The Effect of Aggression and Violence on Academic Performance of Secondary School Students
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The main objective of this study is to ascertain the effect of aggression and violence on the academic performance of secondary school students, but to aid the completion of the study, the researcher intends to achieve the following specific objectives:
- To investigate the role of aggression on students’ poor academic performance
- To ascertain the effect of violence on student academic performance
- To investigate if there is any relationship between aggressive behavior and student academic performance
- To investigate the impact of violence and aggression on the academic achievement of the student
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Introduction
Exposure to aggression and violence has extreme noxious effects on development and quality of life for Nigerian youth. Exposure is pervasive through audio and visual media. Direct exposure can occur within the community, school, peer groups, and family. Many factors underlie the problem of societal aggression and violence, including unequal access to education, health care and social services, housing and employment, and policies and actions exemplifying discrimination based on race, sex, sexual orientation, and disabilities. Cumulative exposure to aggression and violence, from early childhood to adolescence and adulthood, adversely affects youth in every segment of American society, but consequences are especially harmful for urban minority youth. The present focus is on implications for educational outcomes in urban minority youth. When it comes to youth aggression and violence, the education and public health systems clearly share mutual goals. Educators recognize that disruptive behavior by some students (in and out of the classroom) severely hampers effective teaching and learning for all students. Public health specialists recognized that aggression and violence can result in injury, disability, or death, and adversely affect mental and emotional well-being. Both fields have. identified prevention as a central and high-priority goal. Descriptive statistics, while dramatic and disturbing, can only begin to communicate the magnitude, severity, and urgency of this problem. Homicide rates among youth are much higher in the United States than in other countries with similar economies.1 In 2006, homicide was the fourth leading cause of death among 5- to 9-year-olds, the third leading cause among 10- to 14-year-olds, and the second leading cause among 15- to 19-year-olds.2 For male teens, Blacks are over 10 times more likely to die from homicide than Whites.3 Homicide remains a rare event in school settings. Less than 1% of homicides among 5- to 18-year-olds occur in school.4 Nationwide, a total of 14 homicides occurred at school between July 1, 2005, and June 30, 2006. School-associated violent deaths are more likely to occur among males (vs females), high school students (vs those in earlier grades), and students in urban areas.4 Alternative indicators of aggression and violence include threats, attacks, and injuries to teachers and students, violent and nonviolent crimes, discipline problems, gang activity, bullying, physical fighting, weapon carrying, perceived safety, and school avoidance due to fear. Data on these indices are available from the National Center for Education Statistics’ Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007.5 In 2005, among students aged 12-18, there were 628,200 violent crimes and 868,100 thefts at school; 8% of 9th through 12th graders reported being threatened or injured with a weapon in the preceding 12 months; 28% reported being bullied at school in the past 6 months. Among those being bullied, 53% were bullied once or twice in the past 6 months, 25% once or twice a month, 11% once or twice a week, and 8% almost daily.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Research design
The researcher used descriptive research survey design in building up this project work the choice of this research design was considered appropriate because of its advantages of identifying attributes of a large population from a group of individuals. The design was suitable for the study as the study sought to examine the effect of aggression and violence on academic performance of secondary school students.
Sources of data collection
Data were collected from two main sources namely:
(i)Primary source and
(ii)Secondary source
Primary source:
These are materials of statistical investigation which were collected by the research for a particular purpose. They can be obtained through a survey, observation questionnaire or as experiment; the researcher has adopted the questionnaire method for this study.
Secondary source:
These are data from textbook Journal handset etc. they arise as byproducts of the same other purposes. Example administration, various other unpublished works and write ups were also used.
Population of the study
Population of a study is a group of persons or aggregate items, things the researcher is interested in getting information on the study the effect of aggression and violence on academic performance of secondary school students. 200 teachers of selected secondary schools was randomly selected by the researcher as the population of the study.
CHAPTER FOUR
PRESENTATION ANALYSIS INTERPRETATION OF DATA
Introduction
Efforts will be made at this stage to present, analyze and interpret the data collected during the field survey. This presentation will be based on the responses from the completed questionnaires. The result of this exercise will be summarized in tabular forms for easy references and analysis. It will also show answers to questions relating to the research questions for this research study. The researcher employed simple percentage in the analysis.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
Introduction
It is important to ascertain that the objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of aggression and violence on academic performance of secondary school students.
In the preceding chapter, the relevant data collected for this study were presented, critically analyzed and appropriate interpretation given. In this chapter, certain recommendations made which in the opinion of the researcher will be of benefits in addressing the challenges of aggression and violence among secondary school students.
Summary
Violence and aggressive behaviour, once considered a criminal justice problem, is now recognized as an appropriate and important focus of the education and public health systems. The nation’s schools cannot single-handedly solve the problem, or even address all of its dimensions, but there is a need, particularly among urban minority youth, to address the noxious effects of violence and aggressive behaviour on academic achievement and educational attainment. Compelling research has shown that school-based programs can significantly reduce the nature and extent of these behaviours. Implementing these programs in schools serving urban minority youth must be a high priority to help close the achievement gap.
Conclusion
The researcher concludes that JSS students were found to be more physically aggressive than the SSS students. This is in consonance with Asomu (2006) that bullying is peculiar to JSS than to SSS students. However the result is at discord with Sameer and Jamia (2007) who found that senior secondary school students have a greater amount of aggression. The reason for the present result is that human physical aggression decreases with increase in age.
Recommendations
Haven completed the study, the researcher recommends that in view of the prevalence of physical and verbal aggression among secondary school students, teachers should pay greater attention to the students both in the classroom and at the playground where such aggressive behaviours are usually displayed and aggressors should be adequately punished. Formation of anti-aggression club in schools: The club will monitor, discourage and report aggressive behaviours where necessary to teachers, school administrators and the culprits should be adequately punished. Disciplinary committee should be set up in schools to handle problem involving aggressive behaviour, especially physical aggression. A situation where senior students are at liberty to punish junior students should be abolished in schools. This is because most senior students unjustifiably punish their juniors just to show their seniority. Students involve in aggression cases should in addition to other measures be referred to the school counsellor for remediation.
Reference
- Aluede, O. (2011). Managing bullying problems in Nigerian secondary schools: Some counselling interventions for implementation. The African symposium: An Online Journal of the African Educational Research Network, 11(1), 138-145.
- Asamu, F.F. (2006). Correlates of bullying among secondary school students in Ibadan, North Local Government Area of Oyo. A Published M.ED Thesis of Obafemi Awolowo University, ill-Ife Nigeria.
- Atkin, C., Smith, S.W., Roberto, A.J., Fedriuk T. & Wagner, T. (2002). Correlates of verbally aggressive communication in adolescents. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 30(3), 251-268.
- Bernstein, D.A., Penner, L.A, Clarke-Stewart, A., Roy, E.J. (2006). Psychology (7th ed.) Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Brehm, S.S., Kassin, S. & Fein, S. (2005). Social psychology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
- Buss, A.H., & Perry, M. (1992). The aggression questionnaire: Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 63, 452-459.
- Cleen Foundation (2012). Cleenfoundation.blogspot.com/2012/07/summary-of-findings-of- 2012.national.html.
- Colman, A.M. (2013). A Dictionary of psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.
