EVALUATION OF PARENTING STYLES AND PEER PRESSURE ON DELINQUENT BEHAVIOUR AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN KADUNA METROPOLIS (EDUCATION PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)
ABSTRACT
The study was aimed at investigating the influence of parenting styles and peer pressure on delinquent behaviors among Senior Secondary School Students in Kaduna metropolis. To do this, four objectives, four research questions research hypotheses and four basic assumptions were formulated. Also, correlational design was adopted and data was collected from 320 students (male =164 (51.2%); female = 156 (48.8%)) age range 14 – 19years drawn from the ten purposively selected schools with the population of 2256 in Kaduna metropolis. Data was collected using parenting style questionnaire that covers democratic parenting style, autocratic parenting style, and Laissez-faire parenting style. Peer Pressure Questionnaire and Delinquent Behaviour Questionnaire were also used. The data collected were subjected to statistical analysis using Pearson‘s Product Moment Correlation at the .05 levels of significance to test the four hypotheses stated for the study. Result revealed that there is a significant negative correlation r = -.188; p < .001 between Democratic Parenting Style and Delinquent behaviour which implies that children from homes where Democratic Parenting Style is used are less likely to be delinquents.Autocratic Parenting Style and Delinquent behaviour among students strongly and positively correlate r = .504; p < .000and Laisser-faire Parenting Style and Delinquent behaviour r = .662; p < .000 thereby strongly suggesting that children from homes where Autocratic Parenting Style and Laisser-faire Parenting Style is practiced are strongly likely to be delinquents. Peer Pressure was also found to strongly encourage Delinquent behaviour among students r = .683; p < .000.Based on this findings it was recommended that Parents should adopt a democratic parenting style in the upbringing of their children. This should involve discussing problems with their children and setting rules that will guide the behaviour of the children. Autocratic and laissez-faire parenting style should be avoided as it has a significance relationship with delinquent behaviour. Students should be guided in making good friends to reduce peer pressure resulting from keeping bad friends.
