GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT

This study examined the influence of family type and parental socio-economic status on juvenile delinquency of business studies students in public junior secondary schools in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study and the population consisted of one thousand three hundred and sixty-one (1,361) business studies students. The sample size of this study was one two hundred and sixty-eight (268) respondents drawn from the population using Taro Yamane Formula. However, simple random sampling techniques was adopted for this study which gives every respondent the equal chance of being selected. Six (6) aim and objectives, research questions and hypotheses respectively were stated, answered, formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance for this study. A self-develop questionnaire titled Demographic/sociological variables and Juvenile Delinquency of students Questionnaire (DSVJDSQ) was used for data collection, which was validated and a reliability index of 0.84 was established using test-retest method of Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (PPMC), research questions were analyzed and answered using mean and standard deviations while the hypotheses were tested using t-test statistical tool. Findings of this study revealed that family type (dysfunctional family) and parental socio-economic status influences juvenile delinquency of business studies students to a high extent. In addition, the hypotheses revealed that there is no significant difference in the mean responses of male and female business studies students on the extent the aforementioned variables of demographic and sociological variables influence juvenile delinquency of business studies students in public junior secondary schools in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State. It was therefore recommended amongst other things that government and school authority should promulgate programs and policies aligned with delinquency and intervention in order to reduce delinquent acts among students.

KEYWORDS: Family Type, Parental Socio-Economic Status, Juvenile Delinquency, Business Studies Students, Public Junior Secondary Schools and Rivers State.