A SURVEY OF THE IMMORAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The period of adolescence to some people is the period of inbetweeness when an individual neither a child nor an adult and behaves like none of them. The term is from the Latin word “adolescere” which means to grow maturity. Adolescence is a time of transition, a time of changing from childhood to adulthood and the change usually begins with puberty (puberty is from the Latin word “pubertas” which means age of manhood). It starts from about 10-12 years of age (Koontz, 2008). Adolescence covers a wide period of time. It begins about age 13 years and continues to about age 21 years. Thus, the period usually coincides with the teen years. Adolescence is a period of many changes, that is, changes in physical, moral, emotional and mental characteristics (Karen, 2002). In short, adolescence is a period when boys and girls are turning into men and women and are becoming physically able to reproduce (Sokan and Akinade, 2000).

The prevalence of immorality among adolescents at various levels of education in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised. It has grown to a level that creates fear and tension in the heart of anyone who has concern for the future of Nigeria as a nation and that of the teeming youth that populates Nigeria. The society is grappling with many behavioural problems of the students, which according to Ekundayo & Oyeniyi (2008) and Adebule (2012) include truancy, disobedience, drug offences, smoking, flirting, stealing and armed robbery, violent conduct and demonstration, vandalism, examination malpractices, cultism and thuggery. In addition to the above listed widely publicised behavioural problems, Dotonu (2011) stated that heterosexual and homosexual activities are also viewed as part of the behavioural problems prevalent in Nigerian secondary schools.

They are coined in the literature as sex abuse, sex offences, sexual misconduct, immorality, promiscuity and maladjustment (Omoteso, Adeniyi & Bada, 2010 and Anise, 2011). However, Dotonu (2011) observed that sex abuse appeared to be one of the most serious offences committed by children and adolescents.

One of the outstanding remarkable virtues of a good society should be sexual purity which has received little or no attention from the society today. Also, immorality has eaten deep into the fabric of the society. It has become the mainstay of the youths’ behaviour (Adebule, 2012). The young ones (students) who ought to be deeply devoted to their studies have taken sexuality to be their major daily dealings. Majority of the students are major in immorality but minor in academics (Dotonu, 2011).

A SURVEY OF THE IMMORAL BEHAVIOUR AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN UGHELLI SOUTH LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF DELTA STATE (GUIDANCE AND COUNSELLING PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS)