FACTORS RESPONSIBLE FOR JUVENILE DELINQUENCY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOLS STUDENTS IN EBONYI STATE OF NIGERIA

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate and find out the various factors responsible for juvenile delinquency among secondary school students in Ebonyi state of Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A total of 250 male and 250 female students were randomly selected for the study from the three educational zones of Abakaliki, Onueke and Afikpo of the state. Data collected were analysed using weighted mean and standard deviation to answer the two research questions and T-test to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings from the respondents show that the 15 items in the questionnaire were the family-based and socio-economic factors causing juvenile delinquency among secondary school students in Ebonyi state of Nigeria. In the light of the findings of this study the following recommendations were made for reducing the incidences of juvenile delinquency among secondary school students in Ebonyi state of Nigeria, which include that the educational authorities should train, motivate and encourage teachers on the modern and most effective methods of instilling discipline in schools, parents should rise up to their God given role as the child character moulder starting from the family through the entire society, and that every school should be made to have well equipped and functional guidance and counselling unit to carter for both career and emotional needs of students.