Strategies For Managing Student’s Deviant Behavior For Effective Administration Of Public Senior Secondary Schools

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Deviant behaviors in secondary school level continues to be a matter of great concern globally; though it is a more worrying trend in developing countries like Nigeria (Adegun, 2013). The rising wave of revolutionary and militant behaviors among secondary school students appears to suggest that Nigerian schools are fast becoming shadows of their former selves (Nwobodo, 2008). This problem has lingered on over the years and has remained a thorn in the flesh of parents and government.

Humphrey and Schmallenger (2011) defined deviant behaviors as any behavior that implies violations from social norms. Writing on the issue of deviant behaviors in Nigerian schools, Anokam, (2002) complained that the prevalence of conduct disorder among Nigerian adolescents has increased recently in terms of frequency of recorded delinquent crimes and number of adolescents involved. This means that Nigerian schools are undergoing degeneration in ethical and moral standards.

Good behavior is a rational and result oriented behavior which exists when students behave in a manner that facilitates realization of the set objectives of the school (Aso, 2001). When students exhibit dysfunctional behaviors capable of frustrating, jeopardizing, slowing down or completely impending the attainment of the set objectives of a school, a state of deviant behavior is said to exist. Good behavior entails training of the mind and character especially in view of producing control and habit of obedience. The individual with deviant behavior on the other hand is one whose energy and impulses are not controlled by moral principles or external authority. Such a person according to Aroh (2001) is a danger to himself, the school and the community as a whole.

Although deviance as a phenomena varies from one country to another, deviant acts in a school environment include truancy, drug and alcohol abuse, promiscuity, dodging class, rioting, smoking, vandalism, fighting, reporting late for class and insulting, resistance to change, to mention a few (Agboola & Salawu, 2011). Deviant behaviors generally manifested among students in Nigerian secondary schools are many and varied. It ranges from lateness to school to absenteeism, bullying, intimidation of junior students, violent demonstrations, assault, extortion, theft, cultism, fighting, organized torturing of junior students and sexual immorality. Others include use of abusive, foul and vulgar language on teachers, willful damage of school property and equipment, defacing and stealing of school furniture, deliberate vandalism, loitering, examination malpractice, drug abuse and general compliance with school rules and regulations. Ofodile (2002), regarded deviant behaviors as unacceptable behaviors which can be described as a deviation from appropriate behaviors. This according to him significantly interferes with the individual’s growth and development and with the lives of others.

The adverse effects of deviant behaviors on schools and the society at large are numerous. It destroys the image and standard of the school, the Ministry of Education sanctions the school and deprives it of some routine benefits, the learning process suffers when students who misbehave cannot subject themselves to productive work since most of their times are spent in planning and executing havoc and violence, teachers carry out their teaching duties with fear and also such students become a big problem to the society. In view of the above, this study seek to examine the strategies for managing student’s deviant behavior for effective administration of public senior secondary schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Handling students’ aberrant behavior is one of the issues of global concern in effective school management. Teachers, parents, and the general public have complained about deviant behavior of students in Nigerian secondary schools, particularly in the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

In search for culprits of deviant behaviors in our society today particularly as it affects secondary school students, parents and teachers (including the principals) among other agents have been exposed and blamed. In line with this view, Onu (2006) traced students’ behavior problems to the home and school environments. According to him, children develop conduct problems from practices at home. Some families are anti-social while others may be authoritarian or ultra-permissive. These patterns of child training affect the behavior of the child in school.

Ogu (2001) asserted that children learn to trust and distrust people in the first few years of their life from birth and therefore, if homes live with hostility, children will learn to be aggressive; if they live with criticism, children will learn to condemn; if they live with dishonesty, children learn to steal and tell lies; if they live with fear, children learn to be apprehensive. Since the school is an extension of the home and therefore become a generator of good conduct for the children, the home environment transcends into the school environment and makes the children what they become.

Deviant behavior is one thing that disturbs the equilibrium of our school system and as a result of this, students do not achieve as they should and occasionally, lives are lost.

The adverse effects of deviant behaviors on schools and the society at large are numerous. It destroys the image and standard of the school, the Ministry of Education sanctions the school and deprives it of some routine benefits, the learning process suffers when students who misbehave cannot subject themselves to productive work since most of their times are spent in planning and executing havoc and violence, teachers carry out their teaching duties with fear and also such students become a big problem to the society.

Obilom (2009) heaped the blame of constant reoccurrence of deviant behaviors on students, teachers, parents and government. He stated that little is known about the strategies for handling deviant behaviors in secondary schools. On the basis of the aforementioned, this study seek to assess the strategies for managing student’s deviant behavior for effective administration of public senior secondary schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The broad objective of this study is to examine the strategies for managing student’s deviant behavior for effective administration of public senior secondary schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State. Other specific objectives includes:

1. Determine the prevailing deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.
2. Determine the extent deviant behaviors of students affects the effective administration of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.
3. Determine the causes of deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.
4. Determine the strategies required for the effective management of deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

1.4 Research Questions

The study will be anchored by the following question;

1. What are the prevailing deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State?
2. What is the extent deviant behaviors of students affects the effective administration of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State?
3. What are the causes of deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State?
4. What are the strategies required for the effective management of deviant behaviors among secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State?

1.5 Research Hypothesis

Ho: The deviant behaviors of students do not affect the effective administration of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

Ha: The deviant behaviors of students affects the effective administration of secondary school students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

1.5 Significance of the Study

The study will be beneficial to students, educational Administrators and teachers, school counselors, parents, society, government and future researchers.

First and foremost, this study will also be of great benefits to the students especially students with various deviant behaviors as it will enlighten them more on best ways of handling these disadvantages in order not to be distracted in their academic endeavors. They will also through this study discover the consequences/negative effects of deviant behaviors in schools and various ways they can avoid and overcome these negative behaviors among their classmates in various schools. This study will also propel and develop student’s study habit, positive self-esteem and self efficacy belief when undergoing offline and online digital classes especially by preparing and equipping students on the best means of handling various off-class academic activities.

Secondly, this study will help educational administrators and teachers to easily identify deviant behaviors among their students, the causes, the damaging impacts they have on students academic performance, their future endeavors and the various strategies to employ in tackling these unacceptable and rudely behaviors among students of senior secondary schools in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, entire River’s State, Nigeria and the world as a whole.

To the school counselors, this study will equip them with the right knowledge and strategies in handling students with diversified deviant behaviors and on how to encourage such students in adjusting their ways and overcoming their challenges which will have long future positive effects in relation to their academic performance in internal and external exams.

Parents through this study will be encouraged and properly equipped to contribute their own quota to the academic development of their wards, parental academic guidance, better disciplinary and correctional measures, use of recommended strategies in checkmating their ward’s deviant behaviors at home, better parent-student relationship, good parental support, encouragement and many more.

Furthermore, this study will be beneficial to the society as it will help the society to be able to understand the importance and functioning of the education in every life out there, best ways of handling student’s deviant behaviors outside the four walls of the classrooms, interpreting and enhancing not only students behaviors in the society, good behavioral impacts, instilling right character and lifestyles in them as this will lead to a better, functional, peaceful, livable, corrupt and crime-free society.

Consequently, the government especially in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area and Nigeria as a whole will through the recommendations made in this study learn the right techniques, principles and skills to assist and support the educational sector in every way possible as “the state of the nation today and in the future is solely depended on the caliber of students graduating in our various senior secondary schools nationwide”.

Finally, the future researchers will use the findings of this study as reference material for related studies. The study will benefit researchers by tapping into the pool of knowledge provided in the study. Researchers will be motivated by the findings of this study to carry out research on the grey areas suggested for further studies.

1.7 Scope of the Study

The scope of this study boarders on the strategies for managing student’s deviant behavior for effective administration of public senior secondary schools. Geographically, this study will be carried out in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of River’s State.

1.8    Limitation Of The Study

This research project, like all human endeavors, had some challenges that threatened to derail the study’s completion. One of the reasons is that the time allotted for this work was so limited that the researcher did not have enough time to complete the task thoroughly. During data collection, the researcher also had to put forth extra effort to understand the respondents’ interview schedules, several of whom fell into the incomprehensible age group. Also, there were financial and transportation constraints to deal with. Insufficient funds tend to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing the relevant materials, literature, or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire, interview).

1.7 definition of terms

Deviant: The act of deviating from the norms of a particular people, society or community.

Behaviour: This is the way a person, animal, plant or chemical substance etc behaves or function a particular situation.

Deviance: This is generally defined as any behaviour that does not conform to the established rules of a group of individuals or the society at large

Deviant behaviours: These are actions which conflict with the societal norms (Hirschi 1995). It could also be referred to as the engagement of people in criminal offences, illegal, antisocial and unethical behaviour. In a nutshell, any behaviour that violates the norm or social standard of the society is deviant.

1.10 Organizations of the Study

The study is categorized into five chapters. The first chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, objective of the study, research questions and hypothesis, the significance of the study, scope/limitations of the study, and definition of terms. The chapter two covers the  review of literature with emphasis on conceptual framework, theoretical framework, and empirical review. Likewise, the chapter three which is the research methodology, specifically covers the research design, population of the study,  sample size determination,  sample size, abnd selection technique and procedure, research instrument and administration, method of data collection, method of data analysis, validity and reliability of the study, and ethical consideration. The second to last chapter being the chapter four presents the data presentation and analysis, while the last chapter(chapter five) contains the summary, conclusion and recommendation.