Parental Perception of Child Behavior and Parental Abuse as Predictors of Delinquent Behavior among Adolescents in a Military Cantonment in Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract

The study investigated the parental perception of child behavior and parental abuse as predictors of delinquent behavior among adolescents in a Military Cantonment in Ibadan, Nigeria. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design using accidental sampling to sample 200 adolescents for data collection using validated scales. Data collected were analyzed using multiple regression and t-tests of independent samples. The results showed that parental perception of child behavior and parental abuse jointly predicted delinquent behavior among adolescents. Also, parental abuse independently predicted delinquent behavior while parental perception of child behavior did not. Finally, male adolescents scored higher on the delinquent behavior scale than female adolescents. The study concluded that parental perception and parental abuse are strong predictors of delinquent behavior among adolescents in a military cantonment. Therefore, it is recommended that parents should discourage negative behavior such as shouting and beating and encourage positive behavior such as positive relationships and encouragement to their children.