Child Rearing Patterns as Predictors of In-School Adolescents’ Maladaptive Behaviours in Very Low-Income Rural Communities in Nigeria

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: The debate about the interaction between the individual student and learning environment (home) is still ongoing and inconclusive. Parents are modelled and they establish basic patterns at home which may never stop as teens develop. This study investigated child-rearing patterns as predictors of in-school adolescents’ maladaptive behaviours in very low-income rural communities in Nigeria.

METHOD: The study was a cross-sectional correlational survey. Two hundred and sixty-one parents and teachers in Enugu and Ebonyi States of Nigeria participated in the study. Teachers identified the students with Conners' Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scales (CBRS). Parents whose children were identified answered the Child Rearing Pattern Questionnaire (CRPQ). The validity of the instruments was ascertained by three experts. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to address the research questions, while the null hypotheses were analyzed using regression at an alpha level of significance of 0.05.

RESULTS: Results revealed in-school adolescents in very low-income rural communities in Nigeria exhibit maladaptive behaviours. It was found that 4.7% of in-school adolescents’ maladaptive behaviours can be attributed to the authoritarian child-rearing pattern while 12% of maladaptive behaviours among in-school adolescents can be attributed to the authoritative child rearing pattern. Authoritative and authoritarian child-rearing patterns did not significantly predict the maladaptive behaviours of in-school adolescents from very low-income rural communities.

CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlight the need for researchers to check out whether and how several other factors in the school that may contribute significantly to in-school adolescents’ maladaptive behaviours such as peer influence, disciplinary measures, school environment and even curriculum and pedagogy.