CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOURS ON STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOLS (A CASE STUDY OF SOME SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN MAIDUGURI METROPOLITAN COUNCIL AREA OF BORNO STATE)

The study aims at investigating the causes and effects of anti-social behaviours on students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools (a case study of some selected secondary schools in MMC). Five research questions and objectives were used to direct the study, which include: types of anti-social behaviours engaged in by students in senior secondary schools in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria, by gender; causes of anti-social behaviours among students in senior secondary schools in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria, by school type; and also the effects of anti-social behaviours on students’ academic performance in senior secondary schools in Maiduguri Metropolis, Borno State, Nigeria. The population of the study was eleven thousand nine hundred (11,900), out of which only 10% was selected to represent the whole population using Yamane’s formula for sampling technique. The sample population was 1,190 respondents from the selected secondary schools in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council Area of Borno State, while the selection of the study samples was drawn from the population. The instrument used in collecting the data was a questionnaire. A structured and validated rating scale designed into two sections was the main instrument for the collection of data. The collected data were analyzed and presented in tabular form, showing various problems and effects of anti-social behaviour among students of secondary schools in Nigeria. The analysis indicated that anti-social behaviours are harmful and uncooperative actions of individuals, characterized by overt and covert hostility and deliberate aggression towards others. It is perceived that such behaviours occur as a result of unsatisfactory psychological, social, or emotional development of children at home and under-socialization in the community. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to investigate the causes of anti-social behaviour among male students at the secondary level in public schools. Through responses from the research subjects, major causes of students’ anti-social behaviours were identified. Teachers can play a vital role in shaping students, as they are uniquely capable of providing assistance in learning appropriate behaviours and preventing problematic or negative behaviours among students. It was therefore recommended that there should be regular parent-teacher association meetings in schools where parents and teachers may share their views regarding curricular and co-curricular activities, as well as students’ behaviour at home.