THE FAMILY FACTORS AS DETERMINANTS OF DEVIANT BEHAVIOURS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL PUPILS

This study examined family factors as determinants of deviant behaviours among primary school pupils in Awgu Education Zone of Enugu State. To guide the study, seven research questions were posed and five hypotheses formulated. The study adopted correlational research design. The population of the study comprised of all the public primary six pupils in Awgu Education Zone of Enugu State. The population of the study was four thousand six hundred and four 4,604 primary six pupils in the education zone out of which 821 pupils were drawn as sample for the study. A questionnaire was used as instrument for the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions one, six and seven, while Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was used to answer research questions two, three, four and five. Regression analysis was used to test hypotheses one, two, three and four, while ANOVA was used to text hypotheses five. The major findings of the study revealed that primary school pupils exhibited 12 out of 15 types of deviant behaviours such as indulging in exam malpractice, not devoted to studies, Bullying weaker pupils, fighting among pupils, lateness to school, and keeping bad friends among others as identified. It also showed that authoritarian family leadership style had a significant relationship on primary school pupil’s deviant behaviour. Again it was discovered that authoritative family leadership style also called assertive, democratic or balance family leadership style had significant relationship on pupil’s deviant behaviour negatively. Moreover permissive family leadership style had also shown a significant relationship on primary school pupils’ deviant behaviour. The result also indicated that neglectful family leadership style had significant relationship on primary school pupils’ deviant behaviour. Furthermore, the result showed that family size had a significant influence on deviant behaviour exhibited by primary school pupils in Awgu Education Zone of Enugu state. It was also discovered that all the thirteen (13) strategies such as organizing orientation or public enlightenment programmes through parents-Teachers-Association meeting to educate parents on good parental child rearing practices, assigning functions to children that exhibit deviant behaviours to keep them focus on worthwhile activities, Rewarding and praising children who have good behaviour, and assigning models to role play by pupils with deviant behaviours as identified by the researcher can be used to curb deviant behaviours among primary school pupils. These results were discussed in relation to previous findings of similar studies and the educational implications of the findings were highlighted. Also recommendations were made based on family factors as determinants of deviant behaviours among pupils and the limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies were also pointed out.

Family has been universally perceived as a small but powerful unit and the oldest institution in the history of human existence that helps in the character formation of the child and moulding of behaviour of the individual in the society. This is because family is the fundamental and basic social unit for human development and also the primary agent for socialization of children. According to Macionis (2007) family is a social institution found in all societies that unites people in cooperative groups to care for one another including children. Family is a social unit made up of father, mother, children and blood relations (Okonkwo, 2005). Similarly, Ononuju (2005) opined that family is a unit of people tied together by bonds of marriage, birth or adoption, having in most cases a common abode. The authour also maintained that man and woman as the first members of the family have obligations towards the younger members as they arrive and that involves inculcating social norms such as love, care, cooperation and discipline among her members. Buttressing further, the author posited that when families fail in these basic functions, a faulty foundation is laid which will result in faulty adult behaviours such as corruption and all kinds of indiscipline. In the context of this study, Family can also be seen as a kinship group of two or more persons who live in the same household and are related by marriage or adoption. Family also performs certain functions for their sustainability and wellbeing.