INFLUENCE OF SINGLE PARENTING AS A FACTOR OF DELINQUENCY AMONG PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

This study examined the influence of single parenting on delinquent behaviour among public senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State. The study investigated how factors such as parental supervision, emotional support, absence of parental figures, and economic difficulties within single parent households contribute to students’ involvement in delinquent acts. Five research questions guided the study and five corresponding hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The survey research design was used, and the population consisted of senior secondary school students in Egor Local Government Area. A sample of one hundred and twenty five students was selected through simple random sampling from five public secondary schools. A structured questionnaire served as the research instrument. The instrument was validated by experts, and the reliability was established through the test retest method, yielding a coefficient of 0.77. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics such as mean and standard deviation, while hypotheses were tested using the t test and Pearson correlation. The findings revealed that single parenting significantly influences delinquent behaviour among senior secondary school students. The study showed that inadequate supervision, low emotional support, absence of a mother or father figure, and financial challenges common in single parent households contribute to behaviours such as truancy, aggression, dishonesty, and peer influenced deviance. The results also showed that students from single parent homes exhibited higher levels of delinquent behaviour compared to those from two parent families. All hypotheses tested were rejected, indicating significant relationships between the components of single parenting and delinquent behaviour. The study concluded that family structure and the quality of parental involvement play important roles in shaping adolescent behaviour. It recommended enhanced parental supervision, emotional support, financial assistance for single parent families, school based mentorship, and community intervention programmes aimed at reducing delinquent tendencies among adolescents.