The Relationship Between Peer Group Pressure and Bullying Among Adolescents in Selected Secondary Schools
Chapter One
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The main purpose of the study is to determine the relationship between peer pressure, time management, and bullying among adolescents in secondary schools in the Ejigbo community in Lagos State.
Specifically, the study intends to:
- Find out the level of peer pressure among in-school adolescents.
- Determine the relationship between peer pressure and bullying among adolescents in secondary schools.
- Determine the relationship between bullying and the academic performance of students in secondary schools.
CHAPTER TWO
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
Concept of Peer
According to Salvador (2009) a peer is a person who is equal to another in ability, qualification, age, background and social status. Peer is a person who belongs to the same age group or social group.
Concept of Gender
Gender according to Pollard and Morgan (2002) refers to the socially constructed expectation for male and female behaviour which prescribes a division of labour and responsibilities between males and females granting of different rights and obligation to them. Gender also describes social and historical constructs for masculine and feminine roles, behaviours, attributes and ideologies, which connote some notion of biological sex (Azikiwe, 2001).
Concept of Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is influence that a peer group, observers or individuals exert to encourage others to change their attitudes, values or behaviours and conform to the group norms. Peer pressure is the influence of a social group on an individual. Bobbies and Elhaney, (2005) indicate that peer pressure refers to the way the people of the same social group act or believe in order to influence one another, often in negative ways.
Peer pressure is something everybody has to deal with at some time in one’s life. How successful one handles peer pressure depends to a great on the individual’s self-concept and position in the world (Hardcastle, 2002). Peer pressure is defined as when people of one’s age encourages or urges him to do something or to keep off from doing something else, irrespective of the person’s desire to or not to (Ryan, 2000 in Uche, 2010). Peer pressure comprises a set of group dynamics where by a group in which one feels comfortable may override personal habits, individual moral inhibitions or idiosyncratic desires to impose a group norm of attitudes or behaviour.
Peer pressure is emotional or mental force from people belonging to the same social group (such as same age grade or status) to act or behave in a manner similar to themselves. Peer pressure has a great influence on adolescent behavior and reflects young people’s desire to fit in and be accepted by others (Bern, 2010). Peer pressure is also known as peer influence, and it involves changing one’s behavior to meet the perceived expectation of others (Burns and Darling, 2002) In general, most teens confirm to peer pressure like music, clothing or hair styles. When it comes to important issues like moral values, parents still remain more influential than the peer group (Black, 2002).
Peer pressure may have a positive influence and help to or motivate us to do our best. Peer pressure may also result in people doing things that may not fit with their sense of what is right and wrong (Black, 2002). Peer pressure may be influence in a number of ways: fashion choice, alcohol and smoking and other drugs use, decision to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, choice of who our friends, organizing and extending parties. Peer pressure may be pressure in the work place, at school or within the general community.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHOD
Design of the Study
The design was a correlational survey. Nworgu (2006) defined correlatonal survey as a type of study that seeks to establish what relationship exists between two or more variables. Usually such studies indicate the direction and magnitude of the relationship between the variables. This study established the relationship among variables of peer pressure, time management and bullying of the in-school adolescents in Ejigbo, Lagos State.
Area of the Study
The area of the study is Ejigbo community in Lagos State. Lagos State is located in the South West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria. Ejigbo is a loval government area in Lagos state. There are 25 secondary schools in Ejigbo. This area was chosen because of personal observations and work 48 field experience as a prison officer that many adolescents are languishing in prisons as a result of negative peer pressure influence and poor time management. The observation also shown that many of the adolescents roam the streets during school hours instead of being in their various class.
Population of the Study
The population of this study consisted of all secondary school adolescent students in Ejigbo, Lagos State. Available statistics show that there are 10,790 (source: Lagos State Secondary Education Management Board, 2013).
CHAPTER FOUR
RESULTS
Research Question 1
What is the level of peer pressure among in-school adolescents?
CHAPTER FIVE
DISUCSSION, CONCLUSIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS
Discussion of the Findings
Levels of Peer Pressure among In-school Adolescent
The researcher found that there exists low level of peer pressure among inschool adolescent. Data from table 1 shown that a higher percentage of in-school adolescents experienced a low level of peer pressure. The experience of low level peer pressure among in-school adolescents could mean that peer group exercised positive influence on their members in this regard. This implies that peer pressure could influence in-school adolescents to engage in group discussion, going to library to read, that will enhance their bullying. This supports the view of Black (2002) that, peer pressure may be a positive influence and could help to motivate them to do their best. With the attainment such high percentage of level of peer pressure, it implies that peer pressure has a positive influence on school adolescents, behaviour.
The few percentage of in-adolescents with high peer pressure, it means that they are being influence negatively, such as engrossment in computer games, watching of films.
The findings that a significant number of in-school adolescent experienced a low peer pressure means that in-school adolescent received less pressure from their peers. The reasons for less pressure could be that they are matured and have know what is good for them and what is bad.
Relationship between Peer Pressure and Bullying of In-school Adolescents in Ejigbo
Data from table 3 shown that there is a medium direct positive relationship between peer pressure and bullying of in-school adolescents. The findings implies that an in-school adolescents experience positive peer influence. But their ability to perform very well was attributed to other factors studied. Probably, their teacher was able to cover the scheme of work before the assessment. As a result it leads to good bullying.
Relationship between Time Management and academic performance of Inschool Adolescents
The result of the study in table 4 shown that there is medium direct positive relationship between time management and bullying. This means that the in-school adolescents utilize their time very which enhances their bullying. The finding could be attributed to some factor like time table, group discussion, doing assignment and read ahead before examination. When in-school adolescents map out thing to do daily and follow them sequentially there is tendency of them managing their time well. When such happens, it leads to better bullying which supports the finding that there is a positive relation between time management and bullying.
This is in line with Atusenuwa (2002) who pointed out that how well a student manages his or her time determines to a large extent individual chances of success and the degree of success as well. The researcher is of the opinion that proper management of time on the side of in-school adolescents could bring better bullying.
Relationship among Peer Pressure, Time Management and Academic Performance of In-school Adolescents with Regard to Gender
The researcher found out that their exist a medium direct positive relationship between peer pressure and time management of male and female student and their bullying. The data in table 5 shown that female inschool adolescents experience high positive peer pressure, manages their time well which makes them to performed higher than the male in-school adolescents academically. This finding implies that bullying of female in-school adolescents is a little bit higher that the male in-school adolescents. This means that both female in-school adolescents and male in-school adolescents did well academically only that female in-school adolescents’ performance is a little bit higher than the male counterpart. This implies their peer group is the type that do not miss lessons instead of loitering about while classes are on. It could also be that their peer group encourages one another, in their studies through group discussions before examination. This supports Head, (1965) that a child whose siblings and peers are well motivated towards their academic work tend to achieve higher than one whose peer are more interested in social life.
The data also shown that male experienced slight negative peer pressure such as smoking of cigarette and even drinking of alcohol, but their female were able to manage their time that made them performed well academically than the male counterpart.
The analysis from chapter four revealed that there was a significant relationship between peer pressure and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo. It also revealed that there was a significant relationship between time management and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo. There was a significant relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents with regards to gender. Based on the result of this analysis, the peer pressure and time management put together have a positive influence on bullying of in-school adolescents. The reason could be that they know why they are in school and also have the determination to succeed. Because those of the females are boarders they managed their time more than those that comes from home, where other environmental factors that tend to disturbs them.
Conclusions of the Study
- In light of the findings obtained in this study, the following conclusions are made.
- The finding implies that as in-school adolescents experience peer pressure, the ability of them performing well academically may not be there.
- This shows that negative peer pressure can bring about poor bullying.
- The medium positive relationship between time management and bullying implies that proper management of time enhances a better bullying while the reverse is the case.
Educational Implications of the Study
This study has a number of implications:
The result of this study has some obvious implications to teachers, guidance counselor, the society and the students. The findings have revealed that their exist a low level of peer pressure among in-school adolescents in Ejigbo means that the relationship exist is the one that makes them to know why they are in school and also disassociate themselves from bad friends because evil communication corrupts good manners.
The findings that there is a low level of time management among in-school adolescents. This means that the in-school adolescents do not manage their time will in terms of supervision by their parents at home. Hence parent should monitor their adolescent and make sure they read their books. The fact that female inschool adolescent performed slightly higher than the male in-school adolescents academically means that female in-school received less peer pressure and more time for their studies and hence improved bullying. The few male inschool adolescents that receive negative relationship, the school guidance counselor should work on them and let them know the effect of negative peer pressure to bullying. Teachers should ensure that they do their assignment as at when do.
Recommendation of the Study
Based on the finding of this study, the following recommendations are made:
- Trained counselor should be posted to all the secondary schools so as to help counsel few adolescents with negative influences.
- Parents should have effective supervision and should not allow other home environmental factor to distract their children. There is a need for teacher to have greater supervision and regulations on in-school adolescents to enhance effectiveness of their time management.
Summary of the Study
The study was on the relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo, Lagos State Nigeria.
The researcher discovered that in-school adolescent are found loitering about when lesson is going and watching film at video centre. It is this act that necessitated the present study in investigating relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo, Lagos State, Nigeria.
The purpose of the study generally was to investigate the relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo. The main purpose of the study was to:
- Find out the levels of the peer pressure among in-school adolescent.
- Find out the level of time management among in-school adolescents.
- Determine the relationship between peer pressure and academic performance of in-school adolescents.
- Determine the relationship between time management and academic performance of in-school adolescent.
- Determine the relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents with regards to gender.
Some related literature were reviewed concerning the study. Five research questions and three null hypothesis were formulated to guide the study. The population of the study was ten thousand seven hundred and ninety (10,790). A thirty-two item research questionnaire was developed; it was administered to ADOLESCENT students. A correlational survey method was used for the study. In-school adolescents in (ADOLESCENT) composed the population from which a sample of 500 inschool adolescents was drawn in four local governments that made up the Ejigbo. They were composed using random sampling and purposive sampling technique. The instrument for data collection used was a researcher’s made questionnaire titled “Relationship among peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents in Ejigbo, Lagos State Nigeria”. The instrument was validated by three experts from
University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Two of the experts are from Educational
Foundations (Guidance and Counselling) and one from Measurement and Evaluation of the Faculty of Education. Reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach Alpha for the internal consistency. The administration of the questionnaire was done by the researcher with the help of research assistants. The data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation, Pearson product moment of correlation coefficient while hypothesis was tested at 0.05 level of significance using multiple regression analysis.
- The research findings, showed that a higher percentage of in-adolescents experience low pressure while lower percentage of adolescents experience negative peer pressure.
- This is followed by a higher percentage of in-school adolescent with low time management.
- There is a medium direct positive relationship between peer pressure and bullying.
- There is medium positive relationship between time management and bullying.
- There exist a medium direct positive relationship among peer pressure, time management of male and female students and their bullying, but female in-school adolescents performed slightly higher than the male in-school adolescents performed slightly higher than the male in-school adolescents academically.
- There was a significant relationship between peer pressure and bullying of in-school adolescents.
- There was a significant relationship between time management and bullying of in-school adolescents.
- There was a significant relationship between male and female student with regards to peer pressure, time management and bullying of in-school adolescents.
The study made the following recommendations:
- Based on the finding that there exist low peer pressure among in-school adolescents, trained counselor should be posted to all the secondary schools so as to help counsel few adolescents with negative influence.
- The finding shows that there is low level of time management among inschool adolescents as a result of involvement in household chores and lack of parental supervision. Parent should have effective supervision and should not allow other home environmental factor to distract their adolescent. There is a need for teacher to have greater supervision and regulations on in-school adolescents to enhance effectiveness of their time management.
- The finding revealed that there exist a medium direct positive relationship between peer pressure and students’ bullying implies that inschool adolescents received good peer pressure that enhances their bullying. Notwithstanding the school counselor should encourage them to maintain the good relationship.
- The finding shows that there is a medium direct positive relationship between peer pressure and time management of male and female students and their bullying. It implies that the relationship among the opposite sex is very cordial that enhances bullying. The researcher in this recommends that the school counselor should counsel the few students with negative peer pressure such as smoking, gambling, holding parties to avoid poor bullying.
The study had the following limitations
(1) The possibility that some of the respondents may not be honest with their responses may affect the result. However, the number of the responses was good enough for meaningful generalization of the result.
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