DETERMINANTS OF SOCIAL WELL-BEING OF ADOLESCENTS WITH DELINQUENT BEHAVIOURS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN THE IBADAN METROPOLIS

The anti-social behaviour of juvenile delinquents has been a major issue in Nigeria for decades. Many people perceive delinquent adolescents as a social problem since they tend to influence their peers. While some scholars have documented the impact of juvenile delinquency on Nigerian society, this study examines the determinants of social-well-being of adolescents with delinquent behaviours. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 270 secondary school students in the Ibadan metropolis to participate in the study, which employed a descriptive survey research design. It adopted a standardised questionnaire titled School Type, Location, Juvenile delinquent behaviour and Social Wellbeing Questionnaire (EFJDBASWQ). The reliability coefficients of the scales are school type 0.72, school location 0.84 and social well-being 0.77. The three (3) null hypotheses formulated were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analysis. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the magnitude of the impact of environmental factors on the well-being of delinquents in the study area. Findings show a significant relationship between school type and the social well-being of delinquent adolescents (r = .144, n=270, p(.018)<.05). Also, there was a significant relationship between school location and the well-being of delinquent adolescents (r = -.268, n=270, p(.000)<.05). Lastly, there was a common and relative effect of environmental factors (school type and school location) on the social well-being of delinquent adolescents: school type (β = .143, p<.05) and school location (β = -.239, p<.05). The study recommends that schools should provide adequate youth-friendly services to enhance juveniles’ coping capacity. Parents whose youths are delinquent should engage them in activities that address their behaviour.