ABSTRACT

The study focused on family structure and mal-adaptive behaviours among secondary school adolescent students in Umuahia, Abia State. Specifically this was designed to find out the effect of intact family, non-intact family, female-headed family and male-headed family on the mal-adaptive behaviours of adolescents and to establish a relationship between the rate of behaviours problems in adolescents and family structure. 5 research questions and 3 hypotheses were formulated. A total of 650 families were selected through stratified random sampling teclmique a breakdown of this numbers shows that the sample comprised of 426 from intact families, 54 from male-headed families and 170 from female-headed families. The instrument used for data collection was interview schedule comprising of 20 items, which was correctly filled and collected by the researcher. Relevant data were coded and presented in frequency distribution tables. Descriptive statistics (mean, ranking, pooled mean, and percentages) were used to analyze data related to the S research questions. The first and second null hypotheses were analyzed using chi-square statistical analysis while the third null hypothesis was analyzed using analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The results of the data analysis are presented as follows, cut off point for agreement is ? 2.5. Agreement with questionnaire item as shown in table 1 respondent's mean scores on the questionnaire items ranged from, the lowest 2.33 (item 13) to the highest 3.48 for (item 1). The pooled mean of all the items in this section of the questionnaire are above 3.16 which implies that all the study sample agree that the 20 items are prevalent among adolescents from non-intact families. Table 2 result shows that 58.2% of the respondents agreed that maladaptive behaviours are more prevalent among adolescents from non-intact families. Table 3 result shows that all respondents rated maladaptive behaviours among adolescents from intact family is low with a pooled mean of 1.65. Table 4 result shows that not all of the maladaptive behaviours itemized are exhibited by adolescents from male headed families with a pooled mean of 2.40. Table 5 result shows that not all the maladaptive behaviours are exhibited by adolescents from female headed families with a pooled mean of 2.29. Recommendations were made based on the findings from the study.