Substance Abuse as a Determinant of Truancy and Social Maladjustment among Secondary School Students in Ibadan

Abstract

 Adolescent is a pivotal stage in life and young people are subjected to numerous social and environmental factors that might make them vulnerable to substance use. Substance abuse in secondary school students has become a significant social and educational problem because of its bad impact on attendance, academic participation, and the social integration of those who attend school. Contrary to the present effort on, there are still reports that indicate that substances related truancy and social misfit among secondary school students in Ibadan, Oyo State. This study investigates drug abuse as a predictor of truancy and social maladjustment among junior secondary school students in Ibadan. Descriptive research was used in the study. The study population for this research is secondary school students in Ibadan, a sample of 400 respondents was selected through multistage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire entitled Substance Abuse, Truancy and Social Maladjustment Questionnaire (SATSMQ) was used to collect data. Facial and content validity were done on the instrument and it produced a Cronbach’s Alpha value of 0.83. Using descriptive and inferential statistics, a total of 372 fully completed questionnaires were retrieved and analysed at 0.05 level of significance. Results also showed that with substance abuse there was a positive correlation with truancy (r=0.62, p<0.05) and with social maladjustment (r=0.58, p<0.05). Type of school (t=4.12, p<0.05), accommodation (F=6.35, p<0.05), and peer pressure (β=0.44, p<0.05) were significant predictors of substance abuse and truancy. Substance abuse, truancy, peer pressure, family factors and school environment together predicted social maladjustment (R2 = 0.55 F = 92.31 p < 0.05) with substance abuse as the best predictor (β = 0.30). The study concluded that substance use was a major predictor of truancy and social maladjustment among the participants. The study recommended that schools should bolster counselling and substance abuse prevention programmes, and should parents, along with educational stakeholders, increase supervision, and offer supportive environments to facilitate behavioural adjustments of students