EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of common forms of aggressive behaviour and contributing factors observed among secondary school students. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used to conduct the study. A converging parallel mixed method design was selected. The respondents were 13 teachers, 2 principals and vice principals, 1 guidance counsellor, and 309 students. The student respondents were selected using stratified random sampling techniques, while the principal, teacher, guidance, and counsellor were selected using purposive sampling techniques. A questionnaire that contained items on sociodemographic variables, scales for aggression, and contributing factors was used to collect information from the students. Qualitative data was collected from teachers, principals, vice principals, guidance, and counsellors through interviews. Percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation, independent sample test, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyse the data.
The findings showed that the most common forms of aggressive behaviour, in order of magnitude from the highest to the lowest, are verbal aggression, anger aggression, indirect aggression, physical aggression, and hostility aggression, respectively. Boys have a higher physical aggression level than girls. To the contrary, girls have high verbal and indirect aggression behaviour, but there is no significant difference between boys and girls in anger aggression or hostility aggression behaviour. The contributing factors were found to be (1) the school environment, (2) family-related factors, and (3) family-related factors. The school-related factors were important predictors of aggressive behaviour. Recommendations were also forwarded in the light of the findings.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Aggression can be defined as an emotion that tends to hurt, harm, or destroy something or someone. In the case of individuals, the intention of harm can be physical or psychological. Aggressive behaviour involves conflict between individuals of equal status (Roland and Idsoe, 2001).
According to the World Health Organisation (2002), aggression is the deliberate use of or physical power that threatens one's self or another, is committed against a group or community, and results in psychological and physical damage and even deprivation.
Berkowitz (1981) defined aggression as a behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being, where the other person will be motivated to avoid the harm. This study identifies three different types of aggression using the direct-indirect aggression scale (Bjorkvists, 1992). Direct, indirect, and verbal aggression. Children engaging in direct aggression usually display it in terms of being physical, like hitting, kicking, punching, biting, and so on.
Indirect aggression is shown by exclusions, social isolation, spreading rumours, telling other‘s secrets, and so on. Verbal aggression is displayed by using bad words, abuse, threatening others, calling names, and so on.In the USA in 2000, more than 400 000 youths aged 10–19 were injured as a result of violent acts (Centre for Disease Control, 2004). In Alexandria students' hospital, 4.4% of students attending the emergency department were seeking medical care for injuries resulting from physical fighting (Youssef et al., 1999).
Aggressive behaviour can cause serious harm, including physical and emotional injuries, with long-term negative consequences for both the victim and the aggressor (Umukoro, Aladeokin, & Eduviere, 2013).
Men were physically and verbally more aggressive than females, but women's anger was higher than that of men, as per the study by Bus and Perry (1992). Men have a significantly higher score on physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility, but not on anger (Cohn 1988).
In Ethiopia, a study by Tadele Fayso (2019) showed that physical aggression, verbal aggression, and indirect aggression were evident among adolescents in secondary schools in Meskan woreda. Specifically, students showed greater indirect aggression, followed by verbal and physical ones, but all three forms of aggression were found to be low.
Aggression in schools is a very conspicuous phenomenon prevailing across cultures and races. This is so because in schools, children get a lot of opportunities and exposure to different stimuli and cues to display their learned behaviours or learn new ones. Developmental theory suggests that children‘s exposure to classrooms with a high amount of aggression in elementary classes can have a stronger impact on their aggressive behaviour, which they term the primacy effect (Thomas et al., 2011). According to the social field theory model (Kellam et al., 1998), which argues for the primacy effect, it becomes very crucial at the school entry level for a child to face new behavioural demands like adjusting to peers, teachers, rules, and regulations. Children who master these demands are able to move smoothly and develop appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive abilities, compared to children who are not successful in accomplishing these adjustments in their early stages of schooling and continue the same maladjustment through their elementary school and further (Alexander, Entwisle, & Dauber, 1993; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Perry & Weinstein, 1998).
The causes of learner aggression are multiple. Learners are often subjected to aggression at school, which occurs in tandem with aggression at home and aggressive behaviour in the community outside the school. Chetty (1997) observed that children exposed to aggression in this way risk becoming either victims or perpetrators of antisocial behaviour. Coupled with consistent parental intervention, these children are likely to become deviants, delinquents, and a public nuisance (Chetty 1997). Biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors are the determinants of behaviours. Adolescence is a period that includes many emotional and behavioural changes. Some of these changes are problematic (Savrun, 2000). One of the recent issues concerning both the media and parents is the aggressive behaviour among the high school students.
It has long been recognised that developmental changes in typically developing adolescents (e.g., an increase in physical strength and spending more time with friends) may be associated with increased aggressive behaviour (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2011).
Due to the aforementioned behavioural problems, aggression in school needs special attention. Since it affects a student‘s proper development substantially in their schooling and later in life,. Several researchers, like Beck (2004) and Block and Keyes (cited in Bjorklund, 1992), indicate that children who are aggressive at an early age show more delinquent behaviour during adulthood than those who are not aggressive. So the aim of this study was to investigate the magnitude of common forms of aggressive behaviour and contributing factors to aggressive behaviour among secondary school students.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
According to the UNICEF Report (2011), a bleak future awaits most children, whom they defined as those between 10 and 19 years of age. One of the recent issues concerning both the media and parents is the aggressive behaviour of senior secondary school students. The increase in aggressive behavior at school has drawn the attention to this subject among researchers (Efilti, 2008, Kaya & Belgin, 2012). Although aggressive adolescents are prevalent around the globe, some studies indicate that the prevalence of aggression among adolescents in developing countries is higher than in developed countries e.g., Akiba, LeTendre, Baker, & Goesling, 2002).
The researcher has four work experiences in schools; as a result the researcher had observed aggressive behavior among students. Like fighting, insulting, threatening, disobeying school regulation, criticizing teachers in preparatory schools students. This negative development has adversely affected the academic performance of the students and their overall wellbeing. The students continued involvement in aggressive behavior has brought worry too many parents, teachers, guidance counselors and the government.
In Ethiopia there are sorts of investigations in few areas of behavioral problems. To the present researcher beliefs various investigations are still needed in other areas of behavioral problems which are still presented, vary in nature and extensive. Then this study aims to investigate the magnitude of and contributed factors to aggressive behavior among Secondary school students. By answering the following questions:
- What is the magnitude of the common forms of aggressive behaviour observed among secondary school students?
- Is there a significant difference between boys and girls involvement in aggressive behaviour among secondary school students?
- What are the contributing factors to the aggressive behaviours observed among secondary school students?
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.3.1. General Objectives
The aim of this study is to investigate the magnitude of the common form of aggressive behaviour and the contributing factors to aggressive behaviour observed among secondary school students.
1.3.2. Specific Objectives
- To investigate the magnitude of the common form of aggressive behaviour observed among secondary school students.
- To compare the difference between boy's and girls involvement in aggressive behaviour among secondary school students.
- To investigate the contributing factors to aggressive behaviours observed among secondary school students.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will benefit guidance counsellors, curriculum planners, the community, the government, and researchers. The guidance counsellors stand to benefit from the study, as it will provide them with the strategies and skills with which to handle all cases of aggression among adolescents in schools. The curriculum planners will consider and integrate some aspects of the findings into the preparatory school curriculum. The study's completion will help the government in the area of crime prevention. The findings of the study will be used as a reference for researchers who may want to work on a similar study in the future.
1.5 Delimitation of the Study
This study was done with secondary school students. This school is a government school located in Addis Ababa town. This is primarily due to convenience for the researcher, as the place of work and living is the same as the research site. In terms of finances and time, the study was limited to the selected school.
1.6 Limitations
Some teachers were not willing to cooperate during the collection of the data. This study is done among regular preparatory school students and does not include night-class students. Further, it does not assess the other contributing factors, like biological factors.
1.7. Operational Definition
Aggressive behaviour: In this study, aggressive behaviour refers to any form of behaviour carried out whose immediate goal is to inflict harm on another person who wants to avoid such harm.
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL. GET MORE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS
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EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to investigate the magnitude of common forms of aggressive behaviour and contributing factors observed among secondary school students. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used to conduct the study. A converging parallel mixed method design was selected. The respondents were 13 teachers, 2 principals and vice principals, 1 guidance counsellor, and 309 students. The student respondents were selected using stratified random sampling techniques, while the principal, teacher, guidance, and counsellor were selected using purposive sampling techniques. A questionnaire that contained items on sociodemographic variables, scales for aggression, and contributing factors was used to collect information from the students. Qualitative data was collected from teachers, principals, vice principals, guidance, and counsellors through interviews. Percentage, frequency, mean, standard deviation, independent sample test, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to analyse the data.
The findings showed that the most common forms of aggressive behaviour, in order of magnitude from the highest to the lowest, are verbal aggression, anger aggression, indirect aggression, physical aggression, and hostility aggression, respectively. Boys have a higher physical aggression level than girls. To the contrary, girls have high verbal and indirect aggression behaviour, but there is no significant difference between boys and girls in anger aggression or hostility aggression behaviour. The contributing factors were found to be (1) the school environment, (2) family-related factors, and (3) family-related factors. The school-related factors were important predictors of aggressive behaviour. Recommendations were also forwarded in the light of the findings.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study
Aggression can be defined as an emotion that tends to hurt, harm, or destroy something or someone. In the case of individuals, the intention of harm can be physical or psychological. Aggressive behaviour involves conflict between individuals of equal status (Roland and Idsoe, 2001).
According to the World Health Organisation (2002), aggression is the deliberate use of or physical power that threatens one's self or another, is committed against a group or community, and results in psychological and physical damage and even deprivation.
Berkowitz (1981) defined aggression as a behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being, where the other person will be motivated to avoid the harm. This study identifies three different types of aggression using the direct-indirect aggression scale (Bjorkvists, 1992). Direct, indirect, and verbal aggression. Children engaging in direct aggression usually display it in terms of being physical, like hitting, kicking, punching, biting, and so on.
Indirect aggression is shown by exclusions, social isolation, spreading rumours, telling other‘s secrets, and so on. Verbal aggression is displayed by using bad words, abuse, threatening others, calling names, and so on.In the USA in 2000, more than 400 000 youths aged 10–19 were injured as a result of violent acts (Centre for Disease Control, 2004). In Alexandria students' hospital, 4.4% of students attending the emergency department were seeking medical care for injuries resulting from physical fighting (Youssef et al., 1999).
Aggressive behaviour can cause serious harm, including physical and emotional injuries, with long-term negative consequences for both the victim and the aggressor (Umukoro, Aladeokin, & Eduviere, 2013).
Men were physically and verbally more aggressive than females, but women's anger was higher than that of men, as per the study by Bus and Perry (1992). Men have a significantly higher score on physical aggression, verbal aggression, and hostility, but not on anger (Cohn 1988).
In Ethiopia, a study by Tadele Fayso (2019) showed that physical aggression, verbal aggression, and indirect aggression were evident among adolescents in secondary schools in Meskan woreda. Specifically, students showed greater indirect aggression, followed by verbal and physical ones, but all three forms of aggression were found to be low.
Aggression in schools is a very conspicuous phenomenon prevailing across cultures and races. This is so because in schools, children get a lot of opportunities and exposure to different stimuli and cues to display their learned behaviours or learn new ones. Developmental theory suggests that children‘s exposure to classrooms with a high amount of aggression in elementary classes can have a stronger impact on their aggressive behaviour, which they term the primacy effect (Thomas et al., 2011). According to the social field theory model (Kellam et al., 1998), which argues for the primacy effect, it becomes very crucial at the school entry level for a child to face new behavioural demands like adjusting to peers, teachers, rules, and regulations. Children who master these demands are able to move smoothly and develop appropriate social, emotional, and cognitive abilities, compared to children who are not successful in accomplishing these adjustments in their early stages of schooling and continue the same maladjustment through their elementary school and further (Alexander, Entwisle, & Dauber, 1993; Hamre & Pianta, 2001; Perry & Weinstein, 1998).
The causes of learner aggression are multiple. Learners are often subjected to aggression at school, which occurs in tandem with aggression at home and aggressive behaviour in the community outside the school. Chetty (1997) observed that children exposed to aggression in this way risk becoming either victims or perpetrators of antisocial behaviour. Coupled with consistent parental intervention, these children are likely to become deviants, delinquents, and a public nuisance (Chetty 1997). Biological, psychological, social, and cultural factors are the determinants of behaviours. Adolescence is a period that includes many emotional and behavioural changes. Some of these changes are problematic (Savrun, 2000). One of the recent issues concerning both the media and parents is the aggressive behaviour among the high school students.
It has long been recognised that developmental changes in typically developing adolescents (e.g., an increase in physical strength and spending more time with friends) may be associated with increased aggressive behaviour (United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 2011).
Due to the aforementioned behavioural problems, aggression in school needs special attention. Since it affects a student‘s proper development substantially in their schooling and later in life,. Several researchers, like Beck (2004) and Block and Keyes (cited in Bjorklund, 1992), indicate that children who are aggressive at an early age show more delinquent behaviour during adulthood than those who are not aggressive. So the aim of this study was to investigate the magnitude of common forms of aggressive behaviour and contributing factors to aggressive behaviour among secondary school students.
1.2. Statement of the Problem
According to the UNICEF Report (2011), a bleak future awaits most children, whom they defined as those between 10 and 19 years of age. One of the recent issues concerning both the media and parents is the aggressive behaviour of senior secondary school students. The increase in aggressive behavior at school has drawn the attention to this subject among researchers (Efilti, 2008, Kaya & Belgin, 2012). Although aggressive adolescents are prevalent around the globe, some studies indicate that the prevalence of aggression among adolescents in developing countries is higher than in developed countries e.g., Akiba, LeTendre, Baker, & Goesling, 2002).
The researcher has four work experiences in schools; as a result the researcher had observed aggressive behavior among students. Like fighting, insulting, threatening, disobeying school regulation, criticizing teachers in preparatory schools students. This negative development has adversely affected the academic performance of the students and their overall wellbeing. The students continued involvement in aggressive behavior has brought worry too many parents, teachers, guidance counselors and the government.
In Ethiopia there are sorts of investigations in few areas of behavioral problems. To the present researcher beliefs various investigations are still needed in other areas of behavioral problems which are still presented, vary in nature and extensive. Then this study aims to investigate the magnitude of and contributed factors to aggressive behavior among Secondary school students. By answering the following questions:
1.3 Objectives of the Study
1.3.1. General Objectives
The aim of this study is to investigate the magnitude of the common form of aggressive behaviour and the contributing factors to aggressive behaviour observed among secondary school students.
1.3.2. Specific Objectives
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will benefit guidance counsellors, curriculum planners, the community, the government, and researchers. The guidance counsellors stand to benefit from the study, as it will provide them with the strategies and skills with which to handle all cases of aggression among adolescents in schools. The curriculum planners will consider and integrate some aspects of the findings into the preparatory school curriculum. The study's completion will help the government in the area of crime prevention. The findings of the study will be used as a reference for researchers who may want to work on a similar study in the future.
1.5 Delimitation of the Study
This study was done with secondary school students. This school is a government school located in Addis Ababa town. This is primarily due to convenience for the researcher, as the place of work and living is the same as the research site. In terms of finances and time, the study was limited to the selected school.
1.6 Limitations
Some teachers were not willing to cooperate during the collection of the data. This study is done among regular preparatory school students and does not include night-class students. Further, it does not assess the other contributing factors, like biological factors.
1.7. Operational Definition
Aggressive behaviour: In this study, aggressive behaviour refers to any form of behaviour carried out whose immediate goal is to inflict harm on another person who wants to avoid such harm.
EFFECTS OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR AND SOCIAL LEARNING THERAPIES IN MANAGING ADOLESCENTS AGGRESSIVENESS AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL. GET MORE PROJECT TOPICS AND MATERIALS
Attached Files