alcohol effect or infection by
sexually-transmitted diseases (Mulye, Park, Neson, Irwin & Brindis, 2009).
Experimenting substances also occurs usually during adolescents, a time of
development in which tolerance is lower and the risk of dependency increases
(Glaser, Shelton & Bree, 2010). Peers and family have a key role in
promoting health during adolescence, as well as, the perception that youngsters
have of their quality of life and subjective well-being. Health does not depend
solely on the delivery of health care during illness; on the contrary,
influence of different settings may be crucial (Gaspar & Matos, 2008).
Behavioural problems that occur during infancy and adolescence (particularly
external problems, such as substance use and violence behaviours) may continue
throughout adulthood, associated to social non-adaptation, substance abuse and
conflicts (Bongers, Koot, Van der Ende & Verhulst, 2008). The peer group
may on one hand, serve as a model and influence behaviours and attitudes,
whilst on the other hand, it may provide easy access, encouragement and an
appropriate social setting for consumption (Glaser, Shelton & Bree, 2010).
Social Learning Theory suggests that it is not
necessary for adolescents to observe a given behaviour and adopt it; it is
sufficient to perceive that the peer group accepts it, in order to be able to
opt for similar behaviours (Petraitis, Flay & Miller, 1995). Peers may
strongly determine preference in the way of dressing, speaking, using illicit
substances, sexual behaviour, adopting and accepting violence, adopting
criminal and anti-social behaviours and in many other areas of the adolescent’s
life (Padilla, Walker & Bean, 2009; Tomé, Matos & Diniz, 2008). An
example of this is that the main motives for alcohol consumption given by
adolescents are related to social events, which usually take place in the
company of friends, namely: drinking makes holidays more fun, it facilitates
approaching others; it helps relaxing or facilitates sharing experiences
and feelings (Kuntsche, Knibbe, Gmel & Engels, 2005). Also, mimicking
risk behaviours may be greater when consumption begins in the context of a
social event (Larsen, Engels, Souren, Granic & Overbeek, 2010).
Adolescence is an extremely
difficult period when the individual goes through various physical and mental
changes. Children and young adults go through a lot of stress (Fontana, David
and Slack, Ingrid, 1997). The pressure of school, meeting expectations of
parents and teachers and planning out a career for themselves puts them under
considerable strain and tension. These conditions are more often imposed upon
them by adults. Added to this is the adolescents’ experience of its own intense
feelings of joy, sorrow, fear, love, disappointment and anger. Relationships
with friends are of utmost importance and success or failure in these
interactions weighs heavily on them. They have to go through formal education
in these formative years and at the same time need to develop their
self-confidence and a sense of personal identity.
Recognizing the nature and
strength of these pressures allows us to appreciate that stress; neuroses,
unhappiness and depression are by no means the prerogative of adults.
Unfortunately, little is done with formal education to help adolescents learn
to understand themselves, to control their anxieties and their thought
processes, and to discover tranquility, harmony and balance within themselves.
Little is done to help them manage their own inner lives, to use their mental
energies productively instead of dissipating it in worries and random thinking
and to access the creative levels of their own minds. A lack of education in
mind training at this stage has resulted in most adolescents developing bad
mental habits. Often their minds are turmoil of excitements, hopes,
expectations, anxieties and fantasies.
The rate of depression among
adolescents is typically high. Their mood swings lead to agonizing periods of
self-doubt. Virtually at no other time in life is there more a need for a mind
training that, without denying or seeking to judge or repress a single feeling
or emotion, can settle the individual into calm and relaxed state. Thus, the present study is designed to examine the influence of
socioeconomic status and peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns in
Lagos Metropolis.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
It has become a common
phenomenon to read, hear or witness incidences of change in adolescent and
enthusiasm for delinquent acts such as alcohol intake, drug abuse, rape,
prostitution, sexual perversion, stealing, cultism, adolescent suicide, school
dropout and all kinds of wanton misdemeanor which has become a problem in our
sour societies and homes.
However, adolescents
behaviours are differ from each other, there are patterns which they follow, the
causes of negative behaviours are parental socioeconomic status of adolescents
and peer pressure. Both school and home environments play an important role in
adolescents’ behavioural pattern, negative peer influences, lack of attachment
to school personnel (e.g., teachers, nurses), poor school achievement and
attainments, and cognitive or learning difficulties. It’s sad to say that these
behaviours and social problems like truancy, school dropout, depression,
fighting and aggression have patterns are unfortunately fallout of the social
ills in the society. It is the society or our environment that creates severe
poverty, homelessness and economic hardships.
The societal norm violations
are symptoms of social problems and the source of deviance is found within the
social structure. This shows that anti-social behaviours expressed by students
or adolescents are reflective of what obtains in the larger society. Many have
agreed that deviant acts perpetrated by students in the secondary schools are
due to negligence by parents, families and environmental and are responsible
for the downward turn in the academic performance and social adjustment of
these students. Therefore, to curb negative adolescents’ behaviour the
teachers, parents and counsellors should be charged with a great responsibility
to help the adolescent adjust to behaviors like truancy, drop out from school,
depression, fighting, aggression etc. Therefore, it is against this background
that this study is designed to examine the influence of socioeconomic status
and peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns in Lagos Metropolis.
1.3 Purpose of the
Study
The main purpose of this study is to examine the influence of
socioeconomic status and peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns in
Lagos Metropolis. This general aim is expressed in the following specific
objectives which are to:
1.
To examine how socioeconomic
status influence adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
2.
To determine the influence of
peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
3.
To determine the influence of
family structure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
4.
To examine the influence of
school environment on adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
1.4 Research Questions
The research following questions will be answered in this study:
1.
To what extent does
socioeconomic status influence adolescents’ behavioural patterns?
2.
How does peer pressure
influence adolescents’ behavioural patterns?
3.
How does family structure
influence adolescents’ behavioural patterns?
4.
To what extend does school
environment influence adolescents’ behavioural patterns?.
1.5 Research Hypotheses
The following hypotheses will
be addressed in this study;
1. There is no significant influence of socioeconomic status on
adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
2. There is no significant influence of peer pressure on adolescents’
behavioural patterns.
3.
There is significant influence
of family structure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
4.
There is significant influence
of school environment on adolescents’ behavioural patterns.
1.6 Significance of the Study
This study would be beneficial
to parents, adolescents, and non-governmental agencies. This study through its
findings would create the necessary awareness among parents on the influence of
socioeconomic status and peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns. It
will throw more light on the relevance of parents monitoring/supervision on the
present and future wellbeing of adolescents.
It will equip the adolescents with some dangers involved in delinquent
acts thereby putting them on the path of caution. The findings would be useful
to the government especially the Ministry of Health and Education who in
collaboration with the non-governmental agencies would package effective and
result oriented interventions on adolescents (their characteristics, interests,
values). Lastly it will contribute
positively to the expansion of knowledge in the area of delinquent acts of the
adolescents and serve as a reference tool for future researchers in the field.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The study covers to examine the influence of socioeconomic status
and peer pressure on adolescents’ behavioural patterns in Lagos Metropolis. The
study will cover socioeconomic status, peer pressure and adolescents’
behavioural patterns.
1.8 Operational Definition of Terms
Relative to this study,
definitions to the following terms are provided in order to clarify each in the
context of the topic:
Adolescence: For purposes of this study, adolescents will refer to persons aged
10 - 17 years.
Adolescent: refers being in the
transition period, that is, it is the process of developing from a child into
an adult.
Socio-Economic Status: refers to level of expenditure and standard of living of an individual
as expressed in living apartment, educational attainment, occupational level
and income level of the person.
Peer Pressure: is influence that a peer
group, observers or individuals exert to encourage others to change their
attitudes, values or behaviours and conform to the group norms.
Adolescents’ Behavioural
Patterns: In this context, refers to a particular
way an adolescent behaves or adopts.
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